Bay Area Handmade Gifts That Capture the Spirit of the Season

I spent much of my non-traditional childhood tagging along with my parents to craft shows up and down the West Coast, selling my Dad’s pottery. That adventurously crafty childhood led me to seek out handmade goods that have heart and the holidays are usually filled with making my own gifts, giving experiences or finding other makers that sell that perfect gift. This year, I’m excited to share a list of some of my favorite local handmade gifts—each one with a heartfelt backstory that’s sure to tug at your heartstrings.

Perfectly Handmade Gifts With Lots of Heart: Created Locally

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Jewelry Made From Fruits and Vegetables

Artist Margaret Dorfman has a sustainable jewelry business which transforms fruits and vegetables into parchment-like sheets which eventually become stunning jewelry with all-natural colors that come from the original material’s colorways.
IG: @vegetableparchments

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[smssignup]

Candles With Soul and a Heart-Healing Backstory

As the story goes, this candle company was created as a grieving tool. After family members died, this maker started a candle company featuring scents that reminded him of the people he’d lost…. A way to remember them each time he burned the candle. They are so new that you can only find them at a local craft fair but track down these lovely candles and learn the backstory of every candle you covet.
IG: @CandlesbyJohn

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Wearable Snacks That Will Make You Smile

Artist Jenny Lennick’s works of art are wearable accessories which will make you smile. One shop owner, she’s shifted her business model over the past year or so to include more local collabs (like her collection with slow fashion clothing brand Nettle Studios). Her hair clips are fun, spunky and full of good vibes. From a small shop in The Mission to having her work in over 450 retail shops, I love seeing her small business grow and thrive.
IG: @jennylemons

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The Local Puzzle Company Making Memorable Keepsakes

Oakland Puzzle Co, founded in 2023, shows off their local pride with a full collection of puzzles featuring iconic Bay Area locations. Purchasing from their site you can give back to artists, community and or organizations depending on which puzzle you select. My personal favorite is Long Lost Oakland which features historical landmarks and is a collaboration between the podcast East Bay Yesterday and artist T.L Simons. This puzzle feels like you learn something as you build the puzzle.
IG: @oaklandpuzzle
I really enjoyed this interview with Liam O’Donahue talking about East Bay Yesterday where he talks about his podcast and the making of the puzzle collab:

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Vistas That Remind us of Home

Artist Rachel Znerold’s work will make you smile and transport you into a memory of our beloved home. Her work reminds me of a sunny afternoon with friends hiking up to a favorite overlook – that core memory of standing there, breeze from the fog rolling in cooling you off, as you look out and say out loud “we get to live here”. Beyond her beautiful art, Rachel connects with community through workshops, kid art camps and keeps prices of her classes accessible with sliding scale pricing so anyone who wants to can participate.
IG: @rachel.z.art

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Shop a Gallery to Support Multiple Artists

When in doubt, a piece of art is a wonderful gift and supporting your local gallery is a great way to support multiple artists all at once. No matter which piece of art calls your name, you’re keeping a gallery running which is a hub of creativity and storefront for many local artists.
A few of my favorite galleries:
Emeryville: @TheCompoundGallery
SF: @Gallery.o.Rama @lunarienne @STUDIOgallerysf

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Take a Fun DIY Classes for That Handmade Heartfelt Gift

When in doubt, make it yourself! Nothing says I care more than a handmade gift. Bonus points for learning a new skill in the process. WorkshopSF has been rockin’ in SF for over a decade at this point and they have a great set of holiday classes featuring everything from stained glass, wreath making and more. Not into making it yourself, they also offer gift certificates so you can gift the fun of DIYing to someone you know would love the experience.
IG: @workshopsf

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Dope, Handmade, Artful Clothes

Patricia Colli is an SF artist who handprints incredible artwork on clothing. When you wear a piece by her, people literally stop you and say, “That’s dope, where’d you get that?”

She works out of The Tenderloin, produces all kinds of artwork, clothing and she’s a music journalist for brokeassstuart.com. If you want to get an original, wearable piece of art this winter, no need to look further. Site: pacollistudio.bigcartel.com IG: @pacolli

This Local Business That Inspires You to Spread Positivity

Made in Marin is not just a local clothing business, they spread positivity by highlighting local Marin businesses you may never have heard of before. Shannon and Carson Dohemann created Made in Marin in an effort to “Celebrate Every Moment” after Carson had a tragic accident which left him with a spinal injury. Today, they have built a strong community and a thriving small business which can be found at local farmers markets or online.
IG: @themadeinmarin 

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Transformational Hats with Layered Meaning

I first learned about Hampui Hats when master hat maker, Willee Reed, was in Port Costa during a town-wide rummage sale. Founded in 2015, Hampui Hats is a wearable story layered with meaning. They regularly collaborate with local artists, such as embroidery artist Arwyn Moonrise @township31, to transform their hat creations into wearable works of art. 
IG: @Hampui_Hats

A Great interview with Willee Reed all about the origin story behind his love for hat making:

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Sustainable Clothing Hand-dyed in a Backyard Studio

Artist Mira Blackman has been making wearable art in her backyard studio with sustainability in mind. Her work is playful and effortless while also being unique. As an avid ice-dyer myself, I love the color story in every one of Mira’s collections and love seeing her process via her Instagram stories. She also has a full collection of shibori-dyed shirts and tunics which have a really lovely lived-in look.
IG: @MiraBlackman

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Jewelry Talismans That Promote Self Love

If you’re going to give someone something which will adorn them for years to come, Amanda Hunt’s work is a work of art with a handmade feel that gives it extra sentimental good vibes. The texture in her pieces shows the made-by-hand quality while also showcasing its polished beauty. Amanda puts intention into each of her pieces giving them extra potent meaning and highly coveted talismans.
IG: @amandahuntjewelry

Lastly, one thing about the holidays is that this is the time of year where small businesses truly rely on year end sales. Without our support, many of these businesses will have to close their doors. Shopping small locally means more than you know to all small businesses. 

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