No girl likes something every other has. Take, for example, a woman walking into the ladies loos at a wedding to find someone else wearing the same dress; she wants to go home, immediately.Traditionally, spending lots of money has been the easiest way to avoid this awful situation. Buying boutique not High Street.

Of course, sometimes a girl does want what others have, but only a select few. They want the accessory with the celebrity price tag. They want to own a bit of the dream. Unfortunately, that's going to cost you dearly.

But, if your girl craves genuinely exclusivity and wants to avoid the crowd AND the hype, then don't buy designer labels. Opt for UK handmade instead. Not only will it give her something few others have, it won't cost you an arm and a leg. Plus, you will be supporting UK craftspeople. You'll also get a lot more 'wow' for your money. 

When you buy 'designer', you're helping to pay for all those polished TV commercials, full page adverts in the glossy mags and not to mention the freebies given to the celebrities for endorsement. By the time the brand has paid for all that, how much money do you think is left to produce the actually product? You certainly don't get value for money!

Also, while designer might be expensive, it's not truly exclusive. Yes, only a small percentage can afford to buy it, but we're still often talking hundreds of thousands or millions, not tens.

Tens is what you get with boutique handmade items. And, tens may well literally mean ten. We've stocked handmade items with limited editions of just 20 pieces. Imagine that - giving something that she's never-ever likely to see anyone else with.

And, with handmade your cash isn't spent on advertising. Instead it pays for studious hours of craftsmanship (or craftswomanship - as is often the case), which means it's evident in the gift.

One of the great things about the Internet is that it makes it so easy to find and buy handmade items you would never find otherwise. It puts the skill, creativity and ingenuity of thousands of craftspeople at your fingertips. Or, alternatively, it can connect you with the same brands and products you see all the time on the TV and in magazines. Which do you think she'll appreciate most?

If you're ready to sample the incredible talent of UK artisans, click here to see our handmade jewellery ranges or here to see all our handmade gifts.