Made in California: Four gift items, each for $50 or less

Think of it as the L.A. at Home craft fair: Throughout December, we'll point shoppers toward handmade gifts that are original, thoughtful and occasionally eccentric. We'll start with this assortment -- all $50 or less. Clockwise, starting with the largest photo:

Book: The hand-bound journal is made by Tyler Bender using vintage and recycled materials. It's $32.95 from the Tyler Bender Book Co.

Box: Los Angeles artist Mark Brunner decorates the lid of his handmade wooden box with a resin print of his original artwork. It's $50.

Scent: Textile artist Paula Smail makes her 4-inch-square sachets with fabric remnants stuffed with dried lavender. Each set of three sachets is $15 at Henry Road in Studio City.

Treasure: The small "Peace" box is by Pasadena artist Kim Elowe of Kafuffle Designs. It's $26.50 at Mindfulnest in Burbank.

-- Lisa Boone

Photo credits: Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times

The Deal: ModKat offers holiday discount on litter boxes through Dec. 25

The ModKat litterbox, scoop and reusable liner caused quite a stir when it debuted at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in May and understandably so. The thoughtfully designed litter box has a simple design that will suit any room, and its enclosed base and "rooftop" entry allows for privacy. At 15 inches high, it is about the same height as most covered litter boxes, but has a smaller footprint. The perforated roof panel theoretically means you won't be stepping in any Jonny Cat.

The ModKat package also comes with an ergonomic scoop with built-in brush and a reusable liner made with commercial-strength tarpaulin. Available in black, red, white (currently on back order), yellow and blue (above), the box normally retails for $180. In honor of the holidays, however, ModKat is offering a $20 discount through Dec. 25. Simply use the discount code "modholiday" and hit apply. 

-- Lisa Boone

Photo credit: ModKat

Good gadgets for the gardeners on your list

What are the “must-haves” in Southern California potting sheds these days? I asked just that to the folks at Gardener’s Supply, a Vermont-based mail-order company. Their most popular tools and gadgets with California consumers are those that support sustainable gardening activities, says Maree Gaetani, Gardener’s Supply spokeswoman.

“Our kitchen compost crocks are big – including the new bamboo one,” Gaetani says. The stylish Bamboo Crock, right, with a 3-1/3-quart capacity removable pail is made from “earth-friendly” bamboo and has a snug-fitting lid. It measures 11 inches high by 7 3/4 inches in diameter, $39.95.

Just in time for the rainy season are two rain barrels that appeal to water-wise California gardeners. Made from 25% recycled content, the brown or green Deluxe Rain Barrel stores up to 75 gallons of water. It measures 36 inches high by 28 inches in diameter, $169. The English-Style Rain Barrel, pictured at right, inspired by an English washtub, collects 40 gallons of water. It measures 25-3/4 in. high x 25 in. diameter, $149.

Perhaps because of poor soil in many Los Angeles backyards, raised bed kits are big sellers. The Forever Raised Bed, pictured lower at right, is made from a composite of recycled wood and plastic, with 10 1/2-inch high sides and concealed aluminum corner brackets. Sizes range from 3-by-3-foot ($150) to 3-by-6-foot ($225). The Grow Bed, made of 100% recycled black plastic, features 10-inch-high sides that interlock at the corners to hold soil and plants neatly in place. Sizes range from 18-by-36 inches ($39.95) to 3-by-6-foot ($89.95). Use Gardener’s Supply’s online kitchen garden planner to determine a planting plan and calculate how much produce your raised bed will yield.

Southern California’s abundant supply of sun makes solar-powered products appealing. “The solar string lights are great in summer or in winter to light up a patio or a holiday tree,” Gaetani says. Each 36-foot string has 102 LED bulbs that glow for 8 hours when fully charged. Available in white, blue and red-and-green, $75 each.

People worried about indoor and outdoor flower pots drying out are snapping up a water-smart gadget that works in any round pot. Place the reservoir system, pictured bottom right, in the base of a container, add soil and plants, and water through the filling tube. Roots stay moist without daily watering. A 1-quart kit fits  10- to 14-inch pots ($12.95); a 1-gallon kit fits a 16- to 20-inch pot ($16.95).

-- Debra Prinzing

Photo credits: Gardner's Supply

Daily Doodle calendar: Inspiring for kids, a therapeutic reminder for adults?

Earlier this year I read about a study that found that doodling aids concentration and memory, and I immediately encouraged my children to start doodling in class. Memory-impaired myself, I also wanted to test the theory personally, only I could never remember to give it a try.

Japanese illustrator Taro Gomi’s 2010 Daily Doodle Calendar from Chronicle Books, then, might be the  perfect aid for forgetful multi-taskers who need reminders not to forget about working on their memory. Are you following me here?

Hey, wait a minute. This calendar is geared for kids "ages 3 and up"? Whatever.

The $12.99 page-a-day calendar measures 5 by 4 1/2 inches and comes with an orange stand so you can prop it up or hang it on the wall. Available at bookstores and Plastica, at  8405 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles; (323) 655-1051.

-- Lisa Boone

Photo credit: Chronicle Books

Datebook: events, classes, exhibits for the week ahead

We've listed select home and garden events below. Suggest your own via reader comments. Submissions must be fewer than 75 words and must be for one-time events with legitimate value to other readers. No store promotions and no frivolous links, please. L.A. at Home staff will determine which submissions will be made public, but we won't edit the comments.

Dec. 4: Costumed hosts will escort visitors through the Victorian homes at the Heritage Square Museum when they are illuminated for the 15th annual Holiday Lamplight Celebration. Evening tours begin at 4 p.m. and continue until 8:30 p.m. Adults, $20; children 12 and younger, $10. Not suitable for children under 6. 3800 Homer St., Los Angeles. Reservations required: (323) 225-2700, Ext. 223.

Dec. 4: Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi and the American Community Gardening Assn. host this educational training seminar based on the association’s curriculum for leadership development. Topics: community organizing, leadership development, grass-roots fundraising, community development, communications and coalition building. 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 5. University of California Cooperative Extension, 4800 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave., Los Angeles. $45. (877) 275-2242.

Dec. 5: Unique L.A. Holiday Show will include more than 300 makers of housewares such as the coffee table by Mountain Exotics shown above, artwork, ceramics, books, clothing and jewelry. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 5 and 6. $10. California Market Center, 110 E. 9th St., downtown Los Angeles.

Dec. 5: Bauer Pottery's annual holiday clearance sale of seconds will feature Bauer's classic ringware and Russel Wright American Modern pieces. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 5-6 and 12-13. Bauer Pottery showroom, 3051 Rosslyn St., Los Angeles. (818) 500-0666.

Dec. 5:  The annual Echo Park Holiday Sale and Celebration will feature Zyana Aromatherapy, Frog Dog Organic Salsas and Herbs, stockings filled with home baked dog biscuits, and Peter Shire’s pots, cups, dishes and bowls. Santa will also pose for photos with pets ($10 each or three for $20) to help fund money for Echo Park Animal Alliances. Noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 5 and 6. Free. Echo Park Pottery, 1850 Echo Park Ave., Los Angeles.

Dec. 5: Curator Jill Morganelli leads a series on how to grow fruits and vegetables organically. This week’s installment will focus on winter crops and companion planting, winter diseases, irrigation, soil building, composting and pruning fruit trees. Noon to 3 p.m. $22 to $25. Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden, 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia. Registration: (626) 821-4623.

Dec. 5: Steve Gerischer of Larkspur Garden Design lectures on how to simplify your approach to landscaping. 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. $20 to $30. Theodore Payne Foundation for Wildflowers and Native Plants, 10459 Tuxford St., Sun Valley. (818) 768-1802.

Dec. 5: Rachel Young demonstrates how to transform natural materials into holiday décor in this wreath-making workshop. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. $30 to $35, includes materials. Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge. (818) 949-4200.

Dec. 5: Descanso Gardens hosts a holiday craft boutique with holiday decor and garden-related gifts. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 5 and 6. Free with regular admission of $3 to $8. 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge. (818) 949-4200.

Dec. 6: Los Angeles Modern Auctions hosts an auction of art, sculpture and other designs. Highlights include sculpture by Peter Voulkos, 29 original pieces by George Nakashima, several works by George Nelson and ceramic pieces by Otto Natzler. Noon. 16145 Hart St., Van Nuys. (323) 904-1950.

-- Lisa Boone

Photo caption: Unique Los Angeles exhibitor Mountain Exotics

The Deal: Herman Miller designs on sale at Room & Board through Dec. 13

Fans of Noguchi, Eames and other midcentury designers take note: Room & Board is discounting all pieces manufactured by Herman Miller by 15% through Dec. 13. 

While that may not sound like much of a price cut these days, the reduction can translate into a substantial savings on some classic furnishings. A sampling: the Eames file drawer desk, shown above, will be reduced from $1,299 to $1,104; Isamu Noguchi's glass-topped cocktail tables will be discounted to $1,146 from $1,340; the iconic Eames leather lounger and ottoman will be reduced from $3,699 to $3,145; and the Nelson Swag leg desk will now be $1,570, down from $1,849.

Shop online or at the Culver City store, at 8707 Washington Blvd., Culver City. (310) 736-9100.  Update: Unica Home is also selling its Herman Miller pieces at 15% off through Dec. 13. For more information, click here. 

-- Lisa Boone

Photo credit: Herman Miller

The Deal: Jose Vera Antiques holiday sale

The 4,000 square-foot Jose Vera Fine Art & Antiques store features an eclectic inventory of things from Chicano artworks to American Arts & Crafts furnishings.

Its holiday sale features discounts of up to 40% on a variety of items including a reupholstered Stickley settee (originally $3,500, now $1,500), a sewing rocker by Arts & Crafts designer Charles Limbert  (marked down from $500 to $250), a set of four 1960s Hans Wegner chairs (reduced from $1,400 to $600) and a wrought-iron bench, hand-forged and inlaid with original Batchelder decorative tiles, above (reduced from $3,500 to $1,800).

Jose Vera Fine Art & Antiques is at 2012 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock. Gallery hours are Wednesdays through Sundays, 11 am. to 6 p.m. (323) 258-5050.

-- Lisa Boone

Photo credit: Jose Vera Fine Art & Antiques

The Deal: Coffee's on at Ikea as three-day sale starts

This Bekvam Kitchen Cart is on sale for $19.99 (regularly $59.99) at Ikea's "Seize the Days" sale, which starts today. The three-day event will feature daily discount specials, including housewares, furniture, pillows, flatware and wine glasses. (Where else are you going to find six wine glasses for $1.99?)

Other great deals on Friday include the more than-6-foot-long Leksvik TV/storage bench for $99 (reduced from $179), the stained pine Leksvik corner TV bench, reduced to $89 from $119, as well as the Leksvik coffee table, reduced to $59 from $119.

As a bonus, the Swedish retailer is throwing in a free small breakfast and coffee until 10:30 a.m. for those willing to brave the lines. And for extra sustenance on Black Friday? After 11 a.m., grab yourself 10 "mouthwatering Swedish meatballs" for just $1.

For a look at other items on sale, click here.

-- Lisa Boone

Photo credit: Ikea

The Deal: Cariboo eco-friendly bassinets up to 40% off at Totsy beginning today

When today's parents were newborns, they slept in bassinets coated with lead paint. OK, maybe it wasn't that bad, but there certainly weren't "eco-friendly" handcrafted designs like the ones from Cariboo, shown above.

Cariboo's all-natural nursery products are an attempt to keep kids and the environment safe. The bassinets are made with Radiata pine harvested from sustainable sources. The New Zealand company also uses fabrics that are as natural as possible. 

And you know the drill: this eco-friendly stuff never comes cheap. But a selection of the bassinets will be discounted up to 40% beginning Thursday at Totsy, an online private sales club geared toward busy moms.

The Gentle Motion Bassinet in teak, above, is available in pink and blue prints and also comes in a mahogany finish. I like how easily it folds up, too, which gives parents more room to move should they give up and place their crying baby in bed with them. Regularly $565, the bassinet will be $339.

The Cariboo sale runs Thursday through Dec 4. (Though most sales last only 48 to 72 hours.) Don’t be put off by the members-only sale. Readers can go to www.totsy.com, enter invitation code LATimes, register and shop. 

-- Lisa Boone

Photo credit: Cariboo

Pop-up shops from Alessi, Jonathan Adler and others court holiday shoppers in search of good buys

With so many stores closing and retail spaces going empty, the concept of a so-called pop-up shop — a temporary boutique in an otherwise unoccupied storefront — has found fertile ground wherever “vacant” signs abound.

Fashion boutiques such as the Gap and Gucci were some of the first to adopt the idea, but lately furniture and home accessories stores are taking the temporary retail route as well. Modern housewares maker Alessi and accessories designer Jonathan Adler (whose ornaments are pictured above) are among those opening pop-ups, some of which may last a weekend, others a whole season. Some could even lead to permanent stores. The pop-up arrangements simply allow shop owners to test the retail waters without a long-term financial commitment.

“I’ve brokered a lot of these deals,” says Jay Luchs, an executive vice president with the real estate firm CB Richard Ellis. “Pop-up owners pay anywhere from 10% to 80% less than the normal, long-term monthly rent.”

When Borders shut down on Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade, Luchs negotiated a deal for Kitson, the quirky, celebrity-flocked fashion and accessories boutique, to occupy the space on a short-term basis. “The original rent was $180,000 a month,” Luchs says. “Kitson is paying much, much less than that now.”

Home decor pop-ups may stem from a Web-only business looking for a higher profile during the holidays, a large retailer testing a satellite location or an interior designer interested in minding a shop (but not for too long). Regardless of origin, the stores can deliver benefits for shoppers: more options, often better prices and a chance to test that arm chair, throw pillow or room diffuser before handing over the plastic.

For Tara Riceberg, pictured above, having a seasonal shop lets her play boutique owner for the holiday season and full-time interior design during the rest of the year. In her recently opened home store on 3rd Street in Los Angeles, she says she has stocked hard-to-find home items at reasonable prices. “There’s nothing more depressing than picking up an object, and you say, ‘Wow. $850.’ You feel defeated,” she says. “I always wonder, ‘How did everything become so absurdly expensive?’ ”

Riceberg has packed her 500-square-foot space, Tweak 99, with accessories such as bedazzled match books, no-melt ice “rocks,” Dutch-designed piggy banks, unusual tableware and glassware, desk accessories, candles and jewelry. About half of the items cost less than $50; the rest are under $100.

Florence Keller, owner of Villa Firenze, is also waving the low-price banner at her temporary store in Studio City. Keller, whose wholesale company supplies home textiles to stores including Anthropologie and Z Gallerie, recently took over a shuttered Ann Taylor Loft space on Ventura Boulevard. She’s selling her bedding, table linens, throw pillows (pictured above), diffusers and other gift items directly to the public at what she says are wholesale prices.

“Everything is anywhere from 50% to 80% off retail,” says Keller, who’s geared much of the offerings to holiday shopping. As far as her post-holiday store plans, Keller isn’t sure. “We’re here month to month,” she says. “Until they find a ‘real renter.' ” 

A list of some home decor pop-up stores after the jump ...