Photographs by Jeff Gurwin

Papyrus
73 Spring St between Crosby and Lafayette Sts (212-625-0912, papyrusonline.com)
For boyfriend’s sister
(just movedinto a really cool loft space)
Who doesn’t love seeing their name in print? Order a set of custom calling cards for this giftee—she’s probably gotten enough “housewarming” scented candles by now (prices start at $100 for 100 cards).

Daily 2.3.5
235 Elizabeth St between E Houston and Prince Sts (212-334-9728, daily235.com)
For niece and nephew
(adorable and deserve adorable things)
This twee toy shop sells trinkets for children of all ages (and adults, too). The candy-colored animal-sound alarm clocks—there’s a whole zoo to pick from—will provide some morning amusement for her brother’s kids ($25).

Georgia
89A E Houston St between Bowery and Elizabeth St (646-827-2428)
For sister-in-law
(loves massages)
Georgia’s Gold Luxury Skin Cream ($20 for four ounces)—a lush all-natural blend of soybean, lemon, lime, olive, wheat germ and avocado oils—is the perfect rub. Beyond being superrich and excellent for chapped winter skin, it also has that handmade uniqueness novelty: Co-owner Jodie Patterson started making it for her kids, and then decided to sell it under the store’s proprietary label.

Sur La Table 75 Spring St at Crosby St (212-966-3375, surlatable.com)
For mom
(kitchenista in need of a user-friendly knife sharpener)
This kitchen-focused chain store stocks an impressive selection of gadgetry, cookware and culinary hodgepodge. The Global Knife Sharpener by Mino ($48) is a superb toy for Jordana’s mom to hone her blades on. The handheld tool includes two ceramic wheels, one coarse and the other fine, for producing a finely sharpened double edge with ease.

Character
em>19 Prince St between Elizabeth and Mott Sts (212-274-1966, characternyc.com)
For brother
(loves video games and all manner of nerdy electronic things)
For Jordana’s techno-savvy bro, we think the rad fold-it-yourself cardboard boom box for iPods and other MP3 players will hit the mark ($44).

Whole Foods Market
95 E Houston St at Bowery (212-420-1320, wholefoodsmarket.com)
For boyfriend’s sister’s husband
(beerophile)
No, it’s not trashy to hand someone a gift in the form of a six-pack—especially if the recipient is a beer buff, and even more so if the offering is Kasteel Cru, a hard-to-find brew containing microbubbles, à la champagne ($24.95 for a six-pack).

The New Museum Store
235 Bowery at Prince St (212-343-0460, newmuseumstore.org)
For boyfriend (photographer)
For brother (funky, alternative, religious)
The store’s rife with art books like Aperture’s tome on William Christenberry ($50)—a pick for the shutterbug boyfriend. Amid the volumes and shock-value tchotchkes, she can also pick up a Soundwalk walking-tour audio CD of the Lower East Side ($19.95) for her brother. In what other enclave can you find punks, pastrami and synagogues within a few blocks’ radius?

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Holiday gift guide 2008: On a budget
More than 200 ideas that don't look cheap.