16 Southern Small Businesses Our Editors Are Shopping This Holiday Season

These are the small shops where our editors find big gifting wins.

Wrapped presents
(1) 12 Days of Christmas Gift Wrap, $11/roll; amyheitman.etsy.com (2) Emerald Grid Gift Wrap Roll, $11/roll; ourheiday.com (3) Rosaire Wrapping Paper Roll, $11/roll; dogwood-hill.com (4) Candy Cane Gift Wrap, $11/roll; amyheitman.etsy.com (5) Festive Lines Wrapping Paper by Creo Study, $15/five sheets; minted.com (6) Red and Forest Polka Dot gift wrap, $21/five sheets; rubystripe.etsy.com (7) Green and Eggnog Checkerboard Gift Wrap, $12/roll; festivecollective.com (8) Vintage Plaid Gift Wrap, $11/roll; amyheitman.etsy.com. Photo:

photographs by ROBBIE CAPONETTO; Styling by Mary Beth Wetzel

We’re not ones to overlook the value of convenience, but this holiday season, we challenge you to step away from your Amazon cart —at least for a few gifts. It’s time to show some love for the small businesses close to our hearts and our homes. It’s these small businesses across the South, run by local entrepreneurs and selling uniquely beautiful products, that we feel especially good shopping at this season.
Our editors are shopping small businesses as much as we can for unique gifts you just can’t find anywhere else. Now, we’re sharing with you the retail destinations where we’ve set our sights—many of which are beloved hometown favorites where our editors grew up shopping. These are the small businesses that Southern Living editors love to shop for everyone on our holiday list.

01 of 16

1canoe2

1canoe2

Price at time of publish: $45

Senior Editor Kimberly Holland recommends 1canoe2 for your next gifting destination. Based in Missouri, their thoughtful illustrations are a great way to spread holiday cheer with cards, calendars, and notebooks galore. Find their spirited stationery sold in other retailers near you using their store locator .

02 of 16

Firefly

Firefly

Price at time of publish: $34

“100% obsessed with Firefly,” Kimberly Holland declares. “They curate the most perfect gifts.” She isn’t our only editor who can’t help but rave over this excellent home goods shop with everything from apothecary candles and lotions to decor, puzzles, books, and toys. “Firefly is in my hometown,” says our Thomasville, Georgia-born Assistant General Manager, Anna Price Olson. “It's such a great store and their (free) gift wrapping is INCREDIBLE.”

03 of 16

HONEY + HANK

HONEY + HANK

Price at time of publish: $40

“I usually buy my mom a set of napkins from HONEY + HANK because she is anti-paper towel waste,” shares Digital Fellow Mary Alice Russell. You can also find tea towels, pillows, dishes, and other home goods with playful patterns here, created by Texas-based designer, Jenny Smiley. The name “HONEY + HANK” actually comes from what Smiley’s children lovingly call her parents.


04 of 16

Swells of Splendor

Swells of Splendor

Price at time of publish: $68

This Atlanta-based textile shop is the place to be if you’ve got gameday-minded loved ones. Shop stylish, silky scarves in their team’s colors, or choose a pattern they can tote no matter the occasion. “They’re a great gift for your sister, friend, or mother-in-law, “ says Assistant Editor Cameron Beall.

05 of 16

Thank You Books

The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li

Thank You Books

Price at time of publish: $28

"I LOVE shopping small,” says Senior Editor Rebecca Baer. “I love indie bookstores most of all, so when I am shopping for gifts for literary lovers like myself in Birmingham, I go to Thank You Books.” This woman-owned bookstore near Southern Living ’s office is a wonderland of stories that make great gifts.

06 of 16

Novel

Novel

Price at time of publish: $24

When in her hometown, Memphis, Tennessee , Rebecca Baer heads to two hometown bookshops to browse for presents. The first, Novel is the place to be for indie reads that the bookworms in your life will love, plus trinkets from local artisans that will be the cherry on top of a perfect present.

07 of 16

Burke's Book Store

Burke's Book Store

Price at time of publish: $22

The second of Rebecca Baer’s hometown hotspots is Burke’s, where she browses their wide range of books from old to new, and even some rarities and first editions. This Memphis establishment has been around since 1875 and is well worth a visit.

08 of 16

LAKE

DreamKnit Kimono Pajama Set in Red Stripe

LAKE

Price at time of publish: $138

Founded in Savannah, Georgia , we’re seeing LAKE pajamas everywhere these days. Mary Alice Russell is especially excited to give soft, festive PJs and loungewear this season.

09 of 16

On U

On U

Price at time of publish: $45

A trip to On U’s Richmond, Virginia, studio is a must for Mary Alice Russell. “The necklaces are really fun so I get my best friend a new one almost every year,” she says. You’ll find gifts galore among the hand-knotted and hand-crocheted jewelry, but you will definitely be tempted to treat yourself with something nice, too.

10 of 16

Brackish

Brackish

Price at time of publish: $185

“I tend to buy at least one pair of Brackish earrings every year for a friend,” shares Mary Alice Russell. This Charleston-based shop incorporates feathers into their products for delightfully giftable, handcrafted accessories like necklaces with peacock feathers and bowties with pheasant feathers.

11 of 16

Grain Turner Wood & Resin Art

Grain Turner Wood & Resin Art

Price at time of publish: $65

Handcrafted gifts made in northern Alabama by Cary Bone is a favorite for Kimberly Holland, who is a “huge fan of this guy.” This small business sells sophisticated pens and metal accessories that make great gifts for coworkers and father-in-laws.

12 of 16

Sensoree

This Little Light of Mine Bath Balm

Sensoree

Price at time of publish: $8

“I love Sensoree. It's a new store in Thomasville, Georgia , that is quickly becoming my go-to for gifting,” says Anna Price Olson. “Erin, the owner, does a great job stocking the store with items that feel like a treat to yourself or whoever you're shopping for—things you'll love and use, but you might not buy for yourself. My friends and I were there this Saturday—Erin even opened the store on Sunday when we wanted to go back for more gifts! We bought everything from washable silk pajamas (perfect for sisters, in my opinion) to mini Louis Sherry chocolate boxes (a nice gift to stock up on as the chocolates are so yummy and the boxes look pretty on a side table).”

13 of 16

Dinstuhl’s

Gum Drop Tree

Dinstuhl's

Price at time of publish: $23

“I also love getting candy gifts for friends and family,” says Rebecca Baer, “and I always load up when I am home in Memphis at Dinstuhl’s.” In addition to classic sweets, you can't go wrong with their Christmas delicacies like a chocolate-covered graham cracker with an edible Christmas tree, gummy wreaths, a jolly white chocolate snowman, or a chocolate poinsettia pop.

14 of 16

Edwards Virginia Smokehouse

Petite Country Ham

Edwards Virginia Smokehouse

Price at time of publish: $69

In addition to a Smithfield ham to enjoy during the holidays, it’s a tradition for Mary Alice Russell and her family to buy petite country hams from Edwards for friends and family.

15 of 16

W.G. Hamil Southern Treats

Shelled Pecans

W.G. Hamil Southern Treats

Price at time of publish: $14

“For a touch of home, we always stock up on Southern Treats—a family-owned business in my hometown that sells the best chocolate-covered pecans, nuts, and brittles,” says Anna Price Olson. “These make great gifts for neighbors and coworkers!”

16 of 16

Sweet Grass Dairy

Sweet Grass Dairy

Price at time of publish: $15

Another hometown favorite of Anna Price Olson’s is Sweet Grass Dairy, which she especially loves for hostess and neighbor gifts. “Thomasville Tomme and Green Hill are my favorite cheeses, but it's fun to gift friends a tasting box (they ship!) or pair a few cheeses together to try,” she says.

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