This holiday season, I gave myself a challenge to #shoplocal, and buy from more local makers, as well as make some of my holiday gifts. This wasn’t too difficult of a feat, as I frequent quite a few local markets and have Etsy as one of my go-to sites for online shopping.
I love purchasing gifts for family and friends, and really do put a lot of time and consideration into my gift giving. This year was no different, and with the rise of local makers, DIYers, and crafters, I found myself going to even more local markets and supporting local makers. During the holiday season, I visited Boerne Handmade Market, the Guadalupe Cultural Art Center’s Hecho a Mano, Brick at Blue Star Arts Complex’s Sunday Market, the Southwest School of Art’s Articopia, SoFlo Market, Wolfson House Christmas Arts & Crafts show, and Nerdtacular at Wonderland of the Americas Mall.
Now, I won’t share all my secrets. But here’s a few of my favorite items I purchased this holiday season for friends and family:
VeryThat
Cristina of VeryThat has really upped her game this past year. She’s been around town selling her kitschy tiles (usually priced at 4 tiles/$20). I purchased a few for stocking stuffers for friends, and even one for my husband. Not only did VeryThat have their signature tiles on sale, Cristina also made some super awesome ornaments.
HelloHenney
I stumbled upon HelloHenney’s shop while out with Greg, at the Boerne Handmade Market. I purchased two canvases for myself, and gifted two to my favorite ladies who received matching Get It, Girl canvases. I love HelloHenney’s work, and their prices are reasonable (a canvas print runs between $7-$47.50 depending on size) especially when purchasing multiples. HelloHenney also does custom work, which is always good to know especially with Valentine’s Day just around the corner.
Hermanitas Boutique
As a sucker for all-things-loteria, I couldn’t pass up Hermanita’s Boutique’s adorable loteria onesie ($9). I spotted the hermanitas at Hecho a Mano, where they were selling not only onesies but also some cute homemade plushy creatures.
BarbacoApparel
We’ve been fans of BarbacoApparel for well over a year now, even before they set up shop at our Makevember event in November 2014. They never cease to amaze us with their Texan-at-heart themed goods. This year, we splurged on some postcards and a Redvolution tee ($24). We’ve previously purchased Calaca Colorado and Guacacharro art prints ($15/each).
Homemade DIY Goods
Not only did I challenge myself to #shoplocal, but I also wanted to make some handmade items for family and friends. As an inkodye fanatic, I hand-dyed about a dozen scarves. The process was a bit time consuming, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well they turned out. Each scarf was unique, I was particularly a fan of the marbleized look.
During the holidays, I also dabbled in baking. I like to stick with about 3-5 recipes, make dozens of goodies and share with co-workers. A few of my favorite recipes this year included: peppermint bark, chocolate kiss pretzel sandwiches and Rolo pretzel bites.
But, what about guy-inspired goods?
As a lady, I tend to gravitate towards cute/funky items that are ideal for my lady family and friends. But, what about the guys? This year, I made it an effort to find makers that sell more masculine items. A few guy-recommended makers include Gonzalez Handmade, who specializes in handmade leather goods; glass blowing classes from Caliente Hot Glass; and Broseph, who stocks a fun selection of stickers, tattoos and shirts. Also, for the domestic dude, one of my friends is a Batman buff and at the Wolfson House Christmas Arts & Crafts show I found some 1990s-era Batman: The Animated Series cloth pot holders for a $1 each. Every bachelor pad needs Batman potholders, right?