I love the shop local, shop small business concept, and I make it a priority to support as many small local shops as I can and not always order everything from Amazon. Christy and I both have ‘small’ businesses in addition to blogging which have grown through our readers’ support {thank you!}. You can find her monograms here and my organizational products here 🙂
ETSY is my favorite source for handmade and personalized items, which make the most wonderful, creative and thoughtful gifts. I thought I’d highlight a few of my favorite things/gift ideas for you as you prepare your gift list this holiday. Maybe you can knock out some of your gifts before the holiday rush, and know that your supporting independent business owners at the same time. {affiliate links are included in this post, see our full disclosure here}.
I have included gift ideas for friends, sisters, children, men and teachers–25 of them! Simply click on the links or the image of the product for more information. After I compiled this list, I decided I clearly have a inclination toward gifts with monograms or personalization but that makes a gift all the better, doesn’t it?
Here we go…{FYI: you can just click the image to be taken to the item on ETSY for easy shopping!}
We just shared these in our Fall Favorite Things post, but these gingham mugs are just the cutest. You can do seasonal mugs or team colors, or colors to match decor. They even come monogrammed 🙂
A Tervis tumbler always makes a nice gift with wide appeal, and you can’t go wrong by adding a monogram to make it special. These would be perfect for a teacher, bus driver, or friend. You can find them here including the monogram for $24. Of course, you can also purchase your own tumbler and add a monogram from our store here, I just wanted to mention that too :).
I order these monogrammed notepads {below} for friends all the time. They are a great price and such a cute personalized gift. I always add an extra one in for me when I order, they are perfect to jot a quick note to the teacher or enclose in a gift for a friend. The paper is very nice quality, I promise they don’t look homemade.
Our friend Amanda has one of the cutest stores on ETSY, her store has dozens of cute personalized gifts.
These sweet clutches make a nice sister/girlfriend/mother gift, the colors will brighten a dreary winter day! See the ETSY store via this link to see all the colors. I love the gold chain! Aren’t they cute?
I think most of us have someone on our list that needs this wrap towel. Actually, I think I need this towel! What a perfect gift for girls of all ages.
For fitness loving women, these headbands are so cute and seriously would solve that hair in the face problem {I know you can relate!} and these are less than $10, a great collection of patterns is here.
Men can be hard to shop for, my husband has a leather tray like this on his dresser and keeps all the “things” that would normally pile up–loose change, keys etc. This is a nice price for one like this, and is a great handmade gift for a hard-to-shop-for guy.
I also like these leather toiletry bags, these are stylish and won’t take up too much space in his bag {my husband’s priority is always to bring as little as possible with him when he travels, a concept completely lost on me}. My teenage son is also getting one of these this year, the time has come for him to travel with more style than a toothbrush in a ziploc bag, much as he doesn’t seem to agree.
You can find unlimited jewelry ideas on ETSY, and I recently saw that Pottery Barn Teen sells similar necklaces in gold for over $1000 (OK, so I suppose they are real gold) but if your budget doesn’t allow that these are a great alternative. I think a teenage girl {or any girl} would be thrilled to receive one of these and they come in all sizes and lengths.
Also as far as stamps, if you have a special cook in your life, a “From The Kitchen Of” stamp is perfect for making cards to attach with homemade goodies at this time of year, a selection is HERE.
A house portrait is a lovely gift for anyone who lives in a “forever” home or one that is special to them. My parents have a small picture of my childhood home framed in their current house, I’ve often thought of having it made into a portrait for them, and quite honestly, I’d really like to have one too. ETSY has a large selection of artists that will take a picture of your house and turn it into a portrait.
Or, if you prefer, you can have someone do a traditional drawing.
I don’t see how you can go wrong with these canvas bags, they are such a great basic carry-all and still stylish. This plaid bag is at the top of my list this year, I love it! You can also do a traditional canvas bag with a monogram though if that is more your style.
You’ll likely see this again when we post the things that on our own wish lists this year as this is on my personal wish list, but the signs from The House of Belonging are just amazing. If you have someone in your life that needs encouragement, has a new home or even as a special baby or children’s gift they have the most a beautiful selection of handpainted signs.
{via house of belonging}
For just smaller, frameable signs I love The Wheatfield. These are so cute framed and they are a sweet gift for a younger girl.
For your design obsessed friends, sisters etc. how about a pillow in a gorgeous fabric?
Christy and I both have dance-obsessed daughters. These shirts are perfect for dancers, but this ETSY shop has shirts with other interests too –like soccer, cheer etc. to make everyone smile.
Speaking of dance, this ballerina artwork is also lovely. Unlike a toy that has a lifespan only as long as a child’s interest, art is is a gift that will grow with your little dancer for many years.
My daughter is at the age where she loves dolls. Some days I think her dolls have nicer clothes than I do. Doll clothes in the catalogs that flood your mailbox at this time of year {mothers of girls, you know what I mean!} are super-expensive. You can find all sorts of beautiful doll clothes that are handmade on ETSY. I much prefer to support someone lovingly sewing doll clothes by hand {like this store} rather than purchase ones made in an overseas factory.
Christy uses this guest book in her home as a record of her visitors. It’s such a special touch, and something she will always be able to look back on. This is a wedding guest book, but it works just as well for the home, and it is also a great gift for someone with a vacation home.
I am considering ordering these for us, we’re overdue for some new stockings and these burlap ones are so pretty. They would make a pretty gift on their own, but you could also fill it with small items for an even more wonderful gift too.
Last but not least, this is one of my new favorite ETSY stores. She has the cutest gift tags, notecards and gifts. These tartan plates and platters are just darling!
That is 25 fun gift ideas! I hope these are helpful 🙂 now, I am off to shop!
Here is a bonus idea…we’ve used these cards in teacher gifts for the end of the year and teacher appreciation, but if you have small gifts to give to people like bus drivers, mail carriers, teachers, co-workers, your hairdresser etc. these are perfect to enclose with a Starbucks or coffee shop gift card.
We’d love to hear if we missed anything special from ETSY. There are so many wonderful things!
Enjoy and happy shopping!
XO,
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