Holiday Gift Guide - Seattle Shop Local Edition
Well, here we are in the 2024 holiday season. I know a lot of us aren’t in the most celebratory mood this year, but I think it’s important to take every opportunity to practice gratitude, embrace joy, and spend time with the ones we love. There is power in community and laughter so let’s lean into that!
We can also “vote with our wallets” whenever possible by choosing to buy gifts locally and from brands owned by women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community.
Supporting small businesses is more important than ever, so for this year’s gift guide I’m paying tribute to my beloved city and showcasing local brands and shops. If you don’t live in Seattle, most of these retailers have online shops as well, but I encourage you to shop local wherever you are.
Read on to check out my suggestions for some of my favorite local brands and retailers*. And for more great local businesses, check out this post too. Happy shopping!
*Other than being a patron, I am not affiliated with these businesses and I do not receive commissions from referrals.
Gift Shops
LUCCA Great Finds - Old Ballard
Lucca has been in Seattle on old Ballard Avenue since 2001 and it is one of my absolute favorite shops in this city. It is beautifully curated with everything from stationery and paper goods, to ribbon by the yard, books, jewelry, housewares, party supplies, and even framed insects. It’s easy to lose track of time looking at all the beautiful curiosities here, and If you’re feeling nostalgic for that “old Seattle” feeling, this is the place for you.
Spruce Apothecary - West Seattle
This is my local WS spot for gifts, clean beauty, and household products. Spruce Apothecary offers mindfully curated green beauty, wellness and lifestyle goods, and their knowledgable staff is always super helpful. They also have a holistic skin care studio that boasts talented estheticians providing facials, LED Light Therapy, nanoneedling, dermaplaning, lash lifts and lash tints.
Citrine Design Shop and Facet Modern Mercantile - Issaquah
Citrine was opened in 2022 by Adia Mei Jun Bobo, the talented jeweler behind Rain City Forge. Her impeccable taste and design sense is displayed splendidly in this gorgeous shop in Issaquah’s Gilman Village, and she recently added Facet Modern Mercantile in the space next door. Even if you live in Seattle, make the trip. I promise you it’s worth it!
Yubəč and Sacred Circle Gifts and Art - in Fremont and at Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center
These shops offer a unique selection of Native American art and specialty items designed by local and internationally known artists from across North America. Proceeds from shop sales benefit the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation which provides educational, cultural and social services that reconnect Indigenous people in the Puget Sound region to their heritage by strengthening their sense of belonging and significance as Native people.
Fruitsuper Gift Shop & Wine Shop - Pioneer Square
I don’t know about you, but sipping wine in this chic little spot while I do my holiday shopping sounds pretty great. There’s truly something for everyone here and if you hate shopping, you can numb the pain with a lovely glass of wine! Just make sure you aren’t driving :-).
Porchlight Coffee & Records / Porchlight Design Studio - Capitol Hill
Porchlight Coffee & Records is a specialty coffee shop on Capitol Hill that sells art prints, and a small, but curated section of new and used vinyl. They’re also a design studio and a record label including artists Tomo Nakayama, Cataldo, Keaton Henson and more. This is a great option for non-cheezy Seattle themed gifts such as this poster which I had framed for our midcentury home. They also designed the logo for Walter’s Wine Shop!
Other fantastic gift shops to check out:
Portage Bay Goods - Fremont
Butter Home - Capitol Hill
Sfingiday - Fremont
Wine Shops
Wine is always a nice gift and an easy go-to for holiday get togethers (never arrive empty handed!). These fabulous shops also offer carefully chosen non-alcoholic and/or low ABV options.
Walter’s Wine Shop and Upwell Coffee - West Seattle
Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe and Chef Rose Zhu have created this sophisticated yet welcoming space and it has been a fantastic addition to West Seattle and the Seattle wine scene in general. They recently received a well-deserved glowing review in the Seattle Times article 3 Small Seattle restaurants making big wins, amid industry turmoil. The best part of Walter’s for me is the warm, unpretentious service and attitude towards wine. There’s no snobbery here, and Tanghe seems to genuinely enjoy sharing
Sebastiano’s Natural Wines - West Seattle
This cozy little wine shop is the passion project of Sebastiano Tecchio who has made it his mission to help you access the joy and delight of natural wine. Like me you may find many natural wines to be too “funky”. Well, don’t write them off yet. This shop offers a well curated selection of natural wines for every taste from the funkiest to the most refined. The convivial vibe here is fantastic, and the first time I did a tasting here I made several friends, so don’t hesitate to go on your own.
Petite Wine - Old Ballard
Petite is a tiny but mighty one-stop bottle shop offering natural wines, farmhouse ales, ciders, and a selection of non-alcoholic offerings. They sell by the bottle, and offer daily glass pours, as well as regular tastings and 'meet the winemaker' events.
Local Artisans, Skincare, and Jewelers
Shamila Fine Jewelry - by appointment
Full disclosure: Shamila is one of my besties so I may be a leeetle bit biased. But once you see her beautiful work, you’ll understand why I’m featuring her here. Her work is exquisite and every piece is made with such love and attention to detail. Need something custom? Contact Shamila about creating the perfect one-of-a-kind bespoke piece. Shown: One-of-a-kind diamond halos with peridot/tourmaline.
Amber Leaders Designs - Graphic Arts
Amber’s Mid-Century Modern inspired designs are pure joy and fun, and don’t we all need more joy and fun?! Her products include art prints, cards, enamel pins, notebooks, bookmarks, magnets, stickers and more.
Kari Gran Skincare - local and woman owned and operated!
It’s no secret that I’m a hug fan of this skincare line. I think I own my body weight in jars of Lip Whip! But it really doesn’t get much cleaner than Kari’s line of organic, oil based products designed to give you real results with truly skin-nourishing ingredients.
Lisa Esztergalyos - West Seattle by appointment only
With over 20 years of jewelry industry knowledge and experience, Lisa Esztergalyos brings you a truly customized design and jewelry shopping experience unlike anywhere else in Seattle. Her gorgeous little shop is a feast for the senses and she features a unique selection of custom, vintage, and other carefully curated pieces. Her services include custom work, jewelry redesign & recycling, restoration and repair, engraving, restringing, polishing and recutting of gemstones, and jewelry consignment.
Started by Busara (Ja) Teuber, Ilee Papergoods is a letterpress company based in Seattle, WA. All of their letterpress products are printed by hand, using a 1902 Chandler & Price press, in small quantities to ensure absolute quality. Her beautiful calendars, greeting cards, art prints and note cubes make great gifts, and the feeling of the high quality paper is the icing on the cake.
I was thrilled to discover this new edition to downtown Fremont! This lovely family owned business makes handcrafted skincare, hair, fragrance, and household products with natural, organic and clean ingredients. Fragrance is one of the biggest offenders when it comes to toxic ingredients, but you can sniff and spritz to your heart’s delight here!
I’m a little obsessed with these adorable ceramic spoon rests by Janice Deckmann. The cats and dogs are my favorite, but the sheep and the avocado toast are close runners up. These are great gifts for the cooks and animal lovers in your life and at price points from $24-27, they’re a steal for such unique, adorable gifts.
SeaSoaked Skin Co. - Edmonds, WA
SeaSoaked Skin’s eco-luxe skincare products are based upon a form of Thalassotherapy, the therapeutic union of marine algae and mineral salts. Carefully chosen for their function, sustainability and natural benefits, every ingredient used is formulated without the use of parabens, phthalates, petrolates, sulfates, animal-derived ingredients, artificial dyes or fragrances. The key ingredient in each product they create is seaweed, and they’re proud to procure only the finest, sustainably-grown and harvested organic kelp from regenerative ocean farmers in Southeast Alaska.
Gift Cards!
Almost every small business, including restaurants are offering gift cards now. This is a great way to gift people a fun shopping trip or delicious meal while supporting local small businesses. Making a donation in a loved ones’ name is also a lovely gift (or it can be a snarky one ;-), so you can support your favorite charities and get a tax deduction, and the recipient will get an email notifying them of their gift.
