I am very much a “wait until after Thanksgiving” type of Christmas girl. It honestly makes it seem a bit more magical to me when we only have a limited amount of days of Christmas festivities.
BUT! One thing I do like to do before December is have all my Christmas shopping done. So over the next few days/weeks, I will be putting out some blog posts with some fun gift ideas! I’ve got lots of great ideas up my sleeves, and as usual, I promise to only promote things that I actually love, use and would spend my own money on.
I wanted to start off with a blog post listing my favorite Etsy finds. I think that it is incredibly important to shop small and support makers and since each item is made, packaged and shipped by hand, the cutoff day for ordering gifts for Christmas is usually sometime in early November.
I will keep this blog post incredibly simple and am not going to include any pictures since I would have to take them off of the shop sight. Instead, I will just list the item with a description and if you click on the word it will take you straight to the Etsy shop to buy!
I just ordered this incredibly FUN wallet from Bolsos Caribe. The print I got is sold out, but I love the size and capacity of this wallet and how it can fit even into a small purse!
One of my favorite Etsy shops is already closed for holiday orders, but if you do not already know about BMonteDesigns, you MUST look at her incredibly painted portraits. She’s also a fellow LEOW, and many of her paintings reflect that. I ordered this special painting for my Grandpa in memory of my Grandmother who passed and their son who preceded them to heaven at the age of 4.
I ordered this candle from WinterBeeShop and I am loving it! I only have to burn it for a few minutes before I can smell it, and I love that it is a beeswax candle (something I had never used before!). I have my eye on some of her Christmas scents next!
Fellow MK Ana has a beautiful shop called ChezAnastasia where she makes digital prints that have the most incredible colors and designs! She also makes digital painted portraits that are GORGEOUS and so fun!
I originally heard about these resin alphabet letters from a fellow blogger on Instagram. As soon as I saw them, I knew I needed a set for my classroom, and I emailed several parents with a recommendation to order some for their kids. These alphabet letters make a GREAT sensory learning experience for any children who need to feel their learning with their body. I can see them practicing spelling words or sight words or matching lowercase and uppercase letters. I don’t have a specific shop to recommend for these as I haven’t ordered them, but here is the homepage with lots of options for these!
TabKnits is probably my FAVORITE shop on Etsy- not just because I personally know the owner, but because I absolutely LOVE everything she makes. Seriously- the purses. The pouches. The backpacks!!! EEEK! I know that you will love this shop as much as I do.
Have you all seen the newest trend of play dough sensory boxes??? Oh my word- I want to buy them all for my kids!! My kids love playing with playdough, and they love bringing in their own toys to play in the playdough. I love these themed sensory bins not just because they are pretty/creative, but because I know my kids would actually play for hours with them! There are lots of shops with these play dough sensory bins, but here are some of the best I’ve found: Dinosaur Playdough, Unicorn Playdough, Arctic Animals.
Ok, guys. My weakness is purses made out of fun materials. I don’t need name brand, but I love having some eye catching prints. I have one purse from TabKnits (that I get complimented on ALL the time), but I also have my eyes on several others on here: like this one, this one, and this one.
I love the unique handcrafted framed pictures that Birch and Vine makes. I had the privilege of seeing them at Vintage Market Days and these home decor items are GORGEOUS!
Chop Local is another shop that I was able to meet the owners at Vintage Market Days. I love their unique planters and wall hangings and am so happy to support small AND local!
TheABCMarket is all about books. All things books! You know I love all things books, and so I can’t let this post go without HIGHLY recommending everything in her shop! Candles (all scents are book related….LOVE), shirts, and books folded into special words (you can buy already made ones or order custom words).
Buying from a small shop is sometimes more expensive and it does take a bit more planning than just purchasing in a store or off Amazon. But I highly encourage you to make the effort to try to purchase at least one item for Christmas from a small shop.
So tell me…what did I miss? What is your favorite Etsy or small shop?