Welcome to the second annual Holiday Shopping Guide to find new small businesses you are sure to love. This small business shopping guide consists of 19 small businesses that I have met or connected with this past year of 2023 and I hope you find a new favorite small business to shop from too. To see last year's 2022 small business shopping guide, click here.
Did you know that approximately 67 cents per dollar stays local when you shop small. This means that every dollar spent on a small local business, 67 cents is going back into that community to benefit families, schools, libraries, parks and more! Shop small this year.
Look no further for gifts for kids, wives, husbands, grandchildren, parents, teachers, neighbors, and even pets. All natural eco-friendly home gifts include sustainable laundry detergent, candles, wax melts, handmade soaps, ceramic dishes, unpaper towels and more. Matching dog scarves make a perfect gift for your pet. Gifts for her this Christmas include soft headbands, tarot cards, gemstones, fidget toys, earrings and more. Gifts for kids include bows, travel toy sets, clothes, and activity books. And don't forget about those tasty stocking stuffer treats including homemade granola, fudge, truffles, and Christmas jam.
2023 Christmas Gifts for Kids from Small Businesses
Mini Voyager (Instagram | Website)
Mini Voyager is your one-Stop shop for travel toys. We make customizable Travel Kits (when you bundle toys in a travel kit you get a deep discount!) for ages 6 months - 10 years old. The Kits keep kids entertained for longer, get all your trip prep done early, and help parents feel more confident going into a trip with kids.
Pictured Below: These Travel Kits for Kids are customized by age and size of the kit, packed with age-appropriate toys that are proven to keep kids entertained longer.
Little Buggies Apparel (Instagram | Website) Nichole Coover - Owner
Little Buggies Apparel is a family run handmade children’s clothing company based in Southern California that offers timeless, modern and gender neutral pieces for your little one. All of our fabrics are carefully sourced, hand picked by our 9 year old daughter, and printed in the USA. All of our clothing designs are patterned and sewn by yours truly!
Pictured Below: Sage Checked Lounge Set - Our lounge sets are a combination of cozy and cute! Made from quality french terry knit, these are sure to become your favorite go-to outfit for your little one! These sets feature a drop shoulder design and relaxed fit.
Enchanting Tiger Lily (Instagram | Website)
Military spouse with two young girls who help create fun unique bows! Handmade hair bows and headbands for babies and up! Located in Virginia!
Pictured Below: Unique one of kind velvet Santa bow! Perfect for pictures with Santa or any fun holiday event!
A & J Books (Instagram | Website)
This small family owned business is run by two self-taught sisters out of Portland and San Diego. Each book is hand drawn and thoughtfully designed to help keep children engaged, strengthen skills, and improve mental health through creativity. They have self published over 30 activity books, journals, and art notebooks for all ages to enjoy.
Pictured Below: Let your kids (or grandkids) explore the wonders of space with captivating crafts! Each activity book offers warm-up exercises, familiar shapes, interactive cut and paste crafts, fun facts, and ideas on how to incorporate learning through play with their creations.
All Things Sensory Shop (Instagram | Website)
I make sensory items and fidgets designed by a neurodivergent adult for neurodivergents adults!
Pictured Below: The Giftable Fidget Bundle is a great gift for the people in your life who are new to fidgeting, those who love to collect fidgets or to get for yourself! It comes with a wide variety of fidgets - perfect for discovering what scratches that stimmy itch!
2023 Christmas Gifts for Her from Small Businesses
Michigan Threads Headbands (Instagram | Website)
Accessories made for women on the move. Everything is handmade in the US for extreme comfort and quality. You'll seriously love these headbands!
Pictured Below: Twisted front headbands. Twisted headbands are always in style, and these ones take the cake! They come with a twist so you can wear them as either flat or on top of your hair.
Found Jewelry SD (Instagram | Website)
We create minimalist and lightweight earrings perfect for everyday wear. We also create accessories like keychains, lanyards, bracelets, badge reels and more! We give 5% of our Etsy sales to a variety of organizations in our local community.
Pictured Below: The Amira Arch has been a best selling style going on 3 years. It is 1.5 inches long and we offer it in 20 different colors!
Totems and Tarot (Instagram | Website)
Totems and Tarot is a crystal and tarot shop with your best intentions in mind. Focus on healing, growth and community, our company is dedicated to helping you source the tools you need for your healing journey.
Pictured Below: Embrace the holiday season with exquisite crystal bundles, designed to encapsulate the essence of this special time of year. Share feelings of JOY, LOVE, PEACE, or COMFORT with the people who hold a special place in your heart, using these precious stones that resonate with your sentiments. Pictured below is the LOVE bundle.
Bunnycone Designs (Instagram | Website)
Handmade sterling and brass jewelry designed for the modern minimalist to make everyday feel like your best.
Pictured Below: The best earrings for the plant lover in your life. These Dangling Leaf earrings are hung on a sterling silver ear wire and chain. The brass leaf is hand sawed and light as air; the perfect pair for everyday wear.
Soaps by a Chemist (Instagram | Website)
With her masters in chemistry, Charlotte makes handmade luxurious soaps from her home in San Diego, California to enhance your self-care and daily cleansing routine. Products at Soaps by a Chemist are made with ingredients you can understand by a chemist you can trust. We hope the chemistry behind the formulations provides an experience that exceeds your expectations. Luxurious, Beautiful, Clean.
Pictured Below: Handmade artisan soaps are the perfect gift for friends, neighbors and loved ones. Self-care is as simple as a new bar of soap. Soaps available individually or in gift sets.
2023 Christmas Sweets and Treats for Gifts or Stocking Stuffers from Small Businesses
Fudge Co (Instagram | Website)
Everyone wants a piece of Grandma's fudge during the holidays. Get your handmade treats from Fudge Co. Delicious creamy fudge that tastes just like Grandma's. Don't like fudge? Shop the wide variety of other treats Fudge Co offers including chocolates, truffles, freeze dried candy, chocolate dipped specialties, caramels, nut clusters, and more.
Pictured Below: Classic milk chocolate fudge is a Fudge Co specialty. Handmade in small batches for only the best quality, this treat is sure to bring holiday cheer.
Emilia's Graces (Instagram | Website)
Emilia’s Graces is a gluten free granola bakery located in Mt Crawford, VA founded by Jeanette Leed and named after her sweet daughter Emilia Grace. The heart and passion behind our business is to provide nourishing wholesome granola baked from scratch with the purest and healthiest of ingredients, using local ingredients whenever possible. We pride ourselves on our ability to cater to those with food intolerances, particularly those who require a gluten free diet. Jeanette is passionate about developing her own innovative recipes and offering unique flavors that you won’t find elsewhere
Pictured Below: Health Nut Granola is the epitome of Emilia’s Graces’ beginnings that Jeanette’s imagination and appetite for baking granola. Our Health Nut Granola is the perfect balance of sweet, slightly salty, full of nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds) and seeds (sunflower and pumpkin seeds) and is kissed with a soft cinnamon.
Double L Ranch (Instagram | Website)
Double L Ranch is a family owned farm providing locally sourced jams/jellies, dinner mixes and freeze dried snacks.
Pictured Below: Spread some holiday cheer with Christmas Jam, a delightful mix of cranberries, strawberries, oranges, cloves. With its rich flavor and health benefits, including antioxidants and Vitamin C, this festive jam is perfect for enjoying on toast, yogurt, or even as a glaze for your meats.
2023 Christmas Gifts for Your Dog from Small Businesses
Fuzzbutt Boutique (Instagram | Website)
Fuzzbutt Boutique is a company made for your fuzzbutt, friend, companion, sibling or fur baby. We create stuff for your fluffs, which are high quality handmade pet flannel scarves, colorful bandanas, bow ties, toys, and clothing for humans. I created Fuzzbutt Boutique as a place where you can buy fun and quality accessories for your pet(s) and you.
Pictured Below: This Mommy and Me scarf set is a fanastic way to match your furbaby. This pet scarf is a flannel with a fringe edge and a snap that adjusts to fit your dog or cat. Think of the family outtings, Christmas card pictures and holiday events you can match at!
2023 Eco-Friendly Christmas Gifts for the Home from Small Businesses
Farm Girl Cloth Co. (Instagram | Website)
Farm Girl Cloth Co. focuses on making eco reusable goods for everyone.
Pictured Below: Ditch those paper towels and napkins and reach for the paper less, zero waste, non paper, unpaper alternative cloth towels and do your part to reduce waste in your home.
Paperless Towels are made from 100% Cotton Flannel - 2 layers for dependable absorbency They are soft and absorbent and washer and dryer safe.
Root and Splendor (Instagram | Website)
We are a a natural and sustainable laundry and home care brand offering a powerful clean from nature.
Pictured Below: Redefine your laundry routine with Root and Splendor’s complete laundry essentials. Featuring plant active ingredients and enzymes to achieve a deep and powerful clean, our laundry soap and stain remover leaves no stains or odors untouched. Complete with sustainable packaging, enlivened by pure and natural essential oils, and independent lab tested for efficacy, you will love your new laundry experience!
Midding Studios (Instagram | Website)
Midding Studios is a woman owned small business creating hand-poured themed soy wax melts. Each wax melt is meant to make your space cozy and with the variety of unique scents available, there is sure to be a scent for everyone!
Pictured Below: Blood Orange is our bestselling 2 oz wax melt from our Original Collection. With scent notes of orange, grapefruit, cedar, green leaves, and bergamot, this mouthwatering melt is a great citrus scent year round!
Mill Pond Candle Co. (Instagram | Website)
Mill Pond Candle Co. was established in 2020 and created with a passion for a cleaner, sustainable candle that provides a true scent when burning. We offer fragrant natural, non-toxic candles and home fragrances made with only the finest ingredients. We want you to have peace of mind burning our candles in your home with your family, friends, and pets and giving them as gifts. We have scents for all occasions and seasons.
Pictured Below: Our Cranberry Woods 12 oz. Candle burns 80+ hours in our colored glow jar with a gold lid. This glow jar allows the candlelight to shine through when lit.
Earthen Hands Ceramics (Instagram | Website)
Earthen Hands Ceramics is a San Diego based small business featuring handmade pottery by Madeline Sandler. Each piece is made with love and inspired by tones and textures of nature.
Pictured Below: The featured item is my holiday tray set! This handbuilt set of plates, featuring a cheery plaid design, is perfect for serving treats during the holidays or for displaying your favorite decor!
