Gift Couture will offer high-quality wrapping paper sets that feature original photography and design. Their main goal is to produce unique papers that coordinate together into conceptualized themes and sets.

This is exemplified in the Cheeseburger set that they chose to use as this initial project. This includes 5 different wrapping paper designs; a bun, hamburger, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes, all of the components of a Cheeseburger!

I do prefer wrapping with newspaper or something recycled, but this is fun. It’s on Kickstarter right now. $584 of the $7900 goal.

Related: Qrapping Paper

How do you get more than 20 million AK47 assault rifles out of Africa? My friend Peter Thum is financing their destruction through the creation of an incredible new luxury brand called Fonderie47.

Melding ancient technique with leading edge precision, destroyed AK47s are redeemed and remade as completely unique material, never seen before. This steel literally is transformed from a tool of destruction into an inspiring example of value and new prosperity.

So far they’ve created some incredible products– as seen above. Mechanical cufflinks (doubles as bracelet), where the purchase destroys one hundred assault rifles in Africa. Custom men’s rings which destroy seventy-five, and a set of beautiful earrings that eliminate five hundred rifles from circulation in Africa.

Watch this space, this brand is going to be big.

As always, Cool Hunting brings the funk with their Gift Guide again this year. Some great goodies in there.

Quirky has a ton of awesome gift options this year. And they put antlers on a cat, so you have to give them points for that. Take a look! Happy holidays guys!

Okay, this is amazing. I want one.

London based designer Samuel Wilkinson has designed a flora terrarium that links to your iPad.

Biome is a flora terrarium that’s works a little like a live tamagotchi – with a smartphone or iPad as its key to controlling its climate, water level and nutrients.

The idea promotes ‘digital downtime’ by finding an alternative use for smartphones and encouraging their owners to consider a slower life. The control and nurturing of a real mini eco-system takes patience and care, contrasting with the immediacy of messaging or tweeting that is so characteristic of the smartphone generation.

This smart garden has low energy lighting that can replicate sunlight and contains sensors that link back to the device when connected. It is designed to incorporate different types of environment – tropical, desert, even herb garden – and can be easily controlled by even the least green-fingered of users.

The design was developed for an exhibition titled ‘Slow Tech – Designs for Digital Downtime’ at trend agency Protein’s exhibition space last month. The exhibition was curated by Henrietta Thompson of Wallpaper fame.

What if a few Apple designers went off to fix other parts of the home? Well, they just did (sort of).

This is the beautiful Nest Learning Thermosat. All the bells, whistles, and slick design you would expect from the founding team.

A thermostat that learns from user behavior to create a custom heating and cooling schedule. Company founders Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers—who spearheaded the design and engineering of the iPod, respectively—found it “unacceptable… that the device that controls 10 percent of all energy consumed in the U.S. hadn’t kept up with advancements in technology and design.”

More pictures, video, and info over at Core77.  I’m ready to buy mine.

I went to visit Takahashi Hiroko’s studio in Japan recently and really enjoyed what I saw. A wildly talented designer, I loved how she fused her own personal and modern take on the traditional Japanese products like the Tenugui, Sensu, Kimonos, Yukatas, and more. Check her out, I see big things in her future.

Fun. A sketchbook for the t-shirt geek! Everyone has a great idea for a t-shirt, and sketching is an excellent way to quickly explore concepts.

Surely I have a need for these in my life. Right?

Two silicon cups produce these unique ice cubes that depict a polar bear and 2 penguins standing on a glacier. Once in your drink, they gradually melt away, mimicking a real-life scenario that many arctic animals are currently facing.

Designed by Atsuhiro Hayashi and now available by monos in Japan. Via Spoon Tamago

Swedish designer brand LELO is at it again. They recently announced what they call “A revolutionary development for the intimate lifestyle market…” It’s called SenseMotion, and it’s a line of high design couples’ massagers. Boasting motion-sensor technology more familiar to the iPhone and the latest video game consoles than sex toys, this is a first for this industry, and the first time vibrations in remote-controlled massagers can be changed via movements alone.

Lelo, no stranger to this site, and certainly to the integration of sophisticated design and strong technology have done it again. Remote controls work from up to 39 feet away, for what can only be described as a very adventurous time.