If you’re stuck for an unusual little stocking filler, then take a look at the kit range from Kikkerland. These are quirky little themed sets, ideal for popping in the post and costing between £6 and £20 each. Sara Walker reviews a selection.
I’m a bit of a sucker for a kit, whether it’s first aid or recipes! There’s something very pleasing about the neatness of it, and the fact that someone else has thought about what you’ll need. I liked the idea of these themed kits from Kikkerland, although some will definitely be more useful than others.
I was offered three to look at, including the Anytime Cocktail Kit, £15; the sneaker cleaning kit, £10 and the Dog Birthday Kit, £10. All three kits come packed into neat, attractive tins that will find a multitude of uses around the home once the contents are gone.
Dog Birthday Kit, £10
“Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me…”
This kit was probably the least ‘useful’ but the most fun! It contained a birthday banner of bone-shaped cards, a bone-shaped cookie cutter, recipe book and birthday hat. Olly Spaniel was unimpressed with the hat – he said he had the wrong sort of ears – but loved the banner, and was fascinated with the swinging cards!
He also appreciated the homemade treats. This kit isn’t directly for your dog as it requires a fair bit of effort from the owner, but it’s a cute way to mark the occasion and let your pooch enter into the festivities. (It really was Olly’s birthday on 23 November, by the way. He isn’t faking it. He is three).
Sneaker Cleaning Kit, £10
Oh goodness these shoes are an embarrassment. The cleaning kit did work, as you can see from the clean spot on the toe, but I think I’d have needed a litre of it for these!
This kit contained a microfibre cloth, bottle of spray cleaner, ‘magic eraser’ for marks and a little stiff brush for removing mud. Unfortunately I was probably the wrong person to test this, as I live in my trainers in the summer for dog walking and they are pretty hanging! They really need to be thrown in the washing machine, or something even more. I did clean a little spot on one trainer and the spray liquid worked surprisingly well – you can really see the difference afterwards!
This kit would be great for anyone who has ‘going out trainers’ and wants to take the odd spot off them to keep them looking pristine. It’s perfect for popping in a gym bag and means you can clear up on the go. I think my ‘I’ll just walk across this muddy field’ footwear wasn’t really the target audience, though….
Anytime Cocktail Kit, £15
Cocktail time! Let’s just pretend it’s summer….
This one was my favourite! It included two little spirit bottles to hold about one measure each, a double-sided bar spoon and muddler, two garnish bottles, a funnel and a recipe booklet. Ideal for picnics, and you could keep it all made up ready in case the urge for a cocktail-on-the-go came over you! You’d just need to remember glasses and mixer. The kit would serve two fairly comfortably for one glass each. The little garnish bottles are very tiny – just enough to fit a teaspoon of sugar or a few fresh mint leaves but not enough for fresh fruit or anything bulkier. (I’ve used a very small glass for the photo – the bottles hold around a measure each). It’s a very sweet little kit though, with just the right amount of decadence to make a it a lovely present. If you’re feeling generous, you could add a bottle of spirit or accessories to make this really special.
The tins made by Kikkerland and sold by various outlets including Amazon, Selfridges, Urban Outfitters and Oliver Bonas.
(Disclaimer: The kits were supplied for the purposes of this review, but all views and opinions are the reviewers own).
