100+ Small Businesses to Shop
As a long time maker, I truly appreciate gifts that are handmade or from small businesses. I also know how much it means to a maker or a small business when you choose to shop from them. Here is a list of more than 100 makers and small businesses to shop at this holiday season and year round. Please share any small shops you love in the comments. Happy shopping!
Please note: Unfortunately, a lot of shops on the original list from 2020 have closed, so I edited their links out. I will add more to get the number back to 100 as soon as possible. I want to make sure the shops I add are quality and places I shop. Thanks for understanding! 11/10/2023
Gifts for Book Lovers
In general, supporting independent bookstores is the way to go. Book stores I love to shop at include BookTree Kirkland and Uncle Bobbie’s. If you are going to buy books, I encourage you to purchase from a local bookstore.
Seattle, WA. A local book store with a great selection. There are also four different, year-long book subscription options: first editions, true crime, graphic novels, and poetry.
2. Philadelphia Jazz Stories Illustrated
Philadelphia, PA. A great gift for a book lover or a music lover. Volume I includes memories and historical accounts about members of Philadelphia's influential Jazz community, all exquisitely illustrated by visual artists associated with Philadelphia.
Chula Vista, CA. These book sleeves are a nice gift for a book lover or to give with a new book. I bought two different sizes last year and used them to protect books when carrying them in my bag.
4. Fabulous Vegan Desserts E-Cookbook
New York, NY. 40 easy plant based dessert recipes. Makes a great gift for anyone who likes cooking.
Paper Gifts
A Colorado Springs, CO shop. They have a gifts under $15 section, plenty of cards, puzzles, bags, etc. My favorite is the hand lettered card box in small or large.
A Cambridge, MA letterpress and boutique shop. A good selection of cards, candles, items for desks, ornaments, and more. Check out their selection of themed gift boxes.
Gifts for the Home
Eugene, OR. A variety of sturdy, reusable products. We have face masks, towels, sponges, facial rounds, and the softest wash cloths from Marley’s Monsters.
Portland, OR. Pot holders and more in fun patterns. We have the fox and llama with cactus pot holders.
Flint, UK. Wonderful personalized gifts include ring holders, watch holders, glasses stands, coat racks, mirrors, and more. I gave my husband this personalized hex jewelry holder last year and he loves it.
Granite Falls, WA. Extremely durable, reusable glass drinking straws. Buy them plain or with a fun design or have one personalized. I have them in almost every size and width and love that you can buy a padded carrying case for drinks you buy outside of your house. Dishwasher safe - we put it in a silverware slot. They also have an Etsy shop.
11. North Drinkware
Portland, OR. The Mt. Rainier pint glass is our favorite. They also have other mountains in Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Wyoming, New Hampshire, and Vermont. In addition to glasses, they have mountain themed coasters, prints, and blankets.
12. Spalted Home
Seattle, WA. The cutest Mini Cactus Kits come with everything you need, including the cactus and a hand formed mini vase.
13. Glassybaby
Seattle, WA. Hand-blown glass candle holders and drinkware. Over a hundred designs to choose.
14. The Little Apple Gift Boutique
Philadelphia, PA. A boutique featuring home decor, local art, jewelry, baby gifts, and greeting cards.
15. My Flower Meadow
Düsseldorf, Germany. Unique vases made of wood and glass.
Brooklyn, NY. State-shaped wooden cutting boards, ornaments, cake stands, personalized cocktail muddlers, and more.
Sandy, OR. Beautifully handwoven rugs and pillows.
18. LeeMo Designs
Oregon. A collection of fun home organization products, jewelry, and more. I really like the wood items for home.
Ceramics
19. Saltstone
Seattle, WA. An artist-owned, independent ceramics gallery and teaching studio with a great selection of ceramic items.
Philadelphia, PA. Functional pottery in creative designs. Pots with animals on the lids, pouring pots, pitchers, vases, bowls, and more.
Fairfield, CT. Serving dishes, bowls, mugs, and artwork in nautical, poppy, and grass designs. We have a poppy platter and creamer/sugar set that we love.
22. Candy Relics
Portland, OR. Ceramic vases, jewelry holders, pipes, and trays. The pineapple mug is one of my most favorite mugs and the jewelry holder is great for bracelets, rings and earrings that I use all the time.
Seattle, WA. Planters, bowls, cups and mugs. We have a mug that we really like.
Seattle, WA. Dolls, miniatures, tea infusers, planters, vases, jewelry, and the coolest cat bells.
Thornhill, Ontario, Canada. Lovely ceramic ornaments along with dishes, votives, mugs, and pitches.
26. Downing Pottery
Tacoma, WA. Colorful, city skyline mugs and utensil holders. Also occasionally has fundraisers for Orcas by selling adorable cups.
27. Modern Mud
Woodmere, NY. Jewelry storage, vases, jewelry, and the most vibrant mugs. Designs range from classic white and gold to celestial, unicorns, and succulents. Items are also available on Etsy.
28. Vanilya Ceramics
Singapore. Small ceramic trees and tea lights. Mini ghosts and pumpkins. Along with small ceramic animals.
29. Pearson Maron
Southern California. Adorable animals in cloud windows and rainbow factory sculptures.
30. The Lulu Bird
Durham, NC. Dishes, wall hangings, pet bowls, and mugs.
Jewelry
31. Maria Samora
Taos, NM. One of my favorite jewelry designers. Her pieces are wearable art. I love the geometric forms and hand-selected gemstones.
Somerville, MA. Creative ceramic jewelry and vases. The earrings and necklaces are fun to wear.
33. Barrow PDX
Portland, WA. Fun, mixed media jewelry created using methods that avoid mass production for unique pieces. I have a bracelet and necklace that I love to wear in the summer.
34. Red Curl Jewelry
Littleton, CO. Hand forged sterling silver jewelry in a modern minimalist style.
Montana. A member of the Crow Nation of Montana, Elias Jade Not Afraid creates incredible beaded pieces. More on a Facebook page.
36. Nervous System
Palenville, NY. Modern jewelry inspired by nature and technology.
37. Verso
Everett, WA. Unique necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets, and crowns made from metal forms cast in handmade paper.
38. Warwick Jewelers
Exton, PA. My go-to for luxury jewelry. If you don’t see what you are looking for on the website, call them. They have tons more selection to choose from.
Philadelphia, PA. Handmade necklaces, bracelets, and earrings along with beautiful wood and resin cheese boards made from mindfully sourced and reclaimed materials. Sales go to support medication for her foster cats.
Textiles
40. Handarbete
Seattle, WA. Beautifully handwoven scarves, pouches, and coasters with Japanese influences. I have four Handarbete scarves and they are comfortable and warm.
41. Lois Gaylord
Seattle, WA. Judaica fiber arts, jewelry, and more. Beautifully custom handwoven Tallit, Tallit bags, Challah covers, custom handwoven Atarah, and bookmarks.
Boston, MA. Handmade bags along with jewelry, clothing, and items for the home.
Beauty Gifts
43. TwinkledT
Los Angeles, CA. Nail polish, stamping, vinyls, accessories, and tools.
44. Meow Meow Tweet
Northern California. My favorites are the lavender lemongrass oil and the rose geranium deodorant. My husband likes the unscented deodorant in a jar.
45. Sugar and Shears
Seattle, WA. Professional hair and skin care products. Mane an appointment or purchase a gift card on the website.
46. Running Springs Lavender Ranch
Mendocino, CA. A selection of lavender products. There is a possibility that they may offer gift packages for the holidays soon. They also have tents that you can reserve for glamping if you want to plan a vacation under the stars in Northern California.
Gifts for the Knitter or Fiber Lover
Shaftsbury, VT. Small farm, hand dyed yarn, roving, lap looms, calendars, darning kits, and more. Once a year, they list wool stuffed comforters that are amazing. This is also one of my favorite Instagram accounts to follow. Tammy has really good energy and the farm animals are well loved and so cute.
48. Woolpets
Suquamish, WA. Adorable animal needle felting kits and supplies.
I love the smooth wood cable needles. They are great because you don’t have to deal with the hook that a lot of cable needles have. They also have wood knitting needles, buttons, and knitting patterns.
50. Katrinkles
Providence, RI. Cute knitting needle gauge, crochet hook gauge, wraps per inch gauge for yarn, stitch markers, ornaments, jewelry, and accessories.
51. Yesterday Dream
Seattle, WA. Handknit one-of-a-kind monsters, knit hats, and needle books.
Michigan. Knit hats, knitting patterns, and more.
Embroidery
Edinburgh, UK. Woodland inspired embroidery of insects and florals. Patterns offered sometimes.
UK. Each embroidered patch is produced by hand using an old sewing machine. They sell out quickly, so make sure you get one if it is available.
Wellington, NZ. Incredible modern hand embroidery and patterns as well as prints, cards, and stickers.
Art and Photography
56. Jessica Richter
Ohio. Transitioned to oil paintings from very impressive embroidered jewelry.
Wellington, UK. The sweetest illustrated letters and names, watercolors, prints, and greeting cards.
58. Kiriska
Seattle, WA. Flora, fauna, monsters, and macabre. Original art, prints, masks, stickers, and more. These plant stickers are bound to be a hit. Visit the Kiriska shop on Redbubble, Society 6, InPrint, and the main website.
59. Bethany Hartwick
Needles, CA. I impulse bought two of her incredibly beautiful watercolor paintings after finding her on Instagram. Then I bought three additional paintings a few years later. Some prints of her work are also available.
60. Frida Clements
Seattle, WA. Adorable art prints and Have a Little Pun books.
61. Two Dog Studio
Kingston, WA. Animal friendships and a love for books highlight these magical prints.
62. Vida + Luz
Seattle, WA. Driftwood and hammered brass make beautiful celestial hanging pieces and ornaments.
63. David Seidman
Philadelphia, PA. Limited edition fine art prints, screen printed posters, and open edition prints of selected artworks.
64. FlaFla
Quebec, Canada. The sweetest illustrations on a variety of products.
65. Christina Adele
West Glacier, MT. Beautiful photography of nature available in prints, calendars, and more.
Clothing
Philadelphia, PA. Beautiful slow fashion. Handcrafted clothing. They even create the prints inhouse.
67. Sazz Vintage
Philadelphia, PA. An impressive selection of vintage clothing and accessories.
68. Pink Bike Ralph
Philadelphia, PA. Irreverent t-shirts, mugs, koozies, and masks.
69. Damaja Studio
Berlin, Germany. Creatively embroidered sweatshirts, t-shirts, button downs, bags, and wall hangings.
Philadelphia, PA. Clothing, accessories, and home décor featuring artists from around the world.
71. Girl Wonderful
Verona, WI. A girl-positive brand of clothing and accessories designed to inspire and empower.
72. Sean Rynkewicz
Philadelphia, PA. Illustrations and screen prints. T-shirts, prints, and calendars. This print of the 50 capitol buildings in the United States is pretty cool.
Intricately beaded Vans and jewelry by a member of the Standing Rock Lakota Sioux Tribe.
Just for Fun
74. Roy Kaleidoscope
Ein Gedi, Israel. All kinds of well-made kaleidoscopes. From mini necklaces to larger options, these make a great gift.
75. David Levy Games
Davis, CA. Handcrafted hardwood games - solitaire, chess, Chinese checkers, Go, mancala, backgammon, and more.
76. Omoi Zakka
Philadelphia, PA. A go-to supply shop for every day goods and fun treats. Books, stationary, an impressive selection of cat themed items, office supplies, kitchen, bath, bags and wallets, and more.
77. 20 Leagues
Oregon. Pins, stickers, creative ornaments, and diorama kits for house plants.
Ornaments and Holiday
78. Susabella
Woodinville, WA. Every personalized gift is handcrafted. We received an ornament and ice bucket as wedding gifts. I’ve given matching personalized boxes to sisters. There is also a Christmas section on their website.
Varna, Bulgaria. The cutest, most intricately handcrafted felt mice. I wanted them for years and finally bought two last year. They are well made and I want them all.
80. Hello Marilu
London, UK. Beautiful personalized baubles. Whether you like the holly or prefer an animal theme, this are lovely. She also has a good selection of creative planters, prints, and glasses cases.
Gifts for Cats
81. The Cat Ball
Bellevue, WA. Fun and cozy cat beds in prints and animals. We have a whale and a unicorn. They also make masks.
82. Business Catual
Portland, OR. Bowties for cats.
83. MeowFelt
Kyiv, Ukrane. The coolest felted cat beds. We have a Christmas tree and it is very well made. These take approximately four months to make and ship, so it won’t arrive by Christmas 2020, but order now for next year!
For Babies and Toddlers
Mount Joy, PA. Baby blankets, bibs, burp cloths, and teethers for babies. Headbands and masks for bigger kids and adults.
85. Hazy Dell Press
Portland, OR and Seattle, WA. Hazy Dell Press publishes quirky children’s books that promote empathy, inclusiveness and imagination.
Games
86. Bold Made
Seattle, WA. Bold Made is a remake of the classic card game Old Maid, but flips the script on this outdated game and includes bold women who made huge impacts on our world. Even the game is currently sold through Amazon, it was Kickstarter funded and is a small operation created by a mom and her 9 year old.
87. Indie Game Companies
For the online gaming enthusiast, support an indie game company this year. If you don’t know what to give, try a Steam gift card and encourage the recipient to purchase an indie game like FTL or Into the Breach.
More Hand Crafted and Small Businesses
Southwest Association of Indian Artists (SWAIA)
Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show
Etsy
More Gift Ideas
