Gift Guide: ATX Local Gifts for Home
Austin is full of amazing makers and personally, I am all about sending a local gift to ensure that I’m gifting 100% unique gifts to my loved ones. Especially this year, I am a little less focused on precise shipping dates and sale prices, and more focused on gifting with intention during the holiday season and beyond. All of my recommendations below are near and dear to me as businesses I personally love and plan to gift, they are also businesses I love to shop for my personal housewares for unique details.
Meesha Farzaneh Because Bewbs Pillow
Meesha’s bread and butter of her business is bold and (a little) witchy jewelry. Her Medusa earrings nearly made the gift guide but I was committed to keeping my recommendations home-focused. When I first moved to Austin, I attended the CraftHER market and bought one of Meesha’s first rounds of bewb pillows. Her latest release includes 4 different color options as a relaunch inspired by her mothers’ recent battle with breast cancer. The revival of the pillow symbolizes the celebration of her mother’s recovery with 3% of sales donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation in Frisco, TX.
2. Studio Arugula Ceramics
Studio Arugula features a rotating collection of locally made ceramics that will give any space a pop of colorful joy. The designs are playful, like these kiddie pool modern catch-all plates that could be styled on coffee tables, dressers, kitchen counters and really anywhere you need to store a few items for quick access. This is the type of gift you can relax knowing your recipient most definitely doesn’t have anything Studio Arugula is offering.
3. Second Bloom Designs dried floral arrangements
Ever since I found Second Bloom on Instagram (delicately placed in a Studio Arugula bean vase) I have been wanting to use Taylor’s whimsical dried floral arrangements for every occasion, starting with my guest bedroom for the One Room Challenge. Especially for those hard to shop moms, sisters, friends, businesses, colleagues, you name it - this is a great option that lasts a lot longer than your standard floral arrangement for the holidays.
4. Whitney Avra fine art prints
My two renovations to date have featured Whitney Avra, a local ATX mixed media artist’s work. Her art adds a bold, in most cases vintage vibe featuring strong (and usually rowdy women). For all your “bitches” on your gift list. I’d also encourage you to check out the original art on her website with many reasonable options to own an original work of Whitney’s. For the artist type in your life, check out the subscription (month-to-month+) to her collage camp.
Original Whitney Avra commission - Housekeeper Tiki Girl
5. Stampworthy Goods Holiday Box
Allie at Stampworthy gives you a ton of options for unique gifts but my favorite is her own curated holiday box. This is a great option as a larger gift for a loved one with lots of unique details, or you could purchase the box and gift the items separately since she has done all the work finding these great gifts. If you’re in the market for vintage, shop Allie’s
The Holiday box includes:
Paper Ornament by @thepapercommittee on Instagram
Daisy Mask Chain by @libbylivingcolorfully on Instragram
Pink terrazzo Incense holder trays by @plantdemic_terrazzo on Instagram
Golden Hours Incense by @austinrugco on Instagram
2 Female Bodice Soy Candles (can be burned or use for decor) by @NWMSTUDIO
1 Mini Body Butter by @rejuvenatebathandbody on Instagram
6. Earthen Forge Stoneware Mugs
Blink and you’ll miss the opportunity to buy one of these mugs (and amazing small planters), follow Earthen Forge on Instagram to stay in the know about upcoming shop-drops. I have been styling everything in my house with one of these psychedelic 70s-inspired stoneware mugs, perfect for any recipient with a retro vibe.
7. Plantdemic Terrazzo Ornament Sets
Terrazzo is a classic, but re-imagined by this pandemic-influenced small business in amazing color palettes and unique designs, anyone would enjoy adding these unique ornaments to their collection for years to come. Check out her Instagram for more unique product drops.
Happy Mid-century Millennial in a Happy Hooker original.
8. The Happy Hooker Moon Phase Wall Hanging & Groovy Globe Pillows
I couldn’t pick just one of the Happy Hooker’s Crocheted home goods offerings to share with y’all. It’s no secret I love her work and am pretty devastated that my floral crop-top has to take a beat while our temperatures dip well below the balmy ATX days we’re used to. She seems to be creating more and more in the home space with whimsical pom-pom wreaths for Christmas, vintage-inspired crocheted pillows and this classic moon phase wall hanging.