Turkish Gifts for Her: 10 Ideas for Mom, a Sister, a Friend or Grandma

Looking for Turkish gifts for her this holiday season? Whether she is your mom, your sister, a close friend or your grandmother, the nicest gift carries a little of the language you share: a saying she grew up with, a kilim pattern, a glass of tea. Here are ten Turkish gifts for women from the Roots & Talks designs, grouped by who you are shopping for, each with one plain fact from the product page. Turkish wishes for the card come at the end.

Before you choose

Think about her day. Does she host the family breakfast, carry a bag everywhere or keep the kettle on for visitors? A mug, a tea towel or a set of coasters comes in one size. For clothing, check the size guide on the product page. For smaller ideas, see Turkish gifts under 25 dollars.

Turkish gifts for mom

1. A tea towel for the breakfast table. The Turkish Breakfast Table cotton tea towel, 28 × 28 in, shows a round breakfast table from above: a double teapot called a çaydanlık, a glass of tea, a simit, white cheese, olives, jam and honeycomb. It suits the mom who sets the long family breakfast, kahvaltı. See also Turkish breakfast gifts.

2. A blanket with the sentence she always says. Hırkanı al, üşürsün means "take your cardigan, you'll get cold", a line many Turkish moms say as you leave the house. The Hırkanı Al, Üşürsün throw blanket is soft, light fleece, 50 × 60 in and machine washable, and the design adds Bir cümlelik sıcacık bir sarılma, "a warm hug in one sentence". This time, you say it to her. More in the Hırkanı Al, Üşürsün collection.

3. A latte mug with a kilim motif. The Elibelinde latte mug is 12 oz white ceramic, dishwasher and microwave safe. Elibelinde is a traditional motif from Anatolian kilims. The name means "hand on the waist", and the figure stands with its hands on its hips, a pose most moms know well. It suits a mom who likes patterns more than words. See the Elibelinde collection and, for Mother's Day and bayram, gifts for a Turkish mom.

Turkish gifts for a sister

4. A slip dress with the blue bead. The Nazar Değmesin all-over print slip dress is a floaty midi with a V-neckline, adjustable tie-close straps and a built-in bra, in sizes XS to 2XL. Nazar değmesin is what Turkish families say when they admire someone they love, so it suits a sister who always looks great. The Çay Bahane, Muhabbet Şahane slip dress has the same cut. What Is a Nazar Boncuğu? explains the bead.

5. A tote bag for the sister who moved away. On the Kilim Flight organic cotton tote bag, a paper plane in a kilim pattern flies up from a little house, for everyone who carries their roots wherever they go. It holds up to 30 lbs and suits a sister who studies, works or lives in another city or country. See the Kilim Flight collection.

Turkish gifts for a friend

6. A pillow for the long talks. Çay bahane, muhabbet şahane means "tea is only the excuse, and the conversation is the real treat". The Çay Bahane, Muhabbet Şahane pillow is printed on the front and the back and has a machine-washable case with a hidden zipper. It belongs on the couch of the friend you visit "for one glass of tea" and leave three hours later. More in the Çay Bahane, Muhabbet Şahane collection.

7. A latte mug for the friend who makes room. The Room on Our Tray latte mug shows a tea tray with two glasses of tea, sugar cubes, a simit and a small wooden toy car. The name is about making room for one more guest, so it suits the friend whose door is always open.

8. An ornament for her tree. In many Turkish homes, guests take off their shoes and are offered slippers. The Guest Slippers ceramic ornament shows two smiling slippers on a little rug and comes as a circle, a heart, a star or a snowflake, with a gold-colored string: a small gift for the friend who always has slippers ready for you. All our ornament designs are in Turkish Christmas ornaments. See also small Turkish gifts for stockings and Secret Santa.

Turkish gifts for a grandmother

9. Coasters for her tea glasses. The Grandma's Tablecloth coaster set has four square coasters with a cork back that keeps them from sliding. The picture: a bowl of golden soup on a folded red cloth with kilim-style patterns, a painted blue spoon and a stitched red heart. It is for the anneanne or babaanne whose soup everyone remembers. More designs for a grandmother are in Turkish grandma gifts.

10. A framed poster of a reading afternoon. The Starry Tea framed portrait poster shows a grandmother in a red headscarf and a child reading a picture book over glasses of tea and a simit, while golden stars rise above them. It comes ready to hang, in a black wood frame with a shatterproof plexiglass front, in six sizes. See also gifts for Turkish grandparents.

Add a Turkish wish to the card

A few Turkish words, written by hand, often mean more than the gift. Five short lines to borrow:

• Nazar değmesin. "May the evil eye not touch you." People say it about someone they love and admire, so on a card it says she is precious to you.
• İyi ki varsın. "I'm so glad you exist", a way to say life is better with her in it.
• Canım annem. "My dear mom." Use ablam for an older sister or kardeşim for a younger one.
• Ellerine sağlık. Literally "health to your hands", a thank-you for a meal she cooked.
• Çay koy, geliyorum. "Put the tea on, I'm coming", a promise to visit soon.

The Starry Tea greeting cards and the Elibelinde greeting cards come in packs of ten with no words on the front, so there is room for your own line. Envelopes are not included. For more phrases, see what these Turkish sayings mean.

One gift, one sentence

Pick the person first, then the design that sounds like her, and add one Turkish line in your own handwriting. Shopping for the men in the family too? See Turkish gifts for him. For classic ideas, read What Is a Traditional Turkish Gift?, and for the cold months, cozy Turkish gifts for winter. Every design is in the Turkish Culture Designs collection.