14 Cincinnati Small Businesses Offering Amazing Gifts for the Holiday Season

It’s that time of year again! It’s time to figure out (hopefully not stress about) what gifts you’ll give this holiday season. As an interior design company based in the incredible city of Cincinnati, OH, I try my best to keep my eye out for small businesses offering locally-made products that my clients can enjoy in their home.

Plus, if you’re reading this blog, I consider you a friend. And friend’s share their best kept secrets, especially when it could mean helping others find local treasures to share with the people they love.

So, here are 14 local Cincinnati vendors you should consider when shopping for gifts this holiday season!

A.R.T.

A.R.T. (Art Resource Team) is a black-owned gallery space and art consulting company located in Cincinnati. This small business not only sources the artwork of local artists for homeowners and other local businesses, but it also offers custom framing, unique gifts and the chance to appreciate fine art.

Website: https://www.artresourceteam.com/

Baqette

This woman-owned Cincinnati business may be small, but it sure is powerful. This vendor crafts up-cycled leather pieces that are both stylish and unique.

These pieces come in limited quantities and color varieties because the leather is up-cycled, which means these pieces are one-of-a-kind and could become that new special piece a loved one will cherish for years.

Products from Baqette include pouches, cardholders, staple pieces, straps and more!

Website: https://baqette.com/

CAPSULE

The CAPSULE website says it best:

“A capsule wardrobe is an edited collection of clothes made out of versatile and complimentary pieces that can be mixed and matched to create many different looks. Each woman’s “capsule” is different based on her lifestyle, needs and aesthetic. Our goal at CAPSULE is to get to know each of our customers in order to better guide her to the pieces that will work best for her individual needs and inspire her to try something new!”

This vendor goes beyond clothing and wardrobe work, offering events － like Mother’s Day photo sessions and lessons in decorating donuts. Keep an eye out for their upcoming events as that could be a good gift to give a loved one, which they can look forward to in the future.

Website: https://www.capsulechicago.com/

The Fig Leaf

Imagine the best check out line you’ve ever seen － maybe at TJ Maxx or Home Goods. Suddenly, you feel like you need everything. Now imagine an entire store that feels like a really good check out line. That’s Fig Leaf.

According to the company, they offer, “Unique gifts, handcrafted jewelry, vintage and contemporary ceramics from the finest artisans working.” Anyone else hearing angels sing?

Website: https://www.figleafhydepark.com/

Herban Tea Cafe

Know a tea lover? Then this is the vendor for them!

Herban Tea Cafe brings to life the health benefits of herbal tea remedies. Through practices inspired by indigenous people, Herban studies tea ingredients and pairs them with complimentary herbs and spices, thus producing a high quality selection of caffeine-free, herbal teas with optimized health benefits.

In other words, this is a perfect gift for a tea lover who’s interested in holistic healing!

Website: https://www.herbanteacafe.com/

High St.

High St. is an award-winning design studio and shopping destination, offering unique gifts, extensive book titles, decorative pillows, plants, furniture, and one-of-a-kind treasures. Additionally, they offer full service interior design services for residential and commercial projects.

For the loved ones in your life that appreciate unique pieces, I strongly encourage looking into this vendor for the holidays!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shophighst/

Lucca Workshop

Combining her love of machinery － the detail and precision it can create － and the natural and functional nature of wooden materials, the creator behind Lucca Workshop creates gorgeous wood cuts, specialized gifts, and unique accessories.

Just taking one step into this shop will have you hooked on the pure beauty of these designs. These are great gifts for homeowners and loved ones who appreciate both beauty and functionality. While wood seems to be their speciality, Lucca Workshop offers other amazing gifts like blankets and throws, candles, planters and vases, and much more!

Website: https://www.luccaworkshop.com/

Manitou Candle Co.

Who doesn’t love candles? That’s what makes them the perfect holiday gift!

Any candle can change the entire atmosphere of a room. But there’s something really special about a locally-made candle crafted by someone who is truly passionate about its creation and how you feel about that product when you take it home.

At Manitou Candle Co., you can purchase incredible candles with unique scents, make your own candles and even participate in candle making classes every Saturday between 2PM and 6PM! This shop offers more than candles, offering products for babies and kids, home décor and much more!

Website: https://www.manitoucandleco.com/

Patina at Home

You might remember my collaboration with Patina at Home earlier this year in my More Than Pretty retail experience.

This is the same Patina at Home!

Patina’s offers unique, comfortable home décor and furnishings that create a casual yet sophisticated time-worn style that suits any home. They also carry a large selection of new and vintage home and garden décor and gifts. In other words, it’s hard to go into the shop without leaving with a new plant friend. Plant lovers, you know what I’m talking about.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patinaathome/

Pomegranate and Lime

This sweet local boutique offers gifts and accessories for women, men, children and the home. They pride themselves on the unique yet classic, beautifully gift wrapped treasures you could take home to a loved one.

The pieces offered at Pomegranate and Lime truly do make the holiday season shine bright. When I see their products, a specific kind of comfort and nostalgia comes alive. For that classic kind of holiday gift, look no further. This vendor offers just that, but with a twist!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pomegranateandlime/

Rookwood Pottery

First founded in 1880, Rookwood Pottery became a world-renowned ceramics studio that drew attention from famous artists and ceramicists from all around the world.

Can you believe a treasure like this is located in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati? What a treasure!

All pottery and tile is manufactured in-house at the Rookwood studio. To make this vendor even more special, each design starts as a simple sketch created by an in-house artist. That design then transforms into a mold used to start the manufacturing process. If you love Cincinnati as much as I do, then it’s a no-brainer to gift a Rookwood treasure to a loved one.

Like most of these vendors, you’re not just getting what they specialize in. Rookwood offers all kinds of home décor, kitchen, and specialty gifts as well!

Website: https://rookwood.com/

Sweet Petit

Not all gifts need to last a lifetime to mean something special to a loved one! This dessert vendor offers stunning pastries and cakes － like cheesecakes, brownies, cakepops, macaroons, chocolate strawberries and cakes － as well as baking classes for bakers who want to learn more about this craft.

All purchases are made as pre-orders. Whether you’re giving these delicious gifts to one person or bringing them over for holiday dinners, you’re sure to offer up a show stopping gift with Sweet Petit Desserts.

Website: https://www.sweetpetitdesserts.com/

Ten Thousand Villages

At Ten Thousand Villages, a non-profit that offers handcrafted items from around the world, they believe that, “every handcrafted object has a life of meaning behind it.” It can be incredibly difficult at times to track down exactly where your products are coming from. With this local vendor, you don’t have to worry. They consider themselves a maker-to-market movement in which customers can trust that every purchase made through Ten Thousand Villages will affect the life and community of the person who made it.

Besides the nonprofit’s additional mission to help the environment, the hope is that this local fair trade opportunity will help break cycles of generational poverty.

Website: https://www.tenthousandvillages.com/

5th and Arrow

The creator behind this small local business started designing during quarantine, taking her inspiration from the focus and precision of archers (hence the “Arrow” in the name) to create intricate pieces of jewelry.

Some of us appreciate the uniqueness of handmade gifts, but don’t want to be the maker ourselves. For this reason, 5th and Arrow is a perfect way of gifting something truly special that can be worn for years to come!

Website: https://5thandarrow.com/

‘Tis the Season to Buy Local

Every day is a good day to support local small businesses in your community! And why not, when there are so many amazing small businesses in Cincinnati?

If you want to see our list of the Top 10 Most Thoughtful Gifts to Give in 2020, you’ll find incredibly mindful gift ideas that have stood the test of time. Yes, I know it’s 2021… But believe me, those gifts are still applicable to the year we’ve just had.

I strongly encourage you to visit the websites of each of the 14 vendors listed here, since I couldn’t capture all of their individual beauty in just three images each!

Happy Holidays and Happy Shopping!