(Updated December 2025)
We’ve put together a quick holiday season gift and get together guide from businesses at The Mill Castlemaine.
GIFT IDEAS
This gifting season is an opportunity to think local, ethical and handmade when you buy. It’s a wonderful way to support local small businesses.
Here are some of the many options available from businesses at The Mill Castlemaine.
EXPERIENTIAL GIFTS
If you’re looking for a gift option with a difference – perhaps for that person who has everything – why not give an experiential gift? There are numerous options on offer from businesses at The Mill Castlemaine.
Loudon Cooper – Terra Ceramics. Photo by Fred Farquhar
Perhaps a term of clay pot throwing at Terra Ceramics, which includes clay preparation, basic throwing techniques, turning and glazing. At the end of the six week term you will have some finished pieces to show!
Explore the craft of knife making over two days and create a unique, beautiful and high performing handmade kitchen knife at Two Hands Forge.
Students will learn the fundamentals and put into practice all processes of the craft, gaining a unique insight that a small group and high level of tuition offers.
The course focuses on the forged blade, with the first full morning dedicated to forging the blade. We use a Japanese pre laminated blank that features a shirogami (white paper) steel core, made specifically for high performing edged tools. When worked and heat treated correctly it provides a very fine grained edge with excellent sharpening properties.
Gift certificates are available for the ‘Make a Kitchen Knife’ course. These can be purchased by emailing hello@twohandsforge.com.au. They will be posting their gift certificates with free express shipping up until December 19 for VIC and December 16 for all other states and territories.
Love Tribe Yoga has a range of gift offerings – from gift vouchers to bonus passes for members and prospective members. All the details are on their website, where you’ll also find information about their special Exhale the Year: Relax and Renew restorative workshop (aah, bliss!).
For the cheese enthusiast, book a one day cheese making class with The Cheese School at the award-winning Long Paddock Cheese. There are multiple dates available and the option of a gift voucher for your gift recipient to choose their own date.
ARTISAN GIFTS
How about giving the gift of relaxation and pampering this season?
Mimosa Botanicals has a range of beautiful all natural soaps, candles, bath soaks, essential oils & perfumes – all handcrafted here at The Mill Castlemaine.
Explore the whole range online here. Need to pick up a gift in a hurry? A range of Mimosa Botanicals products is also stocked in the CastleMade section of the Castlemaine Vintage Bazaar, open every day from 10am to 5pm.
WOOLLYKINS’ Textile Repair Kits for young and old are the perfect gift for Christmas! Be inspired to attend to your wardrobe with creativity and the spirit of resourcefulness. Woollykins aims to help you get the most out of your wardrobe by making it last the test of time. With their carefully selected wool care products and a little mending love they help you keep your woollens in great condition for life. Their Darning Kit has quickly become the essential modern mending kit for textile and planet lovers everywhere.
Orders can be placed online here for local pick up Monday to Saturday.
All Woollykins garments can be viewed in their studio at The Mill Castlemaine and purchased online at woollykins.com.au
Handpicked Ethical Floristry is once again offering Christmas wreaths, completely handmade from local grape and wisteria vines woven with gorgeous locally grown florals. Stocks are limited so order yours now!
Of course, there are also fabulous ethical and sustainable floral arrangements. Summer flowers are in bloom with dahlia, hydrangea, roses, larkspur, scabiosa, carnations, sunflowers, canterbury bells, snapdragons, and more! The last of the woody stemmed flowers for the year are blooming, such as king protea and luecospermum, and will finish in January.
And if you’re looking for a gift that is a bit different (another experiential one), check out the Vintage Vase Club – an online site that celebrates flowers and vintage vases while teaching members how to design and decorate via regular video content. Alternatively you can sign up to one of the monthly in person vintage vase club groups.
Ali encourages you to pre-order your flowers via the website or by email hello@handpickedfloristry.com or phone (during business hours) 0435 457125.
Give the gift of comfort this Christmas with Wonderpants organic cotton underpants, ethically made right here at The Mill Castlemaine. Available in the Castlemaine Vintage Bazaar and on the Wonderpants website.
Left it to the last minute? Gift vouchers are also available.
Speaking of gift vouchers…. a gift voucher from the Castlemaine Vintage Bazaar is the perfect festive gift!
There’s definitely something for everyone.
From hand made gifts, vintage vinyl, not-fast fashion, ships in bottles, Lego, coffee table books, books about coffee tables and everything you’re not looking for – plus a lot of things you are looking for.
Pick up your voucher in store during opening hours.
Open 7 days a week from 10am-5pm, closed Christmas Day only.
Find something made with heart, soul and boundless imagination in the art studios at The Mill Castlemaine.
Artpuff is currently showing Little Wonder – fabulous small works by 25 artists from the Artpuff community. Small works = beautiful, unique, gift-buying possibilities. Open Thursday to Sunday from 11am-5pm. (Closed for summer break from 22 December to 4 February 2026.)
The Drying Shed Artist Space and Studio MA56 have a broad range of artists in residence working in a variety of media and styles. From the traditional to the quirky, the unique to the practical. You’ll find gorgeous festive cards by Lucinda Cotter featuring Australian fauna (pictured) and a new offering by Narsha Kang, who has handcrafted incense holders from reclaimed hardwood shiplap offcuts (pictured).
Both studios are open Wednesday to Monday from 10.30am-3.00pm (ish).
(Closed for summer break from 22 December, reopening Wednesday 7 January 2026.)
LOCAL FOOD AND BEVERAGES
We’ve got festive season gifting and meals all wrapped up with our list of local produce and other delicious fare from makers at The Mill Castlemaine.
Your Christmas table will be the talk of the town when you serve Oakwood Smallgoods Aussie free range porchetta or rolled loin pork roast with all the trimmings!
Orders for Christmas hams are now closed. All orders for hams, charcuterie and smallgoods must be picked up by 12 noon on Christmas Eve. Oakwood is currently still taking orders for porchetta roasts, smoked trout/salmon/chicken, turkey and everything else to make your Christmas table a vision to remember and your taste buds to enjoy! Place your order ASAP on 0449 857212
Gift boxes to suit all budgets are available in shop or by order.
They will be closed from 2pm on Christmas Eve (24/12) and will reopen on 22 January ready for the Australia Day weekend with fresh sausages and meats for the bbq and charcuterie for those platters.
Other options for food and beverage, direct from the maker
Not sure what to buy that someone special in your life? Shedshaker has options for you – from a Taproom gift voucher to merchandise like t-shirts, hats and more, to a mixed 6 pack or case of delicious beers, there is something to please almost everyone. Drop into the Taproom and make this Christmas a great one!
At Boomtown Winermakers you can purchase local wines and gift cards (redeemable in the Bistro or for a wine purchase in the Cellar Bar). Other offerings include Long Paddock Cheese artisan cheeses and dairy products, Icecream Republic take-home tubs, including special Christmas flavours such as Christmas Pudding, Bourbon Eggnog, Pavlova and Nan’s choc rumball (vegan), Harvest Fruit and Veg fresh, local and organic produce, Sprout Bakery sourdough goods and then freshly roasted coffee beans from Coffee Basics / Das Kaffeehaus – available in the cafe or online.
GET TOGETHERS
If you’re looking for a location to celebrate with work mates, friends and family, leaving all the work to others, The Mill Castlemaine has fabulous dine-in hospitality offerings, with Das Kaffeehaus, Shedshaker Brewing Company’s Taproom and Boomtown Winemakers all offering a range of delicious eating and drinking experiences.
