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For awhile now I’ve been planning on doing a gift guide this holiday season, but I got a brainstorm last week that makes this gift guide really special: I decided to ask my readers to submit their own handcrafted items/services to flesh out this guide. Wow! The response was overwhelming! I got a flood of emails from interested people, and I think you all are going to really enjoy what these creative people have produced. Being self-employed through blogging myself (for the most part – I do have a small part-time job as well), I definitely have an interest in seeing other small businesses thrive, and I love having a platform from which to share their work! Please take a scroll through this gift guide, visit any pages that interest you, and share this gift guide with your friends so they can see the creativity as well. You can share this post from my Facebook page here or pin it here.
Psst…I have a cookbook that would make a wonderful gift!
KJV Pottery – Wendy Good, also known as “Tirzah Joy” is a musical artist I respect and admire, and she has recently started making and selling pottery! My mom bought me this gorgeous serving bowl for my birthday, and she has several mugs that match it. You can check out KJV Pottery here, and you can listen to Tirzah Joy’s “Sing the KJV” project on YouTube here.
For the Lamb Studios – this site carries a lot of CDs from my favorite music groups, such as Tapestry Chamber Singers, Oasis Chorale, The Hope Singers, and Laudate. I can think of no better gift than the gift of music. I recently purchased Tapestry’s newest recording, “Arise”, which is comprised of all new compositions from modern Anabaptist composers. It’s amazing! I have many of the CDs on this page, and they’re all great!
Lady Warrick – Katy writes, “I’m currently a student studying Nursing, and I make things in my spare time to support myself (I’m one of 9 kids in a Pastor’s family, so working during school is a regular, but God is faithful and has always provided). I have sold things on a small scale to friends and acquaintances, but finally set up my shop on Etsy this past week….I sell things as I make them, and make them as I have time (which, as you can imagine, is not often in the Nursing world!) However with school ending next week, I’m finding more and more time to make things and I’m excited about throwing myself into it more over the holidays. I make and sell crocheted and knitted accessories, jewelry, and artwork.” You can check out her Etsy shop here!
Nate’s Greeting Cards – Nate says, “I’m 15, and I’ve been making art since I was 4. I like to paint/draw, and I wanted a way to make money without having to sell my actual paintings, so I decided to sell greeting cards with my art on the front. They’re blank on the inside (and come with envelopes), and they’re $2 each, but on my website the first 2 you order are free.” You can check out the website here!
Woodard Woodworks – Levi Woodard is a talented young man. This is what his mom writes: “My son is 17 years and and is a pen turner. When he was 12, we bought him a starter set for Christmas of 6 pens and 6 pencils. He had made all 12 within a couple days. Since then he has expanded to some very stunning pen projects. As well as pens and pencils, he also turns salt and pepper grinders, travel mugs, razor handles, flashlights, bowls, little containers with lids, etc. And has also expanded from just turning wood to deer antler, acrylic, polymer clay, copper, nearly anything he can get his hands on and it will cut. He has a corner of my husband’s garage that he has insulated and installed a little heater so he can work in the coldest part of the winter. (We live in South Dakota). The first year he didn’t have the little room, so he’d wear his coveralls and light weight gloves; it was freezing out there, but he’d been bitten by the turning bug.” You can visit Levi’s website here and his Facebook page here.
Tweet n Stitchy – Kim says, “I opened a little Etsy shop in March of this year to help supplement our family income and keep me staying at home, homeschooling our kids. My little shop has just begun picking up, but for the moment its helping us by paying for my daughter’s classes in a homeschool coop. I create one of a kind embroidered goods – bright splashy things and some more traditional and small things. I make personalized embroidered pillows of pets, special dish towels, and other embroidered pieces (I have a really pretty hymn piece that I would love for someone to decorate their home with.) Its my way of “Glorifying God and Enjoying Him Forever!” while stitching away.” You can visit Kim’s Etsy shop here!
Noble Rose Press – lots of beautiful books, paper dolls, and coloring books are available from this family-owned business. Robin says, “Noble Rose Press has all of their paper doll and coloring books on sale for just $5 each, regularly priced $9.95 to $15.95 Plus 20% off their other children’s books.” Perfect for Christmas! You can check out the website here.
Every Good Gift – Dria writes, “I make over 100 varieties of soaps (some of them are strictly seasonal), a dozen varieties of scrubs, two dozen hard lotions, over 30 lip balms and misc salves including old world style drawing salves and our Scuff and Scrape Salve.” She has plenty of variety over in her Etsy shop, which you can check out here.
Myers House Handcrafts – “Our family has a small craft shop on Etsy. We are a homeschooling family of 8: my husband & I and our children ages 8 – 21. Our family has a wide variety of craft interests including crochet, sewing, wood working, embroidery, jewelry making, wood burning, and flower arranging. Everyone helps with the shop in some form or fashion, whether it’s actually designing and creating the products or the behind the scenes work of photographing and listing items or preparing them for shipment after a sale.” You can visit their Etsy shop here!
Clementine Patterns – Robin says, “Beautiful embroidery patterns and kits for the happy home! Filled with truth, our embroidery designs make for perfect gifts, DIY projects, and daily reminders to hang on your walls. Perfect for any level, our embroideries come in a range from easy beginner to intermediate and advanced.” Pictured here is “Sing to the Lord”, a beginner pattern. Check out the website here!
Ribbons by Rachel – Rachel says, “I sell handmade, unique ribbon bookmarks for Bibles and other books. I started it 3 years ago as something I could continue once I graduated(last year), and I love doing crafty projects.” You can visit her website here!
Faithful Hearts – “My name is Lori and I started my little business, Inspirations of Faith/Faithful Hearts, when my husband and I adopted our daughter and welcomed our biological son….I have some special gifts for Christmas that I offer.” Lori makes plaques, canvas artwork, and lots of other pretty stuff! You can check out her website here.
Mindy Baumgardner, Travel Consultant – “I am an independent contractor, which means I am in charge of rounding up my own business! I plan Walt Disney World vacations! I can help clients choose a resort, make dining recommendations and reservations, schedule Fast Passes (which allows you to skip the line), and more. Best of all there is NO extra charge to book your vacation through me, not ONE CENT. I have always been a planner and an organizer, so I love to help others plan a marvelous trip with many priceless memories. Advance planning makes for a more enjoyable trip! Giving a gift of travel for Christmas is truly memorable for the family!…Although Disney is my specialty (also able to book adventures by disney and disney cruise) I can book all inclusive things like Sandals or Beaches and just about any kind of cruise. I can also help find hotels anywhere.” You can visit Mindy’s Facebook page here!
Path of Life Prints – Amy says, “I am a homeschooling mom of 13 who loves photography and God’s Word. I have added King James Version Scriptures to a number of the photos I have taken. I had a small business in the past, but felt God wanted me to offer my prints free of charge so that I could share God’s Word and be a help to various ministries and individuals. I have plans to set up a website, but for now, I am working on getting my prints ready a few at a time and posting them on my blog every Friday.” You can check out Amy’s blog and her newest work here!
The Breezy Tulip Studio – Breezy Brookshire is a very talented young artist! Her mom Robin says, “The Breezy Tulip Studio offers illustration prints and chalk lettering posters to bring more beauty and imagination into your home. Breezy Brookshire’s artwork makes a lovely addition to any room, whether a reading nook or child’s room, and comes printed on luxurious paper ready to be framed.” You can check out Breezy’s work in her Etsy shop here.
Adorable Blessings – Laurie says, “I have an Etsy shop that sells baby and children’s items. Especially popular are the crayon rolls. They are great for stocking stuffers! I started my shop because I missed sewing for my 6 children as they got older. (Of course, my 3 girls had matching dresses for Christmas an Easter every year.) I am now blessed to be sewing for our first grandson.” You can check out her Etsy shop here!
Pixies Rule – Teriann says, “I can stitch products that you see created there on the site – I just ask that people send me a message through the Contact form so that we can go back and forth on their color needs and wants.” Pictured is a key fob with a block initial that Teriann can create for customers. She says, “It’s very elegant, fun, and non-gender specific.” Check out the website here!
Southern Magnolia Boutique – Rachel says, “I have a small business on Etsy selling crocheted goods and a couple digital designs. Seems like a kind of random pairing, but I tend to dabble in many things; enjoying many hobbies. I generally enjoy designs for children, because I find a lot of inspiration from my own. I’m just a stay-at-home mom that likes to craft, and tries to earn a little on the side in my spare time.” Check out her Etsy shop here!
KCW Coffee – Here’s a great gift idea for a coffee lover! This small business roasts organic coffee. Check out the website here!
101 Stitches – Lydia makes clothing for American Girl dolls! You can check out her Facebook page here.
Every Child Has a Dream – Anna says, “We are an adoption ministry called Every Child Has A Dream. We exist to encourage Christian adoptive and foster families through prayer and financial grants. We focus primarily on “special needs” adoptions. We have an Etsy shop where most of our fundraising is done through….Stop by to read more about our ministry and remember, every penny donated goes toward bringing a child home to a loving, forever, Christian home.” You can check out the website here and the Etsy shop here.
Heritage Gallery – Marian says, “I’m an artist and paint in oils and watercolor. We then take a photo of our original design and my husband prints them on aluminum plaques with a large format printer. We then spray an automotive finish on them and they are ready for you to display by your front door.” You can check out the website here!
Custom T-Shirt for Seamstresses – Rebecca has designed a cool t-shirt for seamstresses! Click here to check out the shirt!
Thank you for all the work you put into this, Briana. What a lovely idea. I have enjoyed browsing through each site you have linked to.
This is a really neat and unique idea – to share your readers’ gift ideas. I’m going to take a look at a few that interest me, right after I leave you this note. Thanks for sharing these!
Very very nicely done page, I’m sure all the sellers love it, I know my daughter Becky Myers (Myershouse) is really happy about it.
Thank you