I always hear I should support small businesses, especially during the holidays, but it can be easy to fall into the trap of buying from places that are "conveniently" and constantly being advertised to us instead of taking some time to research and truly support small!
This year I took on the task and found so many unique gift ideas and thought it would be helpful to share! Some of the gifts can be found in mainstream stores and some of the items are special to the shop - either way, I encourage you to support small. It makes an immediate difference, especially during these strange times! :)
Happy shopping!
FILM CAMERA
Film Club Direct
There is something compelling about taking a photo and only getting to review the memories once the roll of film is complete! And now that there are services that can send you digital scans of your film photos directly to your phone, it makes it even more convenient!
While looking for my own film camera, I came across this store and so I just had to share it! The shop reviews were super comforting to me (I attached some below), and this was important to me because ordering vintage items online without physically seeing their performance before purchasing can be a bit nerve-racking.
I thought this was a noteworthy shop given their competitive pricing, popular selection, and quantity of cameras available!
This is one of those gifts that not only keep on giving with every use, but it's something they'll want to keep for years to come!
* click photos to shop
POLAROID PRINTS
Instant Film Co
Polaroids are such a fun way of keeping memories! I find polaroids to be super sentimental, and since getting a polaroid camera as a wedding gift, I have been enjoying it more than I thought! Now that I've been collecting these memories not just mentally but physically, I wish I started sooner! Instant Film Co. is awesome because they do just that! They not only print any photo onto a polaroid, they also edit the colors of the photo to match the camera film style!
Gifting a few of your favorite memories is such a thoughtful and heartfelt gift in my opinion, and after seeing the quality in person, I highly recommend this company for any holiday or occasion!
POLAROID FRAMES
Pop and Fab
After collecting polaroids for a few months, I am now looking for any way to display them. I came across this clear frame that is specifically molded for holding the mini and square FujiFilm polaroids! I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the frames - given the affordability I would have expected cheaper materials, but Pop and Fab did not skimp on any of the details! One of the details that caught my eye was the color selection. The bolts or magnetic attachments (depending on which frame feature you go with) have the options of silver, gold and rose gold. I love this because it will match with whatever decor aesthetic I have going on.
This makes for not only a great holiday gift but graduation, weddings, Mother's Day, birthday, bridesmaid proposals or Valentine's Day! It's a unique twist to the "normal photo in basic photo frame" gift!
FEMALE BODY CANDLE
Shop AMJ
The female figure body candle has been trending on my social feeds this year! I These chic and sexy decor pieces range anywhere from $50-$100 on Instagram so when I found a small business making them for a quarter of the price I HAD to share this with my readers asap!
Shop AMJ is unique because she actually sells the candles in 3 different shades!
So far she doesn't have any reviews since she only opened a couple weeks ago but I can tell you from personal experience she is a joy to speak with and my package was shipped out within 24 hours of ordering!
SPA GIFT BOXES
Humming Fox
Spa gift boxes are such a spoil! It's something I never want to spend money on for myself but every time I get it as a gift I tell myself I should! This is a one stop shop for everything bath and body! The added touches of stones and other decor bits are something that sets this small business apart from big retailers! This is a gift box you will be proud to give because you can feel the heart that went into making it! What originally caught my eye was all of their rose scented products that were beautifully displayed, but the Autumn Spice scents were just too perfect for the holidays! They have so many unique scents to choose from, and from the reviews I read they are super helpful at catering for and creating something around allergies - bonus!
REUSABLE MAKE-UP PADS
Beauty Reveil
This is one of those items that after I got it I told myself, "Why didn't you get this sooner?" There are several reasons why this makes for a great gift idea: If you wear makeup, you need make up wipes. period.
My mom used to get me several packs of the disposable makeup wipes every year for a stocking stuffer because I'd use them so much between traveling, after the gym, or just wanting to take my makeup off in the car as soon as a party ended haha. But as I educated myself I found out that 1. they aren't very good for your skin and 2. they aren't very good for the planet.
So in addition to these reusable make up pads from Beauty Reveil being better for the planet and better for your skin - it's also better on your bank account. The amount of money you'll be saving by rewashing makes these worth every penny!
GEODE RESIN
I had no idea about the resin art trends until I explored Etsy! I am loving the Geode inspired resin art pieces! I found anything from perfume trays, to coasters, to iPhone wireless charging stations and more! Even as a geode dupe they are so elegant and would make a beautiful decor piece in any home or office!
On the topic of Resin, here are some other crafty resin gift ideas:
CRAFT PENS & MAKE-UP BRUSHES
This gift idea is a double whammy because it's an activity as well! This store lets you customize your own pen or make-up brush! The item comes as as "blank" and you purchase glitter from their large selection of shapes, colors, and logos, then you follow the super easy step by step guide once it arrives!
DESIGNER DUPES
Have champagne taste on a beer budget? Etsy surprisingly has so many designer dupes and designer inspired accessories! Here are some that quickly caught my eye but there are SO many more! They even make Louis Vuitton Starbucks tumbler cups! I was shocked at the things people made into "designer" - you will find yourself deep into the Etsy search for this one!
PERSONALIZED JEWELRY
The variety of personalized jewelry on Etsy is next level. These were a few of my favorites but I could spend hours finding more! They had so many cute ring options that I could have dived in deeper with. The best jewelry picks are ones that are most like the person you a getting them for, so because of that and the large variety of styles and colors to choose from, I will leave the idea here and let you run wild with it!
FOR THE GUYS
Guys can be hard to buy for... let's be real. Here are some {random} items I wanted to end this post with just to balance out the gift guide a bit! I think you'll find a few gems, or at least get some ideas flowing from this...
