A baby Krampus doll, black and gold teacup, silver and red crystal necklace, and a plague doctor lamp

Best Goth Gifts 2023

It’s that time of year again, and while some of us love nothing more than picking out gifts for people, it can also be a panic-inducing nightmare, especially if you don’t really share or understand their interests. Well, luckily for you, goths are pretty easy to shop for, and to make it even easier, we’ve put a whole list of possibilities together (and you can check out last year’s list of best gothic Christmas presents for a little extra inspiration, too).

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Black faux fur electric blanket

A folded black faux fur blanket with an electric switch attached.
(Target)

OK let’s be real, I want this black faux fur electric blanket. It’s cold right now, and this looks so soft and snuggly (and electric blankets are cheaper to run than central heating). Really nice blankets are a traditional gift this time of year for obvious reasons, and this one’s perfect for that wintry vampiric castle aesthetic—it’s hygge but make it goth.

Mini squishable plague doctor

Mini Squishable plague doctor plush. A chibi version of the masked, robed figure with a broad brimmed hat and a lantern.
(Squishables)

This cuddly plague doctor is adorable (I have actually bought one for a small child before, so I can vouch for its soft cuddliness), and there’s something about the contrast in objectively creepy things made cute that really works for the perky goths among us. If your goth loves plushies, you should definitely consider this.

Vincent Bloodlust undead plush

Vincent Batling Vampire Bat Plush by Frightling. A cartoon style bat plush with red facial features in a little wooden coffin.
(Frightlings/Etsy)

Another option for the plushie-loving goth, Vincent Bloodlust is a plush vampire bat who comes with his very own coffin, created by small business Frightlings, who design a range of spooky cute characters available as silver charms, printed on homeware, and as adorable stuffed creatures. Vincent has his own backstory that you’ll learn more about if you buy him. Plus, it’s unlikely anyone else they know is going to have one so there’s uniqueness points there, too.

My [your] heart in a box

An anatomical heart in a black box
(MattTristHorrorArt/Etsy)

If you’re looking for a romantic gift—say you’ve found yourself a goth girlfriend and are living the meme—you could definitely do worse than presenting her with an anatomical heart in a box (Caution: check she’s that sort of goth first. Some of us have a higher tolerance for gore than others.) Handmade by Matt Trist, it comes in more and less bloody varieties depending on your level of squeamishness and is perfect for keeping on your desk so you can pretend to be Mary Shelley.

Pearlescent batwing mug

A mug with bat wings for handles and a pearlescent glaze on the rim and wings.
(WWCeramicsUK/Etsy)

Goths like hot chocolate too, and this mug may be the perfect vessel to drink it out of. Handmade, with bat wings for handles and a pearlescent, oil slick glaze that’s pretty magical, this mug would be a great addition to a Christmas Eve box or a hand-curated cozy Christmas basket with hot chocolate, candy, and other wintry treats.

Nevermore teacup and saucer

A black tea cup and saucer with gold handle and rims, and a line drawing of a raven and the word nevermore printed on the inside.
(AngiolettiDesigns)

For the fancy, Victoriana, Romantic poets and dark academia-style goths, an elegant teacup can never go amiss, and Angioletti Designs on Etsy has a great selection. Now, if you’re made of money, you could get your goth an entire tea set from them, but if you aren’t quite there finance-wise just, one of their teacups would be the perfect aesthetic touch for an evening spent reading a classic gothic novel with a good cup of tea. Personally the Nevermore is my favorite, but whatever your goth’s specific tastes, they’ll likely have something there.

Gothic treat boxes

A box full of items including a stuffed penguin in a Christmas scarf, little skull, creepy nutcracker, and a Krampus film.
(GothByTarina/Etsy)

Maybe you’d like to get your goth a lovely evening in a box? Complete with a horror film, self care items, chocolates, and more, each gothic treat box has a theme, from self care to different holidays. There’s even a Christmas one.

Darkling beloved jewelry

A silver necklace made of swirls and roses with red crystal beads and drops coming down from it.
(DarklingBeloved/Etsy)

If you’re planning on reenacting one of those Christmas jewelry adverts but with something your goth will actually like, then Darkling Beloved should be your go-to site for elegant, silver-plated filigree, art nouveau, and classic gothic designs with crystal glass focals and beads that will make her look like she fell right out of a gothic novel. Whether she’s the young lady fleeing the castle with a stolen candelabra or the vampire is really a personal aesthetic choice every goth must make for herself.

Cast iron candelabra

A cast iron candelabra with orange candles on a festive table.
(DrunkParrotCrafts/Etsy)

Speaking of candelabras, no goth’s room is complete without one, and now you can get them one! This cast iron candelabra might be too heavy to flee with but you could probably bludgeon a gothic monster with it instead.

Blood-dripping candles

Black candles dripping red wax in brass candle sticks
(MonlixCandles)

You’ll need something to go in the candelabra, of course, so can I recommend these black taper candles that drip red wax? They’re handmade by a small business using soy wax, so good for vegans, too.

Plague doctor lamp

An almost chibified plague doctor sits reading next to an old fashioned lamp that's lit.
(EnceGaming)

If you’re looking for a more affordable piece of mood lighting, this cute little plague doctor lamp might be just the thing. He’s adorable yet genuinely spooky (unlike his fluffy compatriot further above), and I love how he looks like he’s chilling on the riverside with a book between going about his plague doctor business.

Krampus tabby cat ornament

An old fashioned German style Christmas ornament of a tabby cat wearing red boots, carrying a birch switch and sitting on a Christmas present.
(KatleighRadcliffe/Etsy)

Put goth and Christmas together and what do you get? Krampus! Then add in cats for a little extra witchyness. Kayleigh Radcliffe’s classic German-style Christmas ornaments made of printed wood are all a little gothic in the way that certain vintage styles just inherently have a horror element to them, but her cat Krampus ornaments may be the pinnacle of the art form.

Baby Krampus

A fuzzy, goat faced figure, sticking it's tongue out and with candy canes in a belt pouch.
(PabloonaDesigns/Etsy)

Then again, if what your goth wants from Krampus is bizarrely adorable, then maybe this baby Krampus figure is the answer. He’s so cute and fuzzy and demonic! The perfect finishing touch under a spooky, skull covered Christmas tree.

Rose ghost figurine

A group of dark resin ghost with rose petals and gold flakes mixed in and white painted eyes stand in front of an amethyst geode and labradorite unicorn.
(TheCrystalGemUnicorn/Etsy)

If you’re on a bit of a budget, these pretty little rose ghost figurines may be the answer. Cast in resin, with real rose petals and gold leaf, they’ll make a beautiful addition to any gothic dressing table. Plus, rose petals are romantic (or Romantic, depending on how you look at it), so if your goth girl/boy/themfriend is more on the squeamish side, this would make a great alternative to the anatomical heart in a box. (Lower level of commitment, too. A hyper-realistic representation of your heart might be a lot if you’re still in the early stages.)

Good luck, and a very gothic Christmas to you!

(featured image: Etsy)


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Author
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Siobhan Ball
Siobhan Ball (she/her) is a contributing writer covering news, queer stuff, politics and Star Wars. A former historian and archivist, she made her first forays into journalism by writing a number of queer history articles c. 2016 and things spiralled from there. When she's not working she's still writing, with several novels and a book on Irish myth on the go, as well as developing her skills as a jeweller.