The winter holidays are fast approaching. This often entails hours of thought put into possible gifts for loved ones. Sure, everyone knows that the meaning behind the holidays transcends past gift giving, but it is often a great way to remind loved ones of the connections we share.
Gift giving is often hard to master as it requires both a general sense of what different people would like to receive as gifts, and also a keen eye for where exactly to find these potential gifts. For the latter, big box chains may be reliable but less useful for finding unique gifts made with love.
For that reason, supporting small businesses located in or near the Niagara region may be the ideal solution to finding unique, well-thought-out gifts for those that you hold dear to your heart.
The following are a few gift ideas suitable for a wide range of people you may have in your life, all made by small businesses from the Niagara Region.
- Candles
While this may be an obvious gift idea, it would be naïve to disregard the power of aroma. Most people, regardless of their role in your life, will feel flattered knowing that a certain aroma reminded you of them. Otherwise, they may just appreciate the gesture and enjoy a new scent in their home.
A store in particular that carries a variety of candle scents at an affordable price is Meg Clemmensen’s boutique. The artist has a variety of holiday-themed candles and wax melts available on her website, all made from natural soy wax. Additionally, the store offers Taylor Swift-themed candles, based on different album eras.
16 oz candles are priced at $25, making the candles a thoughtful, yet reasonably priced gift for any candle lovers in your life.
- Skincare/Body care
Skincare or any kind of body care as a gift can be a very nice gesture to promote self-care among the people we care most about. Particularly because the holiday season is characterized by cold weather, moisturizing products are a must. That said, gifting a rich moisturizing product is often welcomed with open arms, as most people enjoy their skin feeling replenished from the cold air.
A Beamsville-based natural skincare business that shines in this category is Taste of Honey Canada, with its high-quality, natural honey self-care products. Within their catalogue you can find lip balms, haircare and other moisture-rich products free of artificial perfumes.
Products such as their Coffee Banana Rejuvenating Face Mask ($20) promise a boost of moisture after usage, which is perfect for coping with the winter air. Otherwise, if you know anyone in your life who routinely shaves, their business also sells a luxurious shave kit ($49.75) in gift box form.
- Art prints
Another great option that is bound to be received well by most people is art prints. By gifting art, you are not only supporting and celebrating an artist’s talent, but you are simultaneously giving out a beautiful art piece to be displayed.
The reason why art prints are such a versatile gift is because the person on the receiving end can choose where and how to display it. While most original art pieces are costly due to the labour that it takes to create an art piece, art prints are an accessible way to gift art.
A business for those wanting to gift art prints to consider is Chelseigh Rae Artistry. This Niagara-based illustrator sells fun art pieces with influences from pop culture movies, artists and music. One can also find animal portraits sold as art prints, which can suit the preferences of most animal lovers. Some products that stand out in the shop are the Harry Styles art print ($20), and theJunonia Coenia Butterfly Print ($10).
- Home decor
Similar to the previous suggestion, home décor can add a lot of dimensions to a space. One of the advantages of gifting room decor is that it shows that the gift-giver has great attention to detail, as they have to consider the recipient’s style and preferences for their space.
Macrame is a beautiful, yet simple kind of home décor to gift to friends and family. Macrame pieces, being a textile made from a wide array of knotting techniques, often fit in easily with many kinds of home décor styles.
For that reason, one can look at stores like After the Storm Macrame for handmade pieces to gift this holiday season. The artist has a variety of simple designs, as well as more intricate pieces up for sale such as their Christmas tree wall hanging.
While holiday shopping may often bring a degree of stress into one’s life in the pursuit of finding the best gifts possible for loved ones, it doesn’t have to be this way. By supporting Niagara-based businesses for your holiday shopping, you get to support artists in your community with full confidence that their crafts will be well-received gifts.
