As 2020 comes to an end, we can choose to wrap this year up with a bow, even if it’s tattered and worn. It’s been quite the year, to say the least, and the holidays are looking very different in 2020. I wanted to honor that different and create a gift guide that is human focused, as opposed to retail focused. I curated a very special small business gift guide that is full of treasures. I treated this gift guide as if I were working for a client, and included a lot of unique items for interiors, for the zen guru, the earth lover, the eclectic enthusiast, etc.
This year, I want to focus on less being more. Less environmental footprint and more earth love, less money to corporations and more to actual people with mortgages and bills, less quantity and more quality, less rushing and more appreciating special details, less retail therapy and more personal curation, less stocking stuffers and more lasting items. You get it.
Items on this list are designer curated and might be a step above what you normally would be buying. But that’s the point. This year’s gift guide is all about heart. It’s about handmade. It’s about things that will improve your mental space and interior space. It’s about getting personal instead of buying off a shelf. These items are truly special.
Small Business Gift Guide 2020
So, without further adieu, let me share with you my small business gift guide for 2020. A gift guide that is in no hurry, that you won’t see commercials for, but will have bigger benefits. I also want to address people’s fear of buying personal gifts–specifically home decor.
As an interior designer, I can assure you that buying art, decor, ceramics, etc is never a bad idea. EVER.
And here’s why: you’re putting thought, love, and trust into your gift. You buying items for someone’s home expresses your desire to be with them daily in spirit, to be part of their day and to be, as Sarah Otts would say, “a bright spot”.
I know what you’re going to say…”but what if they don’t like it?” GREAT! If they don’t like it, they can always donate that item to a local thrift store. So someone not enjoying the gift you carefully purchased is actually even more exciting than them actually liking and keeping it. Stay with me…if they love it, you get a gift for only 1 person. If they don’t, then you just bought a gift for 2 people: your friend, and the stranger who falls in love with it at the thrift store.
It’s kind of magical to think that maybe you are buying that gift for the person it will end up with, without even knowing it right now. Because that’s how life works, and this year, special things come to people in a variety of unusual ways.
So don’t be afraid to get something unique this year. You won’t regret it.
*Prices and availability may change from when this article was written. Small businesses are constantly adding stock so be patient if something is out of stock at the moment!
1. Concrete Collaborative terrazzo tiles (used as coasters!) $5/each | 2. | Dried sago palm leaves $10 | 3. Cleo Wade ‘Heart Talk’ $12 paperback (find at your local bookstore!) | 4. Viori natural shampoo bar $13 | 5. Vintage Kilim pillow $16 | 6. Concrete incense holder $17 | 7. Handmade windchime $20 | 8. Himiku blocks $25 | 9. Karacotta ceramic smudge dish $26 | 10. Ann Marie Coolick art print $17 | 11. Glennon Doyle ‘Untamed’ book signed $28 | 12. Reflektion Design African woven fan $28 | 13. Harlem Toile Girl Umbrella $30 | 14. Blueland soap gift set $30 | 15. Tiny Deer Studio earrings $32 | 16. Urban Gaia blue agate point $32 | 17. Reflektion Design Kenyan olive wood salad servers $34 | 18. Match striker $35 | 19. Urban Gaia freeform amethyst $36 | 20. The Clay Edit earrings $39 | 21. Bespoke Binny African fabric oven mitts $40 | 22. Food52 compost bin $40 | 23. Magic Hour ceramic mug $43 | 24. Inman Studios earrings $45 | 25. Nicolle Cure art print $45 | 26. Oval balanced rock sculpture $49 | 27. Kayla Burke Design autumn flora crystal $50 | 28. Novica onyx & marble chess set $57 | 29. Ana Luisa earrings $59 | 30. Food52 enamel stockpot $64 | 31. Melamine dinnerware set $65 | 32. Vintage Turkish Oushak rug $66 | 33. Wolf & Moon earrings $68 | 34. Lauren Dawn Corner Studio print $68 | 35. Letterfolk tile entry mat $75 | 36. Saje essential oil diffuser $80 | 37. Panda Drum $89 | 38. Great Jones dutch oven $155 | 39. Heymat entry mat $185 | 40. Sofia Shu tapestry $300
What are your thoughts on this gift guide? I love creative gifts that are special. This list includes everything from crystals to wall hangings, to books, to colorful blocks that are technically for kids but I think make awesome little sculptures you can change up! Happy gifting:-)
-Kristen
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