Happy Small Business Saturday! We have made it through Black Friday, and now, as we should do throughout the holiday season, it is time to show some love to small businesses. It was so fun to put together this gift guide full of items that you can find from small businesses. Some of these items weren’t on my radar before and now I’m looking for ways to add them to my own Christmas list for myself and my family and friends. As much as I love a good sale from Amazon, Target, and the other big box stores, there is something special about knowing you are supporting an individual with a story, their employees who live in the community, and the artists and creators that make such beautiful and unique items. Even if none of these items strikes your fancy, I hope it gets you thinking about what small businesses and local shops you could support this holiday season.
One | Painted ceramic tray from The Little Market – This company is a non profit founded by women to empower women artisans and alleviate poverty. They have lots of great gifts for the hostess, friend or kids in your life, starting with this grey and gold ceramic tray.
Two | Pottery wreath from Caroline Boykin – Caroline Boykin is an artist in my hometown of Raleigh, NC who makes porcelain flowers, butterflies, and during this time of the year, wreaths. Be quick though, these small carefully crafted wreaths go fast!
Three | Pretzel bottle opener from Waiting on Martha – I have followed Mandy of Waiting on Martha for a few years and love all of the items in her carefully curated shop. You can find fun gifts in all price ranges. This pretzel bottle opener is great for your friend with the best bar cart, and this blue swirled planter is perfect for the green thumb in your life.
Four | Tassel earrings from Willa and Dolores – I learned about this fun jewelry company this summer when I was helping with a photo shoot and instantly fell in love. Everyone on set was asking about the fun thread, yarn, and clay earrings and woven necklaces with magnetic clasps. These clay and tassel earrings with specks of gold are some of my favorite of the bunch, but look out for fun game day earrings for your favorite team too.
Five | Cookie box from American Heirloom – As a baker, I would be remiss if I didn’t include at least one kitchen-related item. This cookie box is fun and useful gift for the baker. Fill it with cookies to make it an even better gift. The solid green and solid red are classic and fun for Christmas, but the neon green is a fun for your untraditional friend.
Six | Box of toffee from Chapel Hill Toffee – I’m a bit biased, since this coffee reminds me of my college town and current home, but this toffee is amazing! Buttery English toffee is covered with dark chocolate and crushed pecans. With multiple sizes, this is the perfect gift for a stocking stuffer, hostess gift, or just a wonderful treat for guests coming to visit.
Seven | Hand-painted and printed ornaments from Britt Bass – I love Britt Bass’s artwork, and when I saw that she brought her ornaments back, both hand-painted spheres and printed circles, I was so excited. Filled with color and a cute tassel, these would be so fun on your friend’s Christmas tree, but you might as well get one for yourself too, right? ;)
Eight | Pottery pour over and carafe set from Joe Sink Pottery – How beautiful is this pottery pour over?! I love that it makes a whole carafe of coffee, perfect for when you have more than one person who wants that wake up call in the morning.
Nine | Gingham tray from Port of Raleigh – One of my sister’s favorite shops in Raleigh is Port of Raleigh. It is a beautifully curated shop with well-designed items. I love this classic gingham tray to corral small items anywhere in the house.
Ten | Floral placemats and napkins from Furbish Studio – There are so many fun gifts at Furbish, and these new floral placemats and napkins are some of my favorites. The pattern is a bit untraditional for Christmas, but they are still so festive and cute!
Eleven | Watercolor cards from Riley Sheehey at Making Things Co. – I have been eyeing the cards, gift wrap, and travel mugs covered in watercolor scenes by Riley Sheehey recently. Her nutcracker toile, 12 days of Christmas toile, and ski patterns are all so fun for this time of year, and the beautifully painted cards are the perfect addition to your small gifts for teachers and coworkers.
Twelve| Knitted doll from The Little Market – As I mentioned before, The Little Market has gifts to cover all age ranges. They have a whole collection of knitted stuffed animals and dolls for the kids in your life. There are so many adorable animals to choose from and their knitted items expand into baby mittens, which are too cute not to get.
Thirteen | Monogrammed cocktail napkins from Lettermade – Lettermade creates beautiful cocktail, dinner napkins, and guest towels with cheeky sayings and gorgeous monograms and crests. They have so many customizable options, but these nutcracker napkins and these scalloped floral guest towels are cute too.
Fourteen | Hand painted ornament from Meredith Mejerle – I recently discovered this artist on Instagram, and can’t wait for her ornaments to launch on Wednesday. Each curvy ornament is hand painted with different colors and her signature sketched flowers. How beautiful would this be on your tree or as a great hostess gift or gift topper?
Fifteen | Painted leather phone case from Kiel James Patrick – This phone case is one of many cute New England-inspired items in the Kiel James Patrick shop. The painted phone cases are safe for lots of people on your list, but some of my favorite items are the beautiful pearl rings and bracelets.
Not pictured, but still wonderful:
Sixteen | Coffee from Counter Culture Coffee, or coffee beans from your local coffee shop – We have been gifting locally roasted coffee from Carrboro Coffee Roasters paired with Chapel Hill Toffee as a host/hostess gift and love that it represents our small community.
Seventeen | Lake pajamas – These are a bit pricier, but so so soft with lots of cute color combinations.
Eighteen | Gal Meets Glam dresses – This is the most expensive item on the list, but what a treat it would be to receive one of these dresses from the small dress line created by blogger and influencer Julia Engel. New dresses come out each month and last until they are gone. I got the Celeste dress back in October and absolutely love it. The holiday collection is beautiful. How wonderful would the one-shoulder jumpsuit or the bow back dress look for the holiday festivities?
Nineteen | Celebration binder and Write the Word journals from Cultivate What Matters – These great products from a small company (in my college town!) are perfect for the person who wants to invest in their future. The new celebrations binder looks
Twenty | Simplified Planner from Simplified by Emily Ley – I love the hardcover bookbinding, stylish designs, and practical details of this wonderful planner. Simplified also has cute office and planner accessories that make great stocking stuffers.
Twenty One |Tea towels from Salt Shop Handmade – This cute Etsy shop is filled with aprons and tea towels for any baker or cook on your list. I love the beige gingham linen tea towel as a classic option.
Twenty Two | Painted ornaments and painted wooden star tree toppers by Blakely Made – Blakely Little is an artist I have followed for a while. She has committed to posting new items she has created during the week every Friday until December 14th.
Three affiliate links are used, but none of these gifts are sponsored and I don’t get anything for sharing these businesses, other than the great feeling that I am supporting other hard-working people. I genuinely love the work and products that they create and curate and would love for you to support them or find artists in your local area to support as you shop this holiday season.
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