In this post, we’re sharing with you a few of our favorite local gifts made with love by Asheville’s finest makers.
Truth be told, it was quite hard to narrow down this list to just a few items because there are so many incredible businesses and creatives in this town that are making really great stuff.
When selecting items to include this Asheville gift guide, we thought about the things that are on our own wish list — the items we personally have purchased and love or want to buy.
We are certain that there are many makers that we’ve missed in this list. If there is something that you think would make a great gift that we haven’t included here, please do tell us!
Without further ado, let’s dive in. Whether you’re trying to shop local this year or are simply looking for a unique gift, we welcome you to use this Making It in Asheville gift guide as inspiration for your shopping.
East Fork Pottery: Easy, Special Little Gifts
Okay, okay, we know. East Fork isn’t new to anyone who hasn’t been living under a rock. But it simply wouldn’t be an Asheville Makers Gift Guide if we didn’t mention East Fork Pottery.
We’ve fallen madly, deeply in love with their stylish, functional, and durable pottery. But even more than that, we have a total crush on the brand and everything they stand for. When we interviewed their co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, Connie Matisse, she proudly exclaimed that East Fork is on a mission to become America’s largest, most sustainable producer of ceramics. We’re into it.
Their website features an entire page dedicated to “Gifts Under $50” which is dangerous because we want to buy it all. This gift guide offers staples such as this soapstone easy-to-ship mug, perfect for sending to loved ones who don’t reside in Asheville. You can also find must have cookbooks, candles, cookware, as well as corky and interesting pieces like this Italian meat candle. I mean, come on how cool and creative is that?
Price: The easy to ship mug runs at $38 and the meat candle is $26
Where to Buy: Shop online or visit their retail front in downtown Asheville on North Lexington.
*Note: All links with East Fork are affiliate links. That means if you click on the link and purchase an item, we will receive a small commission for recommending them. We only recommend products that we truly love and support!
Everyday Oil: All-in-one Oil
Photo credit: Everyday Oil
Made in Black Mountain, this incredible body oil is going to be your new favorite all-natural beauty product. The founder, Emma, started making this body oil years ago simply because she couldn’t find anything else like it on the market. (Side note: this is often how some of the best business ideas come about!)
Everyday Oil is 100% plant-based and is comprised of a whole bunch of natural oils that each work their own magic to do wonders for your skin.
But here’s the real mind-blowing stuff: Everyday Oil is a one-bottle-fits-all kind of product. You can use it as a moisturizer and face wash AND a cleanser. You can use it on your face but also your body. And well, Everyday Oil does not care what gender or race you are. This sh*t is all-inclusive y’all.
“I want Everyday Oil to be a great, true friend you can rely on, no matter who you are.” – Emma Allen
We do too, Emma. We do too.
Price: $14 and up
Where to buy: Shop online or find Everyday Oil in select retail stores. Check out their store locator to find a shop near you.
Garnet Fisher Giclee Prints
There are so many fantastic painters around town, but Garnet Fisher’s black squiggle giclee prints are among our favorite. We stumbled upon her airy, minimalist prints one day while shopping at Old North and have been a fan ever since. We also interviewed her in Season 3 of the podcast. Learn more and listen to our podcast interview with Garnet Fisher here.
Price: $30
Where to Buy: Check out her latest collections online of visit Old North in downtown Asheville on North Lexington.
Oowee Products 9oz Rocks Sleeve Set of 2 with Glasses
Imagine it: it’s just after 6pm and cold outside. You get off from a long day of work and pull these babies out, pour a generous amount of whiskey and sit by the fire — sounds pretty ideal, we know. This year all we want for Christmas is this set of 9oz Rocks Sleeve Set of 2 with Glasses. Made by hand in Candler, NC, Oowee’s leather goods are durable, rustic, and just plain cool. They have all sorts of stamped designs, including the option to customize your own! Keep your eyes peeled for some custom Making It in Asheville products in 2020.
The best part? Oowee employs adults on the autism spectrum to hand sew the finishing touches on their goods. So when you buy from them, you can rest assured you’re supporting a good cause.
In Episode 27, we interviewed the founder, Gabriel Hargett, who shared with us the story behind Oowee — a business that was born from his love of making things with his hands.
Price: Set of two sleeves with glasses are $44.99
Where to buy: Shop all their leather goods online.
The Rhu B.O.B. (Best of Box) 3-Month Subscription
Classy date night at home? We’ll take 3 months’ worth, please.
If you live in Asheville, you probably have heard of the restaurateur, John Fleer. Psst…He was our first guest in the most recent season of Making It In Asheville.
These brand new boxes include 1 prepared supper (for 2), 1 Rhu bakery item, 2-3 local pantry items, 1 kitchenware item, and the option to add on fresh seasonal produce from their farm partners in Leicester (think a mini CSA) and/or a bottle of chef-selected wine.
One of our favorite things about The Rhu? It is a café, bakery, and pantry that celebrates local foods and producers. It’s the holiday season and we are always here to hype up others, so kudos to John Fleer!
We are personally going to start with 1 box but who is to say we won’t go full out and get the 12-month subscription. Treat yourself, right?!
Price: 1 month is $55 and 3-month subscription starts at $157
Where to Buy: Shop online or head to their location on Lexington Ave.
QB Cucina Kitchenwares & Cooking Classes
If you love all things Italian and appreciate handmade quality items, this business is for you.
Did you know Sarah & Tony met in Italy? After spending 5 years teaching and absorbing the Italian lifestyle, Sarah has become a passionate lover and advocate for old school preparation of pasta using the highest quality of products. Fast forward to 2020, she launches QB Cucina with her business partner, offering Artisanal Italian kitchenwares and trusted recipes to create your own “Little Italy” at home.
QB Cucina also offers beautiful hand-stamped linen wares and get this… virtual pasta cooking classes! The classes offer an opportunity to connect virtually (so 2020) and create a delicious handmade meal. Once you’ve made your own pasta, it’s hard to go back… Trust us.
It is a fantastic date night alternative to going out to dinner and one of our favorite ways we know how to fight the winter blues. Check out the QB website for all the pasta inspo including recipes that will take your taste buds straight to Italy.
Price: Kitchenwares range from $10-$80 and pasta classes are $35.
Where to Buy: Shop Online
Spoon & Hook Gift Card
There’s so much to love about Spoon & Hook’s hand-carved wooden wares. Each item is 100% unique and made from start-to-finish by Anneliesse Gormley, who sustainably sources all of the wood she uses for her projects from Asheville Hardware. From beautiful flower-filled cutting boards to minimalist U-shaped vases, each brings its own unique heirloom-vintage style to any space.
It was hard to choose just one piece from Spoon + Hook since they are each so unique, you know, being handcrafted and all. Which is why this year we recommend purchasing a gift card. This way, whoever the recipient is can choose the piece that most speaks to them or even wait for the perfect piece that hasn’t been created quite yet. Anneliesse creates one-of-a-kind pieces of functional art that made you feel at home.
Price: It’s all you to decide
Where to Buy: Shop online or head to Atomic Furnishing to see Annliesse’s booth.
Ware: Stagg Pour-Over Tea Kettle
We’re all in on the sustainable lifestyle, but are the first to admit that sometimes it can be really really hard to find the right objects.
That’s where Ware, a sustainable lifestyle shop located on College Street, excels. They make it dangerously easy to find the perfect solution for anything you might need — or not even know you needed.
Everything in their shop is beautiful, sustainably-sourced, and will help you replace your non-eco-friendly things with eco-friendly ones. The best part is that you don’t have to think twice about what you’re buying because the owner, Gillie, has already done the hard work of carefully researching each and every product to make sure it fits her standards of sustainability.
For this holiday, the Ware item we have the biggest heartthrobs for is their chic black Stagg tea kettle. It has become a staple in our home after making the switch from traditional teabags (which have bits of plastic in them) to loose-leaf tea. Don’t worry, Ware also offers this stainless steel tea infuser to make all your Tea House dreams come true.
We interviewed the founder Gillie Roberts in episode 4. In that episode, she told us about her adventures of opening Ware (at the age of 26!) and gave us advice for living a more sustainable lifestyle.
Price: The Stagg Tea Kettle is $83
Where to Buy: Shop the online store or visit their brick and mortar on College Street for a full selection of items.
Opie Way: Riverside Hi in White/Gum
Photo credit: Opie Way
When it comes to putting together an outfit, it often comes down to the kicks, the sneaks, the shoes. Opie Way designs and creates beautiful 100% USA made (Asheville if we are being specific) shoes. This pair Riverside hi pair that we have on our wish list is hand-cut from five ounce Wickett and Craig leather in white, with a suede heel counter… Woah that even sounds sexy.
We interviewed Justin & Amanda on season 5 of the podcast and their dedication to the craft and output of beautiful shoes has us wanting one of each, please!
If you check out their website you’ll find a handful of beautiful shoes and products. During covid, shipping has become an uphill battle for business owners. Orders placed this week will be shipped toward the end of January so there is always the option of providing a gift card!
Price: $378
Where to buy: Shop online at the Opie Way store
We’d love to know what items are on your Asheville gift list? Send us a message on Instagram to let us know your favorites!
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[…] In addition to recording this podcast, we also wrote a blog post that outlines all 10 Asheville gifts for our Holiday Gift Guide. Read the Asheville Makers Gift Guide blog post. […]
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