The Best Places to Buy Local Handcrafted Gifts in Nashville
Don’t get yourself or anyone else just any gift. Be the best gift giver around by shopping for creative handmade pieces not found anywhere else. In Nashville, that means stopping by local stores, which make products that contribute to the success of professional artisans both in the Nashville area and around the world.
1. Handmade Studio TN
With plates, mugs and other dinnerware pieces handcrafted by owner Morgan Williamson, Handmade Studio TN is where to find unique ceramics for your home. The process of creating pieces at this studio involves sculpting, carving, glazing, and firing. This process makes the products safe to use in the microwave and dishwasher. Each piece crafted in the studio is done with love, out of admiration for the Creator’s ability to make beautiful things from dust. The studio also does custom orders and can even work with couples on creating pieces for a wedding registry.
Handmade Studio, 100 Taylor Street, Studio A23, Nashville, TN, USA
2. Rachel's Boutique
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Little Seed Farm
With a business model based on sustainability, Little Seed Farm, founded by Eileen and James Ray, provides humanely produced skin care products handmade from a rural farm location. The farm uses recyclable materials for packaging and is completely solar powered. The 100% grass-fed goats on the farm are able to graze freely, supporting Little Seed Farm’s commitment to humane and responsible production of its products. You’ll find soaps and skincare items like deodorant cream, body oil, charcoal detox scrub, and booty balm for babies.
3. Ten Thousand Villages
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4. Thistle Farms
With programs guided by 24 principles, influenced by the Benedictine Rule, Thistle Farms is a sanctuary for women who are survivors of abuse, addiction, trafficking, and prostitution. Founded by Episcopal priest Becca Stevens, the residential program provides housing, medical care, therapy and job training for up to 32 women. Thistle Farms operates a natural bath and body product line that employs its residents and graduates. The handmade items you can find at Thistle Farms include shave gel, lip balm, lotion, and body butter. There is also a selection of products for the home, as well as products for men.
Thistle Farms, 5122 Charlotte Ave., Nashville, TN, USA, +1 615 298 1140
5. Original Fuzz
Gym, Shop
Friends Lee McAlilly and Zach Lever started Original Fuzz after playing in bands together in college. Zach used to carry his guitar pedals in a gym bag that wasn’t very reliable, so the duo set out to make something better for their creative lifestyles. The shop sells handmade guitar straps, camera straps, and t-shirts. One of Original Fuzz’s most innovative creations is the seatbelt strap, which is available in a variety of colors. It is a repurposed airline seatbelt that comes with full-grain leather, heavy-duty stitching, and vintage-style hardware.
Original Fuzz, 2100 Dunn Ave., Nashville, TN, USA, +1 615 629 777 5762
6. FASHIONABLE
After seeing firsthand how extreme poverty in Ethiopia affects young girls and women, Rachel and Barrett Ward founded FASHIONABLE. Their goal was to provide an opportunity for women to earn a living outside of prostitution, which is how many women in the African country support their families. The FASHIONABLE line is a collection of handwoven scarves and leather goods made in Ethiopia, as well as jewelry handmade in Nashville. The woman-focused business also has a Ring Bar that allows customers to design their own sets of rings.
FASHIONABLE, 5022 Centennial Blvd., Stocking 51, Nashville, TN, USA
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