Favorite Finds: Customize & Craft Gifts - Holiday 2024

When it comes to gifts, most don’t want to buy the same old thing as everyone else. Gifts are meant to be personal, or at the very least thoughtful. However, sometimes that is a difficult task when you are not sure where to start.

Don’t fret. We have got some fantastic gifts for that are easily customizable with a little information (that you can probably find on their social media pages) and for the craft enthusiast that loves using their hands to create something beautiful.

Dune Jewelry

We are big fans of this jewelry line…one, because it’s beautiful…two, because they allow you wear your memories!

Dune Jewelry transforms your travel memories into wearable keepsakes. Since 2010, they’ve handcrafted personalized pieces using sand, earth, shells, and more from over 5,500 locations—or your own treasures. Whether it’s your favorite beach, a memorable hike, or a legendary concert, Dune captures your adventures in jewelry designed to last a lifetime. You can explore their sandbank or send them your own! You can even add an engraving for an extra touch of meaning. This is a fantastic gift for anyone on your list, especially that special someone.

And if that is not enough awesomeness…there is another bonus…Dune Jewelry proudly donates a portion of every order to vital coastal and global causes, contributing over $250,000 to charities worldwide over the years.

Dune Jewelry's Wave Necklace in Turquoise Gradient is a fan favorite, and ours as well, bringing coastal vibes to life with its iconic wave charm. Handcrafted in their New England studio, it features genuine turquoise and sand or elements from a location you love—whether it's a cherished beach, a tropical escape, or a special shoreline. This necklace is perfect for ocean lovers.

With all of their amazing choices it may be difficult to decide on what to get for that special someone. Don’t worry. You can check out their Holiday Gift Guide for some great ideas and inspiration.

Check out their full collection at https://dunejewelry.com/

Lark at Home

Lark at Home is all about crafting beautiful, modern ceramics and home goods designed for contemporary families and design-forward spaces. With 25 years in the ceramics industry, husband-and-wife team Kaitlyn and Ryan Lawless focus on creating high-quality pieces in ethical production settings. Based in Michigan, their work is inspired by their family—and is what pushes them to elevate every design. When they’re not creating new pieces, they’re refining existing ones to make them even better.

So you maybe thinking…ok, so why did we not add them to our home guide. Because Lark does something even more special. They create US State and world plates, so you can select the state for the person you are gifting to. Cool, huh? They have mugs, too!

Let us introduce you to the “State Plate”…a gift that lets you gift your favorite people, their favorite place…well…in dish form anyway! Making mealtime memories since 2013, these “State Plates” celebrate where you are—what you’re cooking, eating, loving, and living. The Fifty United Plates® are porcelain dishes shaped like each of the 50 states. These unique 'State Plates' are the only ceramic, state-silhouetted dishes that are safe for the oven, microwave, and dishwasher.

State Plates have become a cherished part of celebrations across the country—holidays, birthdays, weddings, housewarmings, and game days. They honor the connection to places and people that shape our lives, celebrating neighborhoods, towns, states, and beyond. Designed to resonate with everyone, the Fifty United Plates® are a labor of love, evolving into high-quality, accessible ceramic dishes meant to bring people together.

To see their whole, collection, go to: https://larkathome.com/

All the Restaurants

John Donohue roams the streets with pen and paper, sketching the facades of beloved restaurants. Using ink with no corrections and finishing with a single color, he creates unique works that evoke fond memories of cherished meals. And we cannot think of a better gift than an artist creation of a special place with a friend, loved one or that special someone. All the Restaurants allows you to bring home a beautiful keepsake of what made your nights out unforgettable. Each Giclee print is one of 365, signed and numbered. These prints make perfect, unique gifts to celebrate the holidays, as well as milestones like a first date, a deal closing, or a significant anniversary.

Meet the Artist…Launched in New York City on January 1, 2017, this project was inspired by Jason Polan’s Every Person in New York and James Gulliver Hancock’s All the Buildings in New York. The original goal was ambitious: sketch all 24,000+ city restaurants, spending 20 minutes per façade, drawn on-site in ink. While challenges like openings, closings, travel, and even a pandemic have stretched the timeline, the project has since expanded to Paris, London, and beyond. More than just a catalog, it’s a lifelong aspiration to capture the essence of every restaurant, with your support helping to make this vision a reality.

Drawing has had a positive impact on Donohue’s mental state, and he is grateful to use it for good. Since starting this project, he has dedicated time to charity, inspired by the quote from Brian Tolle’s Irish Hunger Memorial: “Well-fed people have many problems, hungry people have only one.” John works with organizations like City Harvest and the Historic Districts Council. Bonus!

From New York to London, there is a restaurant that has memory for you or the person on your list. Can’t find what you are looking for? You can make a request!

To view the whole collect, visit: https://alltherestaurants.com/

Ink’d Greetings

We all know how quickly expenses can add up with gift shopping, entertaining, traveling, and more. So why spend $10 on a generic greeting card that feels impersonal and isn’t worth the cost?

Ink’d Greetings wants to change the way Americans shop for gifts, for good, so they are giving America FREE greeting cards this holiday season. And with the option to add a digital gift card from dozens of retailers directly to your card, it makes crossing those hard to shop for people off your list easy, without ever having to leave your house and fight that holiday traffic.

The highly personalized quality cards are only $3 to begin with and can be made online and shipped next day or picked up in a real time at a kiosk rolling out at grocery, convenience and drug stores around the country. Forget stale traditions—this is gifting made fun, fast, and all about YOU. Not into traditional sentiments? Ink'd is all about bringing the laughs with some of the most humorous cards in America. From Aunty Acid's witty quips to classic dad jokes and the soon-to-launch Cards After Dark, there's a little something to crack up everyone.

The on-demand, automated kiosk makes greeting cards easy, streamlined, affordable and lovable. Spanning thousands of greeting cards with diverse messages, topics, styles and tones, from serious to hilarious, Ink’d makes sure every user can find that just right card for their special occasion, whatever it may be.

In real time, customers choose their card, can explore personalized filters, write their note and sign. Before printing their amazingly affordable, custom-made card for $2.99 in just 10 seconds, they have the option to add a gift card from dozens of popular brands, which prints on the back for easy use.

Can’t make it to a kiosk? Create your card online and have it shipped directly to your loved one the next day. Just use code holiday at checkout now through the end of December!

To get your FREE greeting card or to find a kiosk near you, go to: https://www.inkdgreetings.com/

Tiny Treehouses

When you were a kid odds are your loves puzzles, arts and crafts and treehouses…well Tiny Treehouses has blended all three of those to create a sense of whimsy and imagination, as an adult.

Tiny Treehouses creates magical products that ignite joy and imagination. Founded in 2020, their eco-conscious, unique items combine creativity and nature, providing a space for wonder and mindfulness to flourish. Their mission is to inspire plant lovers and crafters with products that spark creativity and spread happiness.

Tiny Treehouses offers a wide range of creative kits, from peaceful Temples to playful Fairy Houses and detailed Treehouse Homes. Each kit provides a crafting experience that blends imagination with the calm of nature, inviting you to create your own miniature world.

With designs inspired by nature and fantasy architecture, there's something for everyone. Whether you're a seasoned crafter or new to the hobby, the collection offers varying levels of difficulty and multiple display options. Perfect for adult crafters looking to unwind and explore their creativity in a relaxing way.

But wait…there’s more! Tiny Treehouses is deeply committed to sustainability, incorporating eco-friendly practices into every creation. Their products use plywood sourced from sustainably managed forests, and even their packaging reflects a green approach with biodegradable plastic. For every sale, they donate $1 to global forest restoration efforts, helping to protect and grow real forests with each treehouse built. You didn’t think we would forget this big bonus, did you?

Check out their whole collection at https://tiny-treehouses.com/

Yarnspirations

Yarnspirations is your one stop shop for everything yarn and sewing. You will find endless inspiration to spark creativity and fuel your passion for your next crochet, knitting, crafting, sewing, weaving, quilting, or embroidery project. Yarspirations also lets you explore a wealth of inspiration through curated Pinterest boards, expert-led YouTube tutorials for perfect results, and vibrant social feeds showcasing the latest trends.

But perhaps you don’t know how to knit or sew or weave, but always wanted to try. Perhaps you know someone that wants to. You are in luck, because they have the perfect gift for them! A handmade scarf is the ultimate winter wardrobe essential, blending style, warmth, and personal flair. Making your own scarf lets you choose the ideal color and texture, ensuring it fits perfectly into your style. So the BERNAT Quickweave Scarf Kit, from Yarnspirations, is the perfect gift for the crafter in your life. Craft a stunning scarf in under 4 hours, with no prior experience needed. The kit includes simple instructions and premium materials.

Looking for other gift ideas? They have plenty for all those crafter on you list! Or if you have an experience knitting in the family, you can get them a basket of supplies making the ultimate holiday gift!

To see their complete line, go to https://www.yarnspirations.com/