One of my favorite parts of my job – and my life – is that I get to meet and befriend the most amazing people. People who spend late nights working on their passion projects, who understand why shopping small is so important, and who are just generally awesome. I had every intention of getting this post pulled together earlier in the month, but my other jobs (I’ve got some hustle, too) have kept me busier than usual. I’m sure some shipping windows have already closed to order things in time, but you never know! And plenty of these guys have sales, free shipping, etc going on right now. Please know that the best, most genuine people are behind these shops. (I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few as well!)
20×200 // fine art prints // photography prints // artist-made objects // limited edition art
This time of year one tends to start thinking of what they could’ve done better, where they could’ve done more. The good news is that it’s never too late to challenge yourself to up the ante, and that means choosing fantastic gifts to give this holiday that do double-duty. Ones that give back and mean a little something extra to the giver, the receiver, and the company you’re buying from.
Thrive Market Membership. Great deals on organic and non-GMO foods, and for each year-long membership sold Thrive donates a membership to a low-income family.
The Bee Cause Project Honey. For every online purchase of BeeCause Honey, 100% of the proceeds will be donated to one of the school hive projects sponsored by The Bee Cause.
The Basket Room. This purchase directly supports the weavers to increase their livelihoods and become less dependent on self-sufficiency farming. Each basket comes with a thank you card from the cooperative who made your basket.
Enrou. Meaning en route – or on the way – to a better world. All of their home goods and gifts are selected for their beauty, quality, and ability to provide opportunity to artisans from around the world.
The Little Market. An online fair trade shop working through cooperatives and social enterprises, The Little Market’s artisan partners improve the quality of life in their communities in a number of ways, including literacy workshops, business training, and health programs.
31 Bits. This jewelry shop creates dignified work opportunities for artisans worldwide while providing customers with a place to purchase fairly made products. Fair pay, sustainable wages, safe working conditions, and a family-like atmosphere make all the difference.
The Giving Keys. It started with a hotel room key worn as a necklace and continues by helping those who have been affected by homelessness.
Causebox. A quarterly subscription box that features brands and items dedicated to doing good all over the world. Many featured brands donate a portion of proceeds to charities and/or may employ local artisans, use ethically-sourced goods, and more.
PupJoy. For your pups, PupJoy donates $2 from every box to BISSELL Pet Foundation, which assists animal welfare organizations providing resources to reduce the number of animals in shelters and rescues through pet adoption, spay/neuter programs, microchipping, and foster care. They also support small business manufacturers when sourcing their products, and all of their treats are made in the U.S.
Obakki. This shop creates classic and refined styles for the modern woman while The Obakki Foundation, Obakki’s philanthropic counterpart, focuses on providing clean water and education in Africa. Obakki absorbs all administrative fees for the charity, allowing 100% of the Obakki Foundation’s public donations to go directly to its charitable initiatives.
Especially Puglia. Adopt a hundreds-years-old Puglian olive tree for one year and support the farmers and producers who keep traditional harvest and production methods alive. Comes with a 3-liter can of extra-virgin olive oil plus a ceramic cruet to serve it from, an adoption certificate, and three additional bottles of oil, one every three months.
Vinfluence Wine Subscription. Choose 3 or 6 months, each box contains three wines from a boutique winery and for every bottle they ship $1 is donated to City Harvest, Sustainable Harvest International, or Fiver Children’s Foundation.
Other ideas:
Newspaper or magazine subscriptions – support free press!
Passes to local museums/attractions – keep it local!
Donations to food pantries or a homeless shelter
Yup, I know. It looks like I just plopped some matchsticks in a glass bottle and called it a day. While DIY matchstick holder is definitely one of the simplest projects I’ve ever done, there are a few more steps to it… but not many.
Supplies
• small glass bottle (I picked mine up at Michael’s for $1)
• strike on box wooden matchsticks
• pen
• scissors
• tape
• glue
First thing first, dismantle the box sleeve that has the striker. Be as gentle as possible and flatten that bad boy out, and then grab your scissors.
Trim off the striker panel, then cut it in half. Match the two sides up together (trimming them up to match if you were a little off), then flip over and tape on the back side. Place your glass bottle on top of the joined together pieces, center and trace. Trim around the circle (or whatever shape you end up with) and stay to the inside while cutting so that the end result is slightly smaller than your tracing.
Flip the bottle over and apply a few thin concentric circles of glue, align the striker shape you just created and press firmly. And, well, that’s basically it. You could add some craft paint or wash tape to the exterior for a little something extra, but I’m a simple kind of girl who prefers the look of wood and glass alone. (And though this isn’t really a Father’s Day DIY, I know my Dad would agree if it were for him!)
Add as many matches as you can while leaving enough breathing room for them to move around a bit. You want to be able to actually remove them for use after all! Like I told you, easiest DIY ever. I think this guy would make a great little hostess gift when paired with a candle or grilling accessories for get togethers this summer, don’t you? Or, like I said, maybe even Father’s Day this Sunday. (wink, wink)
Yesterday we talked food gifts, and today we’re talking handmade DIY presents. I don’t know about you, but I would much rather receive something small with lots of thought put into it than something pricey that was an afterthought. It just means more knowing someone spent their time rather than their money. Here are fifteen gifts that would be perfect alone or partnered with one of our suggestions!
Pair with: a boot brush, a small rosemary bush for the porch.
Pair with: simple earrings, a pair of bangles.
Pair with: a pretty brass bell, bottle brush trees.
Pair with: a few vintage ornaments, homemade pomanders.
Pair with: a soft pair of gloves or mittens, a silk scarf.
Pair with: hot toddy ingredients, a set of mason jars.
Pair with: a set of mugs, mulling spices.
Pair with: soup mix, a vintage pot.
Pair with: gourmet hot chocolate, homemade cookies.
Pair with: crackers and cheese, pretty cocktail plates.
Pair with: letterpress place cards, a set of linen napkins.
Pair with: a candle snuffer, a nice box of matches.
Pair with: a bottle of nail polish, a pair of sunglasses.
Pair with: a cozy scarf or blanket, a favorite board game.
Pair with: an iTunes gift card, screen cleaner.
Click on each image to go to the project. All photos copyright of their respective sites unless otherwise noted.
There’s not much better than a super soft, great fitting tee that goes with everything. If you haven’t already, meet Pickwick & Weller. Purveyor of affordable boutique-quality tees for men and women that are made right here in the USA, Los Angeles in fact. Friends Ashton Kutcher, Ryan Donahue, and Matt Rowe created the line in 2012, with a name inspired by Charles Dickens’ first novel – The Pickwick Papers.Pickwick & Weller has tees for him and tees for her, great basics to layer under winter clothes or wear alone.
I picked my favorite tee for girls and guys and chose a few gifts I think would be great go-withs! And get this – a discount of 25% off an order of $50 or more when you visit Pickwick & Weller through this link! You’ll take a brief survey about your shirt preferences, and then receive a discount code to use during checkout.
This is a sponsored post and I was compensated for my participation. The opinions expressed are my own, as always. Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Design Crush going!
I’m playing Oprah today! Hundreds of products cross my screen on a daily basis as I search out the best to share with you, and a girl can’t help but have a few favorites! And while I wish I had one of each of these fantastic pieces to give to every one of you a la Oprah, I hope my opinion will hold its weight in salt for you. Because these are all shops and creators whose things I own, that decorate my home and my self each and every day.
Splendid Orlando Oxford. These shoes are a new addition to my wardrobe for winter and I love their sleek look (no laces!). Splendid‘s entire lifestyle collection is ultra-comfortable and effortlessly chic, which is perfect for my every day and mixes with existing pieces easily.
American Giant Womens Heavyweight Full Zip Hooded Sweatshirt. I’ve been a hoodie aficionado since junior high, but it’s tough to find one that doesn’t resemble a garbage bag on a woman’s body. This zip up from American Giant is not only sturdy, but made especially for us ladies. If I’m home I usually have it on over whatever I’m wearing, it’s that good.
Emily McDowell’s Foods of the World New York City Tea Towel. Emily McDowell just might be one of the funniest people I know, and her humor translates seamlessly onto her illustrated line of cards, dish towels, and other miscellaneous goods. This towel featuring a recipe that actually involves zero cooking is just the tip of the iceberg.
Warby Parker’s Durand Eyeglasses in Woodland Tortoise. Warby Parker has had my poor vision and my heart in its grasp for several years now. I just recently snapped up this pair from their winter collection, the round-ish lenses are super flattering and their buy 1/give 1 model is tough to beat.
Bloggers Love Cats + Bloggers Love Dogs 13-Month Calendars.Shameless plug alert! I teamed up with other well-known bloggers who are animal lovers to create these two calendar downloads featuring our pets. All proceeds go directly to the Humane Society of the United States and all of the little critters in need.
Cursive Design’s Apex Studs. Cursive Design is one of my favorite jewelry shops by far, I just love Sarah’s eye for detail. These studs, along with much of the fall/winter 2013 collection, were inspired by a project we collaborated on together for NYFW 2012. They’re molded from vintage glass and cast in yellow bronze.
Jaime Derringer’s Untitled 3. I’m the proud, happy owner of three works of art by Jaime Derringer. Her bold use of color and constant exploration of shape and space never leave me bored. And both Jaime’s original pieces and prints are super affordable.
Alexa Chung’s It. There’s no denying she’s the darling of the fashion world, but after ready through this pink linen-covered book filled with short musings and photos she seems down-to-earth as well.
Paloma’s Nest Custom Monogram Tiny Text Bowl. Paloma’s Nest creates some of the best heirloom-quality ceramics I’ve seen. I own one of these plates and have gifted numerous others over the past few years. You just can’t go wrong with a piece that’s lovingly personalized like these.
Gingiber’s Deer Tea Towel. I love shop owner Stacie’s whimsical, geometric illustration style used on all of her animal characters! Gingiber‘s prints, pillows, towels (and more) are always the highest of quality and meticulously checked over.
Miró Watches from Urbantrait. Among an incredible selection of modern watches from Urbantrait, Miró definitely stands out. Made from stainless steel, hardened mineral crystal, and calf leather it’s sure to stand up to wear and tear for years to come. Mine has made me a watch wearer again after years of depending on my cell! Find your favorite from tons of men’s watches and women’s watches.
Meow Meow Tweet’s Grapefruit Rosemary Body Oil. Come winter, lotions just don’t cut it for me. I coat myself in Meow Meow Tweet‘s body oil before I get out of the shower and don’t need to re-moisturize until right before bed. Each amazing scent if filled with natural ingredients and infused with botanicals.
strawberryluna’s Morrissey Pittsburgh Poster PETA Donation. My favorite stop for gig posters, and it doesn’t hurt that strawberryluna is based in my hometown either! Allison and Craig do stellar silkscreening work for more bands than I can think to name, and on more posters than I can count that I own.
. There’s no denying she’s the darling of the fashion world, but after ready through this pink linen-covered book filled with short musings and photos she seems down-to-earth as well.