Tartan and Plaid Gifts for Everyone Who Is Mad for Plaid

Plaid gifts for the home, the closet and under the tree, from a woman who has been mad for plaid for as long as she can remember.

I have been mad for plaid for as long as I can remember. My mother sewed tartan dresses for us every Christmas, and I wore a plaid uniform to Catholic school for twelve years, which should have cured me of it and somehow did the opposite. In the eighties I discovered Ralph Lauren and never looked back. Then I made my first trip to Scotland, learned the history behind the patterns and colors, and felt as if I had come home. So when it comes to plaid gifts, I am shopping for my own kind.

Tartan is classic, it is cozy, and it is for far more than the holidays. A good plaid throw is just as welcome in February as it is in December. Here are my favorite plaid gifts this year, for the table, the closet and every cozy corner of the house.

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A Plaid Christmas Table

A plaid tablescape is one of the easiest ways to make the holidays feel warm and welcoming. Start with a set of plaid placemats, like the tartan ones I love, and add plaid napkins or a table runner. Red and green tartan is the classic, but a blackwatch plaid with white dishes is just as festive and looks wonderful right through the winter. Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma always have beautiful plaid dishes and table linens at this time of year.

Plaid candle holders make a lovely hostess gift, and they are the kind of small, cheerful thing a hostess will bring out every December for years.

Plaid to Wear

I will always choose a skirt or a dress over trousers, and a plaid dress is my favorite thing to wear on Christmas Day. A red tartan dress, a green and black plaid one or a maxi plaid skirt with a cashmere sweater is classic and festive without trying too hard. For something smaller, a plaid handbag or a tartan scarf is a practical winter gift that will be worn all season long.

Here is a little secret for the Barbour lovers on your list: the classic Barbour jackets are lined in tartan. Every time you reach for the pockets on a cold walk, there is a flash of plaid, which may be my favorite design detail in any coat I own.

Cozy Plaid for the Home

Nothing says winter at home like a plaid throw. I have a collection of vintage wool blankets, and I think they make some of the most wonderful gifts. Fold one at the foot of a guest bed, or pile a few in a basket by the fire so anyone who feels a chill can help themselves. Vintage plaid blankets turn up at thrift stores, antique shops and on eBay, and each one comes with its own small history.

Plaid slippers, a pair of tartan socks or flannel pajamas are the cozy gifts that get worn every single night of the winter. Add a plaid pillow for the sofa or a tartan hot water bottle cover, and you have a gift for the person who loves nothing more than a quiet evening at home.

Plaid Stocking Stuffers

Small plaid gifts are perfect for the stocking. A tartan ornament for the tree, a plaid mug, a pretty tartan notebook or a set of plaid hair bows are all easy to tuck in. And for the gift wrapper, a spool of plaid ribbon makes every package under the tree look like it came from a little shop in Edinburgh. For more small gifts, see my stocking stuffers for the whole family.

Scottish Gifts for Plaid Lovers

For anyone proud of their Scottish heritage, a few Scottish themed gifts tucked in beside the plaid make it the perfect gift. A tin of real Scottish shortbread, a Highland cow ornament for the tree or a Luckenbooth pendant, the traditional Scottish love token of two hearts beneath a crown, are small and easy to send. For the whisky lover, a bottle of single malt tied with tartan ribbon is always welcome.

Find Your Family Tartan

For someone with Scottish roots, there may be no more meaningful gift than their own family tartan. The Scottish Register of Tartans keeps the official records of tartan designs, and many clan and family names have one, or several. Once you know the name of the tartan, Scottish mills like Lochcarron and Johnstons of Elgin weave scarves, throws and fabric in traditional patterns. A scarf in your family tartan is a gift that carries a whole history with it.

Where to Find More Plaid

You can find more of my favorite plaid in my Mad for Plaid shop, which I update all year long. For the friend who loves all things British, my gifts for Anglophiles have a little tartan, too, and you will find every one of my holiday guides in my Christmas gift guide.

I hope you found a little plaid for everyone on your list, and maybe for yourself. Tell me: are you mad for plaid too? And what is your favorite tartan, the classic red, a blackwatch or your own family plaid?

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