2021 Arkansas Handmade Gift Guide: 14 Gifts by Arkansas Artists
Stacey Bowers
Necklaces made with Arkansas rice, creepy baby sculptures, ceramic incense houses that puff through their chimneys and wintery candles are just a handful of Arkansas made gifts we love.
There’s nothing more special than a handmade gift, and at Bang-Up Betty’s new gift shop in downtown North Little Rock, we’re focused on showcasing unique, unusual and excellent Arkansas-made items that you can bet will bring a surprised smile to your loved ones’ faces this holiday season. Not only is every piece of jewelry (and there are hundreds) made here in Arkansas by us, our storefront is stocked with art, pottery, candles, and more by artists all across the state of Arkansas. Here are a few of our favorite local gifts that you can find at Bang-Up Betty:
Dogtown Scents candles are made in North Little Rock and smell better than any candles we’ve found at big box stores. We’re big candle snobs, so I was excited to try these out at home and am happy to report that they make our home smell lovely and they really fill up a room. It’s so frustrating when you buy a candle and you can’t even smell it once you burn it, but we were NOT disappointed with these. At $17 they’re a great price, too.
We’re delighted by anything whimsically creepy, and these ceramic baby sculptures get our giggle boxes going. They’re made in Russellville by ceramicist Baby Creep. They’re $20, and I’d love to see you fill a whole wall with them. There is a hole at the back of each so it can hang or sit on a surface.
If you’ve ever driven across the Natural State, you’ve probably laid eyes on a rice field. As the top rice producer in the nation, Arkansas produces more than 9 billion pounds of rice each year - which would explain why rice is an important dinner staple for many Arkansans, especially those experiencing hunger.
This Arkansas Rice Flower Necklace pays homage to Arkansas’s staple crop while giving back to the Arkansas Foodbank, the largest hunger relief organization in the state. The Arkansas pendant, created by North Little Rock jewelry designer Bang-Up Betty, was made by casting real Arkansas rice flowers (from Cornerstone Farm, near Altheimer, AR) in bronze, and it’s also available in sterling silver.
20% of the sales of these necklaces go directly to the Arkansas Foodbank. Each bronze Arkansas Rice Flower Necklace sold raises enough money to fund 58 meals for hungry Arkansans, and each silver necklace funds 67 meals for Arkansans in need. Bronze Arkansas necklaces are $58, and sterling silver ones are $67.
North Little Rock artist Sulac created these original works of art for Bang-Up Betty, and we adore these beautiful painted ladies. Each piece comes framed, so they’re ready to gift. At $50-$80, they’re also affordable original artworks. We have a shelf full of unique original ladies waiting for you in store.
Springdale-based artist Sigrid Lorfing creates astoundingly beautiful, intriguing and colorful works of art, with prints available at Bang-Up Betty. Her work really lights up a room and starts a conversation. Sigrid’s prints are $40 in the shop.
Hot Springs-based ceramicist Carla Churchwell’s playful pottery brings a smile to our faces. These funny face pots serve two purposes: they’re egg separators and they’re also succulent pots that you can water through the mouths. These little cuties are $20 at Bang-Up Betty.
These custom keychains made in North Little Rock by Bang-Up Betty make great stocking stuffers. You can customize them to say a funny inside joke, an inspirational phrase or something else special to you. They’re $22, and make great co-worker gifts too!
North Little Rock artist Miranda Young-Rice makes these gorgeous printed tote bags. Her whimsical animal art is also available as bandanas, prints and cards at Bang-Up Betty. These totes are $25 and available in store.
We love these cat skeleton prints by Sherwood-based artist Lee Lee Arts so much that we asked her to make this design into the label for our Bang-Up Betty-inspired craft brew “Betty’s Ninth Life.” If you missed the beer while it was in circulation, you can grab the original print at our shop. They’re $25.
These completely adorable ceramic houses by Hot Springs artist Carla Churchwell are actually incense holders! You put a cone of incense under the house and it puffs delightful-smelling fragrance out of its chimney. They’re $18 in store.
These greeting cards by Maumelle-based artist Sherry J. Williamson are little works of art so beautiful you’ll want to frame them. At $5 each, you can load up and save them to use all year long.
Speaking of RBG, our I Dissent necklaces are made in North Little Rock and benefit the Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers’ scholarship fund. This hand-stamped I DISSENT necklace is like a contemporary dissent collar, nodding to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I’ve paired the stamped bar with a silver-plated gavel charm, because there are many tools for smashing the patriarchy.
We just got these beautiful Argenta prints by Bentonville watercolorist Joseph Buchanan and they're incredibly special, not just because they're gorgeous paintings of my favorite neighborhood, but they're also by my talented, kind, wonderful father-in-law. He's very humble, and I have to brag on him. His work has been featured in national publications, ad campaigns and in his children's wedding invitations. I'm very thrilled to share his work with you at our shop. There are two styles of Argenta prints, and each is $20.
Our shimmering Bang-Up Bet-Tea tea looks as good as it tastes! Bang-Up Betty teamed up with Abbi’s Teas and Things in Little Rock to create this hand-crafted custom loose leaf tea blend exclusive to Bang-Up Betty. It’s an exciting black tea blend with tropical notes and a dash of edible brew shimmer to make your cup sparkle like our jewelry.
What’s in our Bang-Up Bet-Tea blend: black tea, blue cornflowers, passionfruit, mango, cinnamon, papaya, lemongrass, ginger, hibiscus and black brew glitter. Each bag is $14 and brews approximately 12-15 servings.
Bang-Up Betty is snarky, meaningful, well-made jewelry made in North Little Rock, Arkansas, as well as funny and feminist pins, stickers and gifts. Shop our handmade jewelry alongside unique gifts and local art at our new Argenta storefront located at 429 Main Street in North Little Rock above Ristorante Capeo.
