Looking for small businesses to support? Here are 50+ ideas that have amazing gifts for all occasions and make it easy to shop small!
*Originally published Nov 2020. Updated Oct 2023*
This is the one gift guide I published in 2020 so I worked hard to make it a good one. As I continue to make an effort to step away from Amazon and support small businesses and local businesses for my gift-giving, I’ve come up with a list of 50+ amazing small businesses to support that I can’t wait to share with you guys. Some of them are local to Columbus or Ohio, some of them are Black-owned, minority-owned or women-owned, some I found through word of mouth, some on Etsy and many I’ve purchased from already!
Several people asked me how to find small businesses and local businesses to support. Here are a few ways:
- Search Etsy! They’re great for small businesses in general but they also have great filters so you can filter results by a specific state or city, Black-owned shops, etc.
- Search local hashtags – Get on Instagram and search some of the local hashtags for your area to find local businesses. Once you find some you like, follow them! They’re often really good about sharing and collaborating with other local businesses so that will help you find more.
- Ask in a Facebook group – There are always a few people in every Facebook group who are in the know about all things small businesses and local!
- Search your city’s website for a list of shops. You can also check your Chamber of Commerce website.
- Use Google! Oftentimes local papers, magazines and bloggers put together shop guides or gift guides that can be a great starting place.
- If you’re looking for a certain toy, perhaps one you find on Amazon, seek out a few local toy stores and see if they have it. If they don’t, call them and see if they’d be willing to order it for you! If you have a more general toy like stacking cubes or dolls, search on Etsy and see what options are available!
And now, in no particular order, here are some awesome small businesses to check out. I highly encourage you to spend time clicking through and exploring their websites. I chose one photo from each site for the collages but their sites have so much more worth seeing! Some of these are Etsy shops and are affiliate links. That means I earn a small amount of money if you shop through them at no additional cost to you!
If you need gift ideas, check out my previous gift guides and then search for those ideas on these small business sites:
- Gifts for Busy Moms
- Kids Gift Ideas {ages 4-7}
- Toddler Gift Ideas {ages 1-3}
- Best Toys for Multiple Ages
- Best Gifts for Husbands
- Best Gifts for In-laws & Parents
50 Small Businesses To Support
Shown above:
- LoreleiVella – Personalized kitchenware, jewelry and more. I got my kids personalized silicone spatulas for Christmas this year! (aff link)
- My Sweet Muffin – gifts for babies and kids. So many cute toys, plus room decor, bibs, party supplies and more. I bought Nolan the Play&Go road mat pictured above. It has a drawstring and you can pull it to turn the mat into a storage bag for toys!
- Cate and Levi – Handcrafted, eco-friendly toys. They have the cutest puppets, as well as sew-your-own stuffed animal kits. I got the dog for a winter project to do with Chase!
- Little Nomad – Kids clothing and toys plus shoes, books and even clothes for women.
- Flux Imagery – The most whimsical watercolor art and planners. I bought the fairy pictured above for Lyssie’s room. Erika also offers painting and drawing courses on SkillShare.
- Cookie Society – Giant, delicious cookies delivered straight to your door! So many flavor options. Marissa also has an amazing food blog – First and Full.
- Kido – Toys, books and clothes for kids.
- The Fresh Dolls – A diverse line of multicultural dolls for all kids.
- Goose Grease – A fair trade company that makes handmade wooden peg dolls. They offer painted sets, DIY kits, custom families and cake toppers.
Shown above:
- Jamison and Bexley – A local Columbus kids clothing shop. I connected with Jen the owner, who lives near me! And we bonded over our experience with challenging 3-year-olds 🙂 The clothes in her shop are adorable! (Shopping through my aff link will save you 10%)
- Wright Kitchen – My mom got me one of her photo books for Christmas last year. I’m obsessed with all her prints. So bright, colorful and amazing using food. She also makes them into puzzles!
- Treasures from Jennifer – Artisan-crafted, all-natural toys, educational tools, and decor. A friend recommended the bow and arrow shown above and said it’s high quality and easy for her boys to use. I immediately bought one for Chase bc he’s been asking for the past two years.
- Semicolon Book Store – Black-owned women-owned bookstore in Chicago but you can always shop online! Here’s a list of Black-owned independent bookstores by state if you want to find one local to you!
- Tab Knits – Handmade backpacks, purses and pouches. I loved one of her wristlets and asked her if she could turn it into a crossbody for me and she did and it’s wonderful. Perfect for just holding a few cards and cash since I leave the house infrequently and don’t need a big purse. (aff link)
- Sarah + Abraham – Personalized kids’ plates, cups, placemats and stationary items.
- MKoby Art – – I just love her art- people and landscapes. Melissa is so talented. I have the print pictured above in my office and have my eye on the Sunset one for my bedroom. (aff link)
- Game Day Feels – Bracelets, mask chains, key chains, dog tags and more made from baseball glove lace. I bought a bracelet a few years ago and it broke and I just replaced it last week! You can put your own quote on it or choose one of theirs. Mine says “Life is about moments. Don’t wait for them, create them.”
- Magic Beans – Based in Boston, they sell all things baby – car seats, strollers, high chairs, bottles, baby monitors but also have a great toy selection!
Shown above:
- Dig & Co – Sweet supplies for outdoor adventures, garden and kitchen tools, art supplies and more. I love the acorn matching game pictured above as well as the kangaroo pillows!
- Grace Personalized – Their custom name jewelry is beautiful but I’m in love with their actual handwriting and fingerprint jewelry. I asked my parents for a handwriting bracelet last year and it turned out so well (aff link)
- More Than Peach Project Started by a 9-year-old. Multi-cultural crayons. The perfect addition to your art supplies.
- Puzzle Huddle – Childrens puzzles featuring diverse characters. They start at 15 pieces and go up to 200 pieces for several skill levels!
- Red Giraffe Designs – Local to Columbus. Handmade jewelry. I have my eye on the long hammered bar earrings pictured above.
- Native PRINTcess – Gorgeous handmade catchalls and jewelry dishes. I got for one for Christmas (aff link)
- Lovely Grain Studio – Personalized signs, home decor etc. Or turn your kid’s handwriting into a sign. Did this last year and it was a big hit with both sets of grandparents. (aff link)
- Mariya Eleanor Designs – One-of-a-kind yarn tapestries. So obsessed with these. Mariya is so talented.
- LaurelBox – Heartfelt sympathy gifts for those grieving. Choose a curated box or make your own for someone you know grieving a miscarriage, loss of a spouse, battling infertility and more.
Shown above:
- Little Lily Shop – Mess-free pretend makeup. I got some for Lyssie last Christmas and it’s held up so well! (aff link)
- Learning Express Toys and Gifts – Several central Ohio stores. It’s a franchise but my father-in-law knows the owners of the Worthington and New Albany locations. You can shop online or find a branch local to you. Tons of toy options for kids.
- EcoVibe Style – – Recently found this shop and immediately ordered 2 Christmas presents from them. An awesome collection of apparel, home decor, plants, gardening supplies, pillows, kitchenware, furniture and more.
- Collisionware – Adorable oven mitts and finger mitts. I bought some for my kids this year. (aff link)
- Dope Coffee – If you have a coffee lover in your life, the holidays are a great time to help them test out a new brand!
- ElemenOPillows – If you need pillow covers, Karen is your lady! She’s a family friend and makes great pillow covers in pretty much any fabric you could ever want. (aff link)
- Planthropy – Local to Columbus. The coolest living moss wall art.
- ARCHd – Homemade decor on wood and marble. I love their wood art.
- Wildflower Art Studio – DIY Kits that teach you how to do fun things like watercolor, hand lettering, calligraphy and more! (aff link)
Shown above:
- The Bee & The Fox – Vintage graphic tees with fun sayings, keychains, socks and more.
- Avryn & Co – Amazing wrislets and card wallets. Super stylish and come in tons of colors. I love mine!
- Custom Acrylic US – custom signs that would be great for small business owners, friends and family! (aff link)
- Darlify – Personalized pretty things like cups, bookmarks and more. (aff link)
- Created Colorful – Gift a friend a consult to learn what colors work best from them so they can choose clothes that make them look great!
- Mo News – If you have a news-loving friend, gift a premium membership to Mo News!
- Wild Lettie – Greeting cards, cute outdoor gear, accessories and more! I have my eye on one of the hip packs.
- House Of Metalworks – All kinds of beautiful handmade jewelry! I would love one of the fidget rings to play with. (aff link)
- Good Mornings by Steph – super cute earrings and other goodies. She only stocks her Etsy shop the last weekend of the month so follow on Instagram to stay up to date! (aff link)
Two others I love that only do very limited runs but still worth checking out Ettavee and Harper Iman Dolls!
In 2022 I added a few more Etsy shops I’ve purchased from over the last couple of years:
- The Leather Store – I treated myself to a new leather backpack that fits my laptop so I can easily take it along to work at the kids’ sports practices etc and I love it so much. (aff link)
- Cutting Edge Boston – Last year I got my dad a stemless wineglass with a photo of my youngest engraved on it and it was a huge hit! (aff link)
- Palmetto Wood Shop LLC – We got my FIL a new pocketknife engraved with GRANDPA and it was beautiful! (aff link)
- Make It Snappy – We have 3 of these folding card holders. The kids can put their cards in them when we’re playing games and not have to worry about holding them all in their little hands. And then they fold flat when you want to store them! (aff link)
- Wild Clementine Co – (TEMPORARILY CLOSED) I got my mom one of her reusable bowl covers a couple years ago and it’s so pretty. Great for covering bread dough, pizza dough etc while it rises!
- Vitrage Art Souvenirs – I got my mom and MIL these stained glass hummingbirds and they are gorgeous. You can stick them in a vase with flowers or in a potted plant. And they have tons of other pretty stained glass. Made in Ukraine and shipped super quickly and were well packed. (aff link)
- LitoCraft – My daughter drew a picture and this company turned it into a coffee mug for my husband for his birthday. It turned out so well! (aff link)
- TobeTote – I got my friend’s girls customized tote bags last Christmas and they were a big hit. Super cute and customizable.
If you’re buying board games for people, consider searching for a local game store. Guard Tower is one local to Columbus but you can probably find one in your area! If you’re looking for game suggestions for kids at different ages, follow my friend Danielle @boardgamebabies on Instagram or check out her blog.
Happy shopping!
–Lindsay–
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This is amazing thank you so much for doing this!!
The work you do pulling together information for others and supporting local business inspires me