A Different Kind of Gift Guide

There are so many celebrations going on right now: back to school, off to college, birthdays, anniversaries. We are heading into Fall and the holiday season will be upon us before we know it. Not to mention, it's Labor Day weekend and there are so many sales going on and many great deals to be enjoyed.

I am someone who loves to get an early start on holiday gifts, and thought I would go ahead and share my thoughts on gift giving. Gifts is my second love language and I love thinking about the perfect gift for a certain person and the best way to stretch my limited resources or funds the furthest.


One way I love to "give far" is to support small businesses. As a small business owner myself, I know just how much every single purchase means to the person behind the shop. It's one more drop in the bucket that fuels the dream, and it is particularly encouraging to those who sell their handmade wares. It's another vote of confidence for their craft and talent. Not only does it mean a lot to the seller, but handmade items are one of a kind by nature and can be unique. You can often customize the gift just perfectly for the intended recipient. Some examples I've purchased recently:

This beautiful family portrait was a gift to my mother in law, sister in law, and her new husband. Their first anniversary is next week and this rendering was based on one of the photos from the wedding. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend and their grandmother passed a few years before, so I asked the artist, Hazel, if she could add both of us to this piece and I think she did a phenomenal job! It's now a very meaningful and irreplaceable piece of art. Definitely not something you would be able to find in a store. I also thought it was priced incredibly fairly, under $40!

This handmade bow headband is for our sweet Maggie (due in November) since she'll make it just in time for the Clemson vs. Carolina game and will be able to wear it all next season, too. I didn't even know it at the time, but when I purchased this $5.00 bow, I was supporting a young couple in their dream to build their family through IVF. The owner, Carlie, was so incredibly sweet and grateful and is now a fellow maker friend from Etsy. I have made numerous friends this way. It's so special.

My latest purchase was for myself--a pretty atypical splurge--but when I saw these gorgeous personalized necklaces, I knew it was exactly what I'd been looking for as a new mom (to be). The shop owner, Charlene, was so kind and said she would be able to make a silver pendant with exactly what I wanted and I know I will cherish it for years to come.

Etsy has certainly become one of my favorite sources for heartfelt, handmade, one of a kind gifts, but as a maker, I have made so many friends through Instagram and other social media outlets who are so wonderfully talented and desire to create custom pieces that will make others happy. Not all of them can be found on Etsy, but a simple search on Facebook for local artists and shops in your area, or a quick search on Instagram for tags like #handmade, #smallbusiness, or #shopsmall might reveal a plethora of options from which to choose.

Other incredible options for "giving far" include shopping fair trade items. These can also be handmade, and are often more easily accessible and readily available (unlike something on Etsy that could take more than a week to process and ship). Companies or retailers selling these items must ensure that artisans are respected and paid fair wages for their work. They agree to provide dignified working conditions for their employees who might not have had this option previously. Some great resources for these goods are:

One of my new favorites, Trades of Hope. This company empowers women artisans in India, Kenya, Thailand, Guatemala, and Haiti who are now able to sell their wares to a much larger audience to support and maintain their families. The company also employs locals with developmental disabilities who would otherwise have very limited job opportunities. Your purchase of a simple pair of earrings or scarf supports them in providing employment, education, and health aid to thousands who were previously without these. 

Open River Imports is also a newer discovery for me, based right here in South Carolina. Basha, in Bangladesh, is a house of hope that has been providing work for women who were previously trafficked or abused, teaching them a trade so that they may make a better life for themselves. They are best known for their beautiful kantha blankets (pictured), hand crafted from recycled saris. 

 

ABLE, based in Nashville, is another similarly structured company, providing more modern and trendy fashionable wares. Their focus is on ending generational poverty by providing better employment opportunities to women, whether they are in Ethiopia, Mexico, Peru, or in Nashville, TN. They have grown from selling hand-woven scarves to producing leather goods, ethical fashion, shoes, and jewelry.

There are so many other great places to shop that I've missed or simply haven't discovered yet. I know The Little Market, co-founded by Lauren Conrad, offers chic, trendy, fair trade goods. Local shops and craft fairs are always a great place to find handmade wares, and even Farmer's Markets can carry more than your usual batch of fresh produce from time to time. We operate on a relatively small budget at our house, and gift giving used to be so overwhelming. It can be so easy to go into debt around the holidays. I try to make it my mission now to give cheerfully and generously, and to just give with purpose. Our church has an excellent program every Christmas season, offering gifts starting as low as $5.00 that provide resources to families in third world countries, support fair trade, or contribute to shelters and causes right here in our home town. These are great ways to stretch your spare cash and give gifts that you know won't be thrown in the Goodwill pile a month after Christmas.


Check some of these out, let me know if there are any small shops you love to frequent, and may you give happily and far!


Best,
Emily