A feature list of small businesses to support this holiday season
Every year the universe does this sneaky thing where it’s all of the sudden December. There you are, minding your own business, focusing on cuffing season and thinking about the food you’re going to eat on Thanksgiving and then BAM, it’s December 1st. This happens to me every single year without fail. Maybe you’ve been waiting for it all year because Christmas is your favorite holiday and this is the month you’ve been waiting for. If this is you then I applaud you.
December is actually a really wonderful month. All of the cute Christmas markets pop up, you can finally go ice skating, Christmas lights, hot cocoa (or hot wine), ugly sweater parties…must I go on? This joyous overload of all things festive, wraps us up in a warm snuggly feeling until Christmas Day, and then we have the rest of the month to reflect on our year. We get time off from our busy lives and get some time for ourselves and our loved ones. So, yipeee it’s December!
Shopping Pains
Whether you like the aspect of Christmas shopping or not, it’s a big part of this month. Getting started early is a great way to find enjoyment in gift shopping so that you aren’t panicking at the last minute. I’m not talking about those Black Friday deals either because that’s so 2010. Even cyber Monday is getting out of hand and benefits huge companies with warehouses and sketchy labor policies (*ahem, Amazon*).
In 2019 and hopefully all of the years to follow, it’s all about small business shopping. For a lot of small businesses, the holiday season is a crucial time to do business. The hard working people running them want to be able to afford to put gifts under their trees too. More importantly, they would be honored to have their products under yours. It’s a win-win shopping experience because a handmade gift can mean so much more than something ordered on Amazon Prime, or on bulk-sale at Target.
As you read this, more and more people are becoming entrepreneurs. Since I began my own business, I’ve encountered hundreds if not more people like me who do and make incredible things. I’ve gathered a long list of small businesses from around the world which you can support this holiday season.
*None of the companies mentioned below are affiliated or paid promotional ads. I do not receive any compensation if you purchase from them.
Shopping small – Women’s Clothing, Fashion & Accessories gift ideas:
Atelier Kate
Sustainable and organic fashion designed by Katie Tramposh, a personal friend of mine. Her brand is not limited to clothing, but also embodies a total lifestyle of being good to yourself and to the planet. 10% of your purchase goes to 1 of 3 charities that she works with including International Red Cross, Global Rights for Women, and Invisible Girl Project.
♡ Organic, sustainable, & cruelty free.
Dusk Paris
Nicole, born in South Africa creates beautiful handmade porcelain earrings that I am obsessed with. She also makes the cutest little baby shoes so you can gift a new mother ten fold.
♡ Made by hand with love and ethically conscious.
Nooworks
Woman owned and women run business based out of San Francisco. They offer a super fun range of fashion and accessories for women of all sizes. Make shopping easy with gift ideas laid out for you in categories of under $25, $50, or $100. Go ladies!
♡ Owned & run by women
Sea and Glass
Gift the spirit of aloha straight from the oceans of Hawai’i with sea glass jewellery and art forged from the north shore of Oahu. Sea glass is a beautiful source of upcycled glass found in the ocean and naturally processed by nature herself.
♡ Handmade in HI, naturally recycled
Paper Motel
Eléna designs the cutest leather travel accessories which can be personalised for that travel-loving friend of yours.
♡ Handmade
Shopping small – Artwork / Stationary ideas:
That Supersonic Youth
Emilie designs original illustrations which you can buy from her Etsy shop. Bird lovers will truly appreciate these colourful works of art.
♡ Handmade
Ainsi Hardi Paris
I love these bright and cute artist created prints, tote bags, and T-shirts for all. Offering free shipping to the US and EU + 15% off if you sign up for the newsletter.
Kindred & Co.
Valerie Aw Pierce designed this lovely planner for your kindred sprits in your life who are still in school. It begins in September and finishes in August so its perfect for getting organized after the holiday break.
Sonja Bajic
Sonja is an illustrator based in Paris, creating cute and colourful maps, calendars, postcards, prints, and so much more. She also offers free shipping on some of her items. I’m in love with her 2020 seasonal fruits and veggies calendar.
♡ Handmade, offeres in person workshops
Sheila Sarti
Sheila expresses femininity in her art for women by creating beautiful prints, jewellery, and embroidery of the female body.
Home Goods ideas:
FYK Creative
Faith Kenny comes from my hometown San Luis Obispo, California and makes some stunning ceramics. I brought one of her handmade plates all the way with me to Paris. I absolutely love her work.
♡ Handmade
RX Candles
Sisters Jocelyn and Jennifer hand make all of their candles and other scented products in Los Angeles, CA.
♡ Handmade
O-M Ceramic
Carrie Lau is a ceramics artist from Hong Kong. She creates everything from mugs and plates to rugs and lamps in her design studio in Highland Park, Los Angeles. Any plant lover would die for her planters.
♡ Handmade
Other gift ideas to support your local businesses
Not all gifts can be bought online. Products are great for wrapping and putting under the tree, but offering expert services can be a great way to support small business and make incredible gifts. Here are some service gift ideas for supporting your local area.
- Offer a photoshoot with a professional photographer in your area, or purchase copies of a local photographer’s work.
- Private cooking classes with a local chef.
- Sign up you and a loved one for an artist’s workshop (ie candle making, ceramics, painting, etc).
- Organise a design consultation or purchase a 3D-model to start that decoration project that’s been on the back burner.
- Try one of these ideas for your lover from this post from Valentine’s Day.
2020: Changing who we buy from starts now
Our world and the way we use our resources is shifting. Jupiter moves signs once per year and it just moved into Capricorn where it will stay until December 18th, 2020. What does that mean? Well, in astrology, Jupiter is the planet that rules fortune, abundance, and wisdom. Capricorn as a sign is resourceful, practical, and generous in its efforts and labor for reward and security in the future.
What does it mean for the planet of fortune and abundance to be inside Capricorn? I’ll tell you because I’ve been focusing on it a lot right now. It means that our ideas as a whole are going to shift. We are going to start pulling in our resources and gathering our energy to build strong foundations. We are getting rid of excess and getting back to the basics. This means a lot of the big, greedy corporations are going to be exposed (this is already beginning to happen), and smaller, more eco-friendly companies which are mindful and generous to our planet are going to shine bright.
This astrology prediction is exciting news to me, and makes it the best year to start changing who we buy from. Shopping small is not by any means a new concept, but this year may be a turning point in our economy and our planet’s condition. So get yourself over to your local markets and boutique shops this month. Order online from small family run businesses like the ones listed above. By doing these things you’ll spread love and cheer through your gift giving across all plains – to your loved ones and those working hard all year round on their businesses.
Happy Holidays!
♡ Tamara
Want to feature your small business in this list? Please contact me and share your work!
