The gift of experience: Sante Fe Arts District shopping guide

Gift-giving is a creative act requiring thoughtful planning that often invokes creative responses from the recipient. If creative-types are on your holiday gift list, consider the Santa Fe Arts District. Here, artists, designers, herbalists, and trainers aren’t peddling the latest gadget, but they are inviting you to get involved in an experience, a story, or a creative process.

Knotty Tie Company | 855 Inca St.
Dinosaurs, octopi, bicycles, and popsicles — the neckties, infinity scarves, and bowties at Knotty Tie are unlike any you’ve seen, making for a perfect gift. You can design your own for your friend, family, or company starting at $65, with scalable prices based on quantity. Or, pick up one of their Coloradical collaborations or new Art Deco series for just $40. Even cooler, once you purchase a Knotty Tie, you have full borrowing rights to their Tie-brary, which includes hundreds of original designs.

Small Planet E-Bikes | 733 Santa Fe Dr
Electric bikes have yet to catch on in the US, but Tom Wilson is here to change that. His small studio shop features lithium-battery powered bikes that amplify your pedaling at a range of speeds. Disc-brake bikes ($2000+) are a bit more affordable than hydraulic-brake bikes ($3500+), but both, he assures me, will keep you safe and take you wherever you dream of going. His most popular models are Swiss-made Stromer ST1 roadbike ($3500) and the US-made Pedego Interceptor ($2500), a retro beach cruiser.

“I Made It | 869 Santa Fe Dr.
Owner Loretta Eggleton proudly flits from one corner of her makerspace to the next, pointing out members’ projects — a beer tote, a desk, a bench, a table, a wine rack. All of these projects are made of Black Forest burn scar wood ($21 per board-foot), with beetle-kill purples, blue, and various browns from the fire. For $35, your loved one receives a four-hour workshop which includes guidance and tools for whatever project they’re imagining.

Awaken Gymnastics Strength Training | 777 Santa Fe Dr
Named Denver’s best gym in 2015, Awaken welcomes athletes and newcomers alike to its rigorous, inspiring, gymnastics-based training. Its hip and shoulder “Pre-Hab” classes and Flexibility Series ensure your muscles and joints are prepared for more advanced courses like Gymnastics, Rings, and Movement. “You’re designing your body with new skills,” says gym manager Tanya Hill, “and we believe that transformation looks good on you.” Give a five-class Starter Pack ($45) or a yearly unlimited-class prepaid membership (regularly $1529, with holiday pricing of $1089).

Kanon Collective | 766 Santa Fe Dr.
“A Bibelot,” explains Kanon Collective gallery manager Elizabeth Licence, “is a small object of curiosity, rarity, or beauty.” Juried by local event promoter Dana Cain, Bibelot offers something for everyone, with more than 80 pieces ranging from $20 to $600. Dane ‘Colfax’ Stephenson’s twee miniature-figure photography ($125) features local scenes that should prove popular with Denverites, while Cameron Lewis’ visual-pun snowglobes ($188–285) — “Deep Thoughts,” for instance, shows miners excavating a pensive head — could give your brainy loved one a special Christmas morning.

Denver Integrative Massage School and Martin George Skin| 1221 Galapago St.
Martin George’s herbalism students eagerly rush me past the massage clinic, straight to the kitchen where he and his mother are putting the final touches on his new skincare lines: the calendula-based Espíritu and the jasmine-based Thai. Each come in bars ($4), milks ($22), and oils ($18) for a perfect stocking stuffer. You can also book a massage session (90 mins for $32) or a Dr. Hauschka facial (60 mins for $26), giving your loved ones a memorable experience while supporting budding herbalists, skincare professionals, and therapists.