Holiday season can be a frantic time, and often we forget to pick up the small things- stocking stuffers, small gifts for acquaintances, that little extra something to make someone’s holiday that much more special. I am in full support of shopping small business and handmade, so I wanted to share just a few of the delightful little stocking stuffer gifts I’ve picked up that would be perfect for anyone on your list, all handmade by small, online shops and all still available for delivery by Christmas! Great for men and women of all ages!
First things first- if you are not familiar with www.Etsy.com, I highly recommend it! It is an amazing marketplace for handmade items and features many highly skilled and talent creators delivering one of a kind items. It’s my favorite place to shop handmade!
HANDMADE ORNAMENTS
There are many amazing Etsy shops for handmade ornaments, but this year I chose to shop from Nestled Pine Woodworking, an independently owned and operated business based in Lone Rock, WI. She offers an amazing variety of handsome, high quality laser-cut wood ornaments, some even customizable. The business utilizes sustainable materials, supports non-profits and is run by a husband and wife team.
You can see more of their unique and beautiful work at www.etsy.com/shop/NestledPineWoodworks
I selected the guitar ornament, a perfect gift for any musician or music lover. It arrived in a practical, hard cardboard envelope inside a bubble wrap one that protected it during shipping and which I can also use to wrap it if I choose.
The ornament was finely crafted, highly detailed, lightweight, gorgeous and exactly as shown in the listing. It came with a red ribbon for immediate hanging and information about the materials used. I was delighted with all elements of this beautiful ornament and am excited to gift it!
GOURMET COFFEE
For the coffee lovers in my life (and there are many) I decided to shop with small roasters this year, allowing my coffee loving friends and family to taste unique brews they wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to try.
My caffeinated delights came from Red Dog Koffie, a small roaster based in Frankfort, Kentucky. The couple who owns the shop has traveled the country tasting unique coffees and finally decided that they should have a go at crafting delicious brews themselves! They share each morning with a cup of coffee and their beloved pet dog and so named the shop after her, and they offer a variety of unique flavors for all tastes.
You can see more of their rich, aromatic coffees at www.etsy.com/shop/RedDogKoffie
I selected the Holiday Spirits Coffee Sampler in the spirit of the season, which comes with a variety of flavors such as Almond Amaretto, Rum Rum Reindeer, and Kentucky Bourbon Ball.
The coffee was beautifully packaged, and would be excellent for those who need the gift shipped straight to the recipient as the wrapping was perfect.
The coffee smells amazing and tastes even better, and I love the variety of flavors- though I haven’t tried them all since I am gifting many of them (it was hard to resist)- I have no doubt they will also be delicious! Definitely a great choice for any coffee lover.
CUSTOMIZED GLASSWARE
There are a large number of independent engraving and glassware shops with lovely work, but I selected The Engravery, located in Denver, Colorado. Beautiful, classic and unique gifts for lovers of spirits, coffee, tea, wine, beer, or anyone who would appreciate monogrammed or personalized fine glassware.
They offer high quality glassware, crafted in the USA, dishwasher safe and made for everyday use. Their designs, drafted in-house and permanently engraved into your glassware with a lifetime guarantee and they offer a wide variety of glass types to suit anyone on your list.
You can see more of their fine, customized works at www.etsy.com/shop/TheEngravery
I purchased a set of two matching coffee mugs as a gift for a couple, so I got their initials monogrammed on the mugs. I was enchanted to discover that they offered different fonts, so you can select the one that best suits the recipient.
The glasses arrived well packaged, completely protected from the risk of breaking, and the quality of both the glass and the engraving was beautiful. They make lovely personalized present or stocking stuffer for anyone on your list!
SPECIALTY SOAPS/BATHBOMBS
In spite of potentially coming off as a cliché gift, many people do indeed enjoy the treat of a beautiful, specially scented soap, bath bomb, etc. Instead of purchasing them from the usual stores, I shopped small businesses that produce fully handmade items in unique, aromatic scents that they cannot get anywhere else, and many stores feature charming options for masculine and feminine scent preferences.
FOR HER
For my sisters and several female friends, I selected the Angry Raven Apothecary. They are based in El Paso, Texas and use natural materials to craft beautiful, completely handmade bath bombs, soaps and scrubs. The ingredients are listed and the variety of colors, scents and designs are amazing.
You can see more of their creative and beautiful treats at www.etsy.com/shop/AngryRavenApothecary
I purchased a several bath bombs in a variety of colors and scents, all large, 6 ounce bombs. They arrived attractively packaged and protected from possible damage, perfect to pop into a bag or a stocking for a ready prepared, beautifully presented gift.
The bombs smelled unique, sweet, and aromatic, with strong but natural fragrances, nothing artificial smelling and all very different from one another. The colors were vivid and bright, the designs distinctive, creative and visually appealing. They are absolutely perfect for almost all my female friends and I will be keeping this shop in mind for birthday gifts too!
FOR HIM
For a male friend, I selected the Soap Savant, based in Monrovia, California. Jaqueline and Aaron Wright spread California sunshine one bar of soap at a time! They fully hand make every aspect of the soap with all natural materials.
They have a good variety of unique scents and themes, many of which are great for special events, Christmas and otherwise! Custom labeling for special events is an option they offer to complete the package if needed!
You can see more of their uniquely scented specialties at www.etsy.com/shop/SoapSavant
I purchased the Beer Soap Sampler 3 Pack, which included Milk Stout, IPA Beer and Summer Ale varieties. The package arrived already set for gifting, great for sending straight to the recipient if you prefer, a lovely box with festive red packing material and finished with a green holiday ribbon.
The shea butter soaps smelled unique, aromatic, and distinctly masculine, definitely reminiscent of the beers for which they were named, without coming across as in any way artificial. I could smell them as soon as I opened the shipping envelope, a pleasant fragrance that came up right away event through the box and packing.
The colors were natural and smooth, the soap designs visually appealing. They are absolutely perfect for any beer lover or anyone who wants a very unique, natural soap!
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