Hey there, holiday shoppers! Still searching for the perfect gift for everyone on your list? You’re in luck!
The Temple University Small Business Development Center’s annual Shop Small, Shop Local Gift Guide is bursting with unique gifts from the small businesses that make our neighborhoods a little brighter.
By choosing to shop small and local, you not only find unique, handcrafted and locally sourced gifts, you also play a vital role in bolstering our communities and supporting our neighbors. Let’s make this a season of giving back and investing in the places we call home.
Spice blends safe for everyone
Spice up your holiday with IrieVeda’s mindful spice blends. Inspired by founder Tashelle’s discovery of her son’s food allergies, she created IrieVeda to replace her big-box store spices with allergen-free, homemade spice blends. Each spice blend is top 23 allergen-free, certified gluten-free, certified FODMAP safe, sugar free and salt free so that everyone can enjoy delicious meals without sacrificing their health or well-being.
Our favorite: Baking Spirits Bright Trio
Uncomplicated, unstuffy wine
Enjoy locally made wine from Philadelphia’s first urban winery this winter. Mural City Cellars was started by owners Nicholas and Francesca to contribute to the growing movement of East Coast winemaking. They are driven by a passion for making and drinking uncomplicated, un-stuffy, unmanipulated wine. Each wine is made with crops from local growers who live within a 300-mile radius of the city, with grapes harvested by hand.
Our favorite: Pinot Gris ’22
Holiday gifts popping with cheese
Popcorn is the perfect gift for your favorite sweet tooth or savory snack lover. That’s why Nutz About Popcorn is a must-shop this holiday! This gourmet popcorn shop in Hatboro sells popcorn, nuts, chocolate and old-fashioned candies to satisfy every craving. From classic flavors like butter and cheddar to unique options like Mexican street corn and frosted apple pie, each kernel is a burst of imagination. Handcrafted with love, this popcorn will keep you popping back for more.
Our favorite: Christmas Gift Bag
Vintage rugs and pillows inspired by the Middle East
Bring the culture and colors of the Middle East into your home. Owned by father-daughter duo Bektas and Deniz Camur, bkCAMUR sells authentic, handmade rugs and pillowcases that share their Turkish heritage with the world. Though they live over 6,000 miles away, they run their business together from both Turkey and Philadelphia, working to bring treasured pieces to the US.
Our favorite: Suzani (Embroidery) Pillowcase
Non-toxic luxury fragrances
Elevate your gifting game this holiday season with Perla Fragrances & Beauty. This luxury lifestyle brand focuses on nontoxic, eco-friendly, sustainable home fragrance products and perfumes. Each scent is a masterpiece, crafted with the finest natural ingredients, ensuring an enchanting aroma that supports the needs of those with autoimmune diseases, as well as offering alternatives to consumers who prefer vegan, non-toxic products.
Our favorite: Merry And Bright Handcrafted All Natural Premium Soy Candle
Inclusive and empowering boutique
Discover the perfect holiday treasures for the fashionista in your life. Blush and Bloom Boutique is a personal style sanctuary, dedicated to uplifting and inspiring unique beauty. Their mission is simple—to nurture and encourage a positive self-image with fashion that speaks to your soul, celebrates your individuality and boosts your confidence. With timeless classics and trendy pieces, you’re sure to find the right gift for every person on your list.
Our favorite: Striving for Shine Red Dropped Earrings
Streetwear with a purpose
Drippy Fish Collection was established in 2019 to set the bar high for all creatives to exist and work for a bigger cause. From hoodies that make a statement to sneakers and other accessories, the urban fashion aficionado in your life is covered. And 10% of all sales are donated to creative and productive outlets that offer free studio time for kids, access to events and more.
Our favorite: DRIPPYFISH™ Unisex Heavy Blend Hoodie
Vegan pastries, pies and all your favorite desserts
Indulge in the magic of the season with sweet treats from Crust Vegan Bakery. Every item is mixed, scooped, baked and frosted by hand, made with high-quality ingredients sourced locally when possible. Looking for the perfect pie for your holiday meal? Crust has seasonal favorites you’ll love. Plus, they sell gift cards so your giftee can pick their favorites
Our favorite: 9″ Gluten Free Sweet Potato Pie
Clean and simple skincare
The skincare enthusiast in your life will love the clean and simple products from Illumia. Created by Hedy Schneller, a former healthcare provider and mother of two, Illumia was her answer to the lack of transparency in the cosmetics industry. Following glowing reviews from family and friends, she decided to turn her simple skincare mission into a business. Products are formulated with meticulously researched ingredients your skin will love
Our favorite: Body Care Ensemble
Etched glass goods
Mark the moments that matter with the timeless art of glass etching. Glass Expressions is a family-owned business offering laser engravings, sandblasting, customizable gifts and decor. With a passion for precision and a commitment to excellence, they transform ordinary glass into extraordinary works of art. Let your loved ones know you’re thinking of them with an original glass creation made just for them.
Our favorite: Custom Champagne Flutes
Handcrafted home décor
Nestled in the heart of rural Pennsylvania’s Montgomery County, Sassafras Originals helps infuse warmth and coziness into your living spaces. Their handcrafted home goods and décor are made with love and care, inviting a touch of timeless elegance and rustic charm that transforms your living space into a cozy haven. This family-owned business is the perfect place to find beautiful, heirloom quality gifts.
Our favorite: Maple Serving Board
Wellness journals and planners
Send your loved one on a self-care journey with wellness journals and planners that seamlessly blend style with functionality. Curated by Cice specializes in meticulously designed journals and notebooks that serve as more than just stationery; they act as portals to a realm of self-care and personal wellness, providing you with a purposeful and stylish companion on your way to well-being.
Our favorite: Self-Care Notebook
Sophistication in women’s fashion
Grab the perfect gift for the power suit-wearing woman in your life. TROUSER9 epitomizes the pinnacle of sophistication in women’s fashion. Under the visionary leadership of Jhirae Talmadge, they’ve redefined suiting, trousers and luxe essentials, setting a new standard for elegance and empowerment. Every creation is a testament to their commitment to quality, craftsmanship and timeless design.
Our favorite: Peach Tailored Fit Blazer
Jewelry with a personal touch
Niki Leist offers locally crafted fine jewelry for everyday wear. Whether you’re looking for engagement or wedding bands, a gift to commemorate a time or person in your life or simply everyday jewelry, Leist creates stunning pieces as unique as you. And you can feel good knowing five percent of all online sales are donated to organizations fighting for equality, justice and freedom.
Our favorite: Custom Jewelry
Expert dog training for your furry friend
This holiday season, give the gift of well-behaved and happy dogs. HD Dog Training can help you unleash your dog’s potential with full-service dog training. Founded by Robert McLaughlin, HD offers training programs focused on training and educating dog owners on the basic foundations to improve their dog’s behavior. They personalize and adjust their curriculum to each dog to provide their clients with the support they need.
Our favorite: Dog Training Services
Coffee bridging the equity gap
Looking for the perfect gift for your coffee-crazed bestie? Win Win Coffee is working to lead a coffee industry renaissance where every sip is a journey through the rich and diverse narratives of the African diaspora. They’re not just bringing you your daily cup of java but also reclaiming coffee and the narrative around it. As a coffee brand and roaster, they aim to bridge the equity gap and cultivate generational wealth while celebrating vibrant black coffee traditions that have been passed down through the ages.
Our favorite: Win Win Signature Blend
Seasonally inspired hot sauces
Spice up the holidays with seasonally inspired hot sauces for people who love flavor! Goodlands Food Co. crafts a delicious rotation of seasonal hot sauces certain to satisfy every craving. Whether you’re shopping for a heat enthusiast or a hot sauce novice, they offer a variety of flavors and intensities. Make this season extra spicy with a gift that adds a kick to any meal.
Our favorite: Big Bold Spice Flight
Tail-wagging, purr-fect pet gifts
Pamper your pets with exquisitely curated pet food and supplies from Queenie’s Pets. Whether you have a playful pup or a finicky feline, Queenie’s has something for every pet personality. Grab your furry friend a seasonal treat, holiday squeaker toy or festive collar that’s sure to show your love to your loyal companion.
Our favorite: Holiday Gift Baskets
Custom fragrances for home and body
Sistah Scents provides a hands-on aromatic experience for guests to create custom scents for their home and body. Experience the fun and creativity of crafting and naming your own fragrance blend for your very own signature scent. Then choose from soy candles, hand-made natural body butters, body exfoliants and more to take your custom fragrance home with you. Can’t make it in-person? You can create your scent online too!
Our favorite: Holiday Gift Box
Luxurious skincare that works
Spoil your loved ones with the gift of radiant skin this holiday season! Sabbatical Beauty is a small batch, luxury Asian inspired skin care brand founded by Adeline Koh, Ph.D. It focuses on botanical-forward natural formulations that are highly effective, feminist and social justice principles and empowering people of all shades to love the skin they are in. Every product is handmade with love in South Philadelphia.
Our favorite: Asian Powerhouse Serum
Self-love and holistic wellness
Send a reminder of self-love and serenity this year. At G Spot Studio, they believe that self-love is the foundation of well-being, and offer a variety of products designed to nurture that well-being. You’ll find artisanal soaps, bath salts, skincare products and mindfulness journals that nourish the mind, body and soul and help begin a path to holistic wellness.
Our favorite: Cucumber Splash Bar Soap
High-end vintage finds
Delight the vintage-loving women in your life with a timeless treasure from the past. Founded in 2014, The Moore Vintage Archive is a design library and store specializing in designer vintage womenswear and documented couture. They provide an alternative to over-manufacturing that preserves the history of garment making while supporting organizations advocating for social change.
Our favorite: Koret Brown Snakeskin Boston Bag
Local specialty meat producer
Heavy Metal Sausage Co. is a butcher, deli, restaurant and sandwich shop that makes everything by hand, sourcing ingredients from local farmers, producers and artisans that raise animals, grow produce and craft items sustainably and ethically. You can find an assortment of specialty meats of all kinds, including sausage, pâtés, salami, and scrapple, all sure to thrill the foodie in your life.
Our favorite: Digital Gift Card
Spirits to get you in the holiday spirit
Get into the spirit of the holidays with high-quality spirits from W. B. Palmer Distilling. This craft distillery is known for their award-winning gin, which makes a wonderful martini, a classic G&T and a delicious addition to a holiday punch. So, raise a glass and toast to a holiday filled with flavor and celebration!
Our favorite: Liberty Gin
Stress-relieving sensory dough
Relieve holiday stress with AroDough, a portable self-care product that offers the benefits of aromatherapy, fidget toys and mindfulness tools combined! It’s a soft malleable dough infused with essential oils that give you a personal aromatherapy service experience, helping you naturally relieve stress, elevate your mood and recenter your focus.
Our favorite: Lavender Arodough
Your holiday DIY destinatio
Unleash your creativity this holiday with hands-on crafting and DIY classes at AR Workshop Chestnut Hill. These giftable experiences are perfect for the do-it-yourselfer in your life. From wooden sign painting to chunky knit blankets and holiday-themed crafts, these guided classes offer a hands-on experience that allows your loved one to create something truly unique.
Our favorite: Holiday Workshops
Sophisticated, timeless millinery
Say hats off to the holiday with SheWorkz Boutique! With a desire to offer quality and affordable millinery, SheWorkz is dedicated to a vision of style that is as sophisticated as it is indulgent, as iconic as it is modern. Whether you’re shopping for the fashion-forward trendsetter or someone who appreciates timeless classics, there’s something for everyone.