A Very Merry and Intentional Gift Guide

The holiday season is quickly approaching, and while it’s easy to fall prey to hyper-commercialized gifts, buy intentionally and support small and BIPOC-owned stores this season! We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite shops to make it easy for you to shop small, but if you’re looking for more, our friends at the Intentionalist are dedicated to "spending it like it matters." They have a hge list of businesses owned by women, people of color, veterans, LGBTQ members, families, and disabled people so you can spend with intention this and every holiday. 

Shop our Pike Place Neighbors

When you visit our flagship store at Pike Place Market, you have the opportunity to experience a vibrant community of local artisans. You can’t go wrong with any of our neighbors, but this season we cannot wait to buy our gifts from: 

Ghost Alley Espresso

Ghost Alley Espresso is a repeat from last year's gift guide...and will always be on our nice list! Their physical location is just around the corner from our store, and they have some of the best coffee in the Market! Not only can you support a small business with a phenomenal staff, but you can enjoy a piece of the market history—Ghost Alley Espresso is a remodeled 1908 Market restroom, and reports say it's haunted! Buy their coffee blends and mugs online or in person to gift the coffee lover in your life. 

Orna’s Pottery

For seventeen years, Ona’s Pottery has been a staple at Pike Place Market, where Orna sells hand-crafted pottery pieces. Orna uses a variety of techniques to create her stone and porcelain pieces and the designs are inspired by the natural environment of the Pacific Northwest. Visit in person to see everything from porcelain jewelry to serving ware, or see the collection of handmaid pottery available online if you can’t make it to the market!

No Boundaries

No Boundaries provides you with more options for handcrafted gifts. Deena Shank handcrafts each journal by binding acid-free archival paper and cow or bison leather together and then fastens it with a gemstone, snap, or clasp. The high-quality paper is sturdy enough to support writing, drawing, photography, and more, so there is no limit to creativity. Even better, when you run out of space, you can work with No Boundaries to rebind the journal with new pages made from recycled fibers and reuse the existing cover. These journals are a wonderful sustainable gift! 

Shop the Pacific Northwest

If you’re traveling beyond the market and into the greater Seattle area, there are a few shops you need to stop by! 

Alair

Now that the West Seattle bridge is back up and running, it’s easier than ever to make the trip over and visit the local businesses. Alair is a gift shop based in West Seattle that curates small-batch gifts and unique finds. The company is dedicated to the community and working with companies that give back, so you can feel good about buying the perfect gift there! If you’re not in the area, check them out online!  

Forget Me not

Forget Me not is a small business located in Queen Anne that specializes in the perfect gift to breathe life into someone’s space. The small shop has plants for the green or black thumb with living and dried options and an array of home décor for those who best without plants at all. Drop by their beautiful store front or find the perfect gift online. 

Plum

If you’re looking for an excuse to make the trip to Bainbridge Island, Plum is it! Located in downtown Bainbridge, Plum is the perfect spot to stop at when shopping for someone special. The owner, Theresa, is dedicated to finding locally sourced items for her store and providing more than a shopping experience. Stop by on the right night and participate in one of the many workshops and events! 

Shop Native Owned

We’re all about supporting Native artists, and when you shop these stores, you can too!  

Birchbark Books

Birchbark Books is a true tiny independent bookstore located in Minnesota. It’s Native-owned by Louise Erdrich (Turtle Mountain Chippewa) and is a celebration of Native authors, but more than that, it’s a teaching bookstore. Throughout the inventory visitors will see traditional quillwork, basketry, silverwork and more that have all been acquired through native artists, which offers a unique opportunity to learn about Native culture. Visit the store in-person or online for their monumental selection of Indigenous titles and authors.  

Wenatchi Wear

Our friends just over the Cascades, Wenatchi Wear, are a Native-owned small business that explores Indigenous art through threads for the whole family! The husband-and-wife team, Rob and Mary (Colville), are based in Wenatchee, Washington, where they run their apparel brand and also a graphic design company. Wenatchi Wear offers standard clothing items but diversifies its selection with kitchen items, art prints, and more accessories that make the perfect gift or stocking stuffer.  

Ah-Shi Beauty

Founded by Ahsaki LaFrance Chachere (Navajo, African American), Ah-Shi Beauty is the first Native-owned and operated luxury skincare and cosmetics brand. This is a great option for the gift-giving season, with an extensive line of options that cover almost everyone on your list. Ah-Shi Beauty means “this is me, this is my beauty” – give the gift of beauty while supporting Native artists! If you love Ahsaki’s work, but are looking for something cozier, Ahsaki is a frequent Eighth Generation collaborator!  

Prados Beauty

Prados Beauty is making a name for itself with their vibrant pallets and exciting collaborators—which makes for the perfect gift for the makeup wearer in your life! Prados creator, Cece Meadows (Yoeme and Nʉmʉnʉ), is a makeup artist with a passion for spreading awareness about Indigenous history, resiliency and beauty. With beauty tools, make up, and an Indigenous marketplace—Prados is the perfect place to support a Native brand even outside of the holidays. Stop into their physical store front in Las Cruces or see their selection online!

B. Yellowtail

Bethany Yellowtail (Cree/Northern Cheyenne) has taken the Native Fashion world by storm by realizing traditional designs in a modern way. Her online commerce, B. Yellowtail features a variety of clothes, accessories and great gifting items like jewelry, candles, and other scarves. Of course, we’re partial to the Eighth Generation collaborations like the gorgeous Faith socks, wool blanket, and beach towel and Bethany's All my Relations Beach Towel.

Scandigenous Designs

Blending her Indigenous and Scandinavian roots, artist Lindsay Ravensong handcrafts "subarctic adornments" that anyone can wear with her Scandigenous Designs jewelry business. Her stunning beaded earrings, necklaces, and other accessories tell stories from her blended heritage and upbringing, and can be found in shops and museums in the US and Canada, with the largest selection available in her online shop. 

Beyond Buckskin

Beyond Buckskin started as a blog by Dr. Jessica R Metcalfe (Turtle Mountain Chippewa), as a way to share her academic research about Native art, education, and culture. Eventually this grew into Beyond Buckskin Boutique – a hub for Native-made art that also makes for perfect gifts. While Dr. Metcalfe is the designer of some of the items, the site features artists from across the nation and items from décor to fashion, accessories and more!

Spend with Intention

You make a difference when you shop small and shop local. We hope this holiday season is full of family, friends, good food, and joy; and that when you give gifts, you consider purchasing from small, local, and minority-owned businesses to make their holidays a little brighter!