Shop Local Gift Guide: Arkansas Made Gifts
Stacey Bowers
Looking to shop small and local this holiday season? This gift guide of Arkansas made goodies will make things easy for you.
‘Tis the season for finding great gifts for the people you love. There’s something extra special about unwrapping a gift with handmade, local character and a story to go along with it, not to mention that for every $1 spent with small businesses, 67 cents stays within the local community*.
To help make community-boosting local shopping super easy for you this season, I rounded up a collection of my favorite Arkansas-made and -designed products by local artists and artisans. From handmade jewelry to delicious jams to card games that’ll keep your family get-togethers interesting, there are things for every person on your list at every price range. And to make it extra extra easy, you can find all of these Arkansas-made creations at Stifft Station Gifts in Little Rock.
Bear Kingdom Vineyard, based in Little Rock, Arkansas, makes delectable jams and jellies in dozens of flavors. Find blackberry, muscadine, mango, pomegranate, strawberry, cherry and more at Stifft Station Gifts for $5.99.
Cindi Booth creates these beautiful woven wall-hangings by hand, and they come in a variety of colors. $24.99 at Stifft Station Gifts.
Get whatever you like stamped onto a brass key tag by North Little Rock jewelry maker Bang-Up Betty, or choose from a lineup of hilarious sayings that are sure to make the recipient laugh out loud. Bang-Up Betty custom stamps jewelry and key tags at Stifft Station Gifts Tuesday and Thursday from 11-6 p.m. $22 at Stifft Station Gifts and here.
Pure Soy candles are hand poured in Saline County, Arkansas, and available in dozens of delightful scents at Stifft Station Gifts. My personal favorite is “Passionate Kisses” because it gets that song stuck in my head. $8-$15.
Wear your Arkansas pride for all to see with a locally-printed t-shirt. Find Arkansas-themed and humorous shirts, like this Arkansas shirt by North Little Rock artist Erin Lang (ArkieStyle) in all sizes at Stifft Station Gifts. $25.
Give something with an extra personal touch. North Little Rock jewelry designer Bang-Up Betty’s line of birthstone jewelry is dainty and colorful and can be custom created with multiple birthstones. Bang-Up Betty hand-wraps birthstone necklaces Tuesday and Thursday at Stifft Station Gifts in Little Rock, or you can order a necklace here. $46.
Just about everybody loves honey —not vegans— and Stifft Station Gifts is honey haven. Find local creamed honey and raw honey —people say it helps with allergies!— as well as an entire display of honey accessories and honeybee tea towels, jewelry, and more starting at $4.
Handmade pottery is always a magical gift. Valerie Hanks-Goetz‘s (AKA Native Works) handmade ceramic creations are made in Bigelow, Arkansas. This beautiful trinket dish is only $5, and you can find spoon rests, horse hair pottery, and adorable “mug-ly” mugs —spoiler alert: they’re not ugly— for incredible prices at Stifft Station Gifts.
Local jewelry designer Cindi Booth (AKA Bijou Booth) makes these cute, clever enameled “lucky penny” earrings out of real pennies. They come in a variety of poppy and neutral colors and have matching necklaces. $30 at Stifft Station Gifts.
Local potter Lois Davis creates these cute ceramic Arkansas-shaped magnets in two sizes with glazed and raku finishes in many colors. $3-$5 at Stifft Station Gifts.
Little Rock comedian, musician and all-around creative Adam Hogg created People-Person card game with illustrations by Arkansas artists, so the game is not only fun, it’s fun to look at. $15 at Stifft Station Gifts.
There’s no better way to warm up in cold weather than with a hand-woven scarf or cowl, and with an entire yarn store within Stifft Station Gifts, you better believe we’re scarf central. Hand-woven creations start at $25 and come in all the colors of the rainbow. They are made locally by Cindi Booth and Pam Gibson.
From face oil to healing salve for feet, muscle rub to natural deodorant, bath soak to moisturizing body butter, Little Rock’s own Kind Folke bath and body products have got you covered from head to toe. Starting at $8 at Stifft Station Gifts.
To me, there’s nothing more meaningful than the gift of learning, and there’s an incredible chance to learn copperplate calligraphy with renowned and published calligrapher Sarah Richardson, an Arkansas native, at Stifft Station Gifts Dec. 22. That’s just in time to write the most beautiful post-holiday thank you notes ever. $125 includes supplies; Sign up here.
Looking for great stocking stuffers? North Little Rock jewelry designer Bang-Up Betty’s array of funny and feminist lapel pins should do the trick—and maybe ruffle some feathers. $13 at Stifft Station Gifts or here.
Stifft Station Gifts is located at 3009 W. Markham Street in Little Rock, Arkansas, right next to the Oyster Bar. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Stop by Stifft Station Gifts Nov. 30 for Small Business Saturday with freebies, discounts, drinks and chocolates while supplies last and a chance to win a custom stamped cuff by Bang-Up Betty. Get more info here.
*stat from American Express’s Small Business Saturday campaign.