The holiday rush is on here in Michigan. To take the stress out of last-minute holiday shopping, we put together a guide to our favorite locally made gifts for Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Still need a Christmas tree? We’ve got you covered there, too, with some of our favorite Christmas tree farms from across the state.
The Best Holiday Gifts in Michigan
We all know that many gifts can be purchased with just a click from many big box online retailers, but we love the idea of finding unique Michigan-made and sold gifts that can be a joy to both buy and give. Browse our favorite Michigan gifts below, and be sure to let us know where you’re shopping locally in the mitten this holiday season!
READ MORE: Over 30 local LGBTQ+-owned businesses to support in Michigan
The Best Holiday Gifts in Detroit
Pingree Detroit
Pingree’s trifold wallet is made from upcycled automotive steering wheel leather, sealed with military-grade industrial threads, and known for being incredibly durable. It also takes on a magnificent patina with use and age—much like the Greatest Generation that inspired it.
City Bird
Save the environment from plastic bags—and learn a thing or two about native plants in the process. City Bird’s Michigan Wildflowers Tote Bag is perfect for your friends who can’t get enough of Michigan’s great outdoors.
Pietrzyk Pierogi
Michiganders can never seem to eat enough pierogies, but a monthly delivery package is sure to test their limits. Imagine having a dozen freshly frozen pierogies delivered to your door every month. Now, stop imagining it and sign up now. Pierogi of the Month Club members also get early access to paczki orders for Fat Tuesday, which is almost priceless.
Eastern Market Holiday Market
Eastern Market hosts Sunday holiday markets throughout December, with vendors selling Michigan-made items perfect for gifting, including jewelry, artwork, clothing, and beauty products.
READ MORE: 10 unique holiday gift ideas from Detroit
The Best Holiday Gifts in Lansing
Impression 5 Science Center
A family membership at Impression 5 Science Center is the gift that just keeps on giving because it offers a whole year of family fun. Two adults and every kid in the household can use this pass to get in anytime they want all year long—as well as gain access to some exclusive night events and score some great deals at the gift shop.
Old Town General Store
Hosting an out-of-state friend for the holidays? Give them a full dose of Michigan with Old Town General Store’s All for MI Gift Basket—featuring Great Lakes potato chips, American Gourmet pretzels, Brownwood Farms mustard, Cherry Republic licorice, Hanover’s milk chocolate mints, Shurms gummies and more.
Tiny Bit of Wood
This one-woman woodworking operation offers a variety of handcrafted wood furniture and art.
READ MORE: 7 unique holiday gift ideas from Lansing
The Best Holiday Gifts in Grand Rapids
Shinola
Shinola has developed a reputation for luxury, and it’s because it makes some pretty luxurious things—like these mittens. Each pair is knitted in Peru using alpaca fibers and wool, making them both warm and stylish. Choose between five colors, and don’t forget the matching hat. Or, for a really special gift, spring for one of Shinola’s timeless timepieces.
Schuil Coffee
Schuil is known for producing a wide variety of tasty, seasonal coffee blends. The company’s “secret” holiday blend features four festive flavors for the holidays, but we could only detect three of them: cherry, chocolate and almond. Stop in the store to test a brew before you buy, or order online. All coffee blends are allergen friendly, without sugar, gluten, dairy, soy or nuts.
Gemini Handmade
This family-operated studio specializes in handmade leather goods, and regularly features creative works from other local artisans. With wallets, bags, belts and cases to hold all sorts of different trinkets, it’s a great place to find something for everyone on your shopping list. Want to impress your friends? Check out the holiday cards that fold out into a 3D gingerbread house.
Hopscotch Children’s Store
This local store was opened by two sisters in 2005 with one main goal: Sell locally crafted products. Though now under new ownership, the mission has stayed the same—to help customers discover unique, educational products that will inspire children and parents. And over the years, the shop has grown to include a massive assortment of toys, baby gear, cloth diapers, children’s gifts and more in the thriving East Hills neighborhood of Grand Rapids.
Bill and Paul’s Sporthaus
This store has been serving outdoor enthusiasts in Grand Rapids for more than 60 years—and it’s known for having some of the highest-quality sporting goods on the market at reasonable prices. A new winter coat? Climbing gear? Snowboards? Kayaks? Bill and Paul have it all.
The Local Epicurean
Looking to give an experience this year? Check out the Local Epicurean for your culinary-minded friends and family—and walk away with some tasty homemade food in the process. Cooking classes are designed for adventurous eaters and chefs of all experience levels. Imported cheese, pesto, baguettes and infused beverages are also served during every class.
Butcher’s Union
Earlier this year, our readers named Butcher’s Union the best restaurant in all of Grand Rapids.It’s a place that celebrates the art of butchery and elevates the dining experience with a creative flair that’s hard to match. The ambiance strikes the perfect balance between rustic charm and contemporary sophistication. Any meat-lover is likely to appreciate a gift card for Butcher’s Union!
Woosah Outfitters
Woosah Outfitters is a naturally inspired art and apparel brand that features the artwork of founder and owner, Rae Lang. The designs and drive behind Woosah revolve largely around woodcuts, the outdoors, and finding peace.
Rebel
From snarky notepads to trendy jewelry, baby onesies to wine glasses, and Michigan-made artwork to handmade paper cards, there’s no shortage of goodies at Rebel. The eclectic gift shop in Uptown Grand Rapids has everything you need to create the best gift ever, even for that hard-to-shop-for friend or family member.
READ MORE: 11 unique holiday gift ideas from Grand Rapids
The Best Holiday Gifts in Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo Candle Company
The Arboretum Candle is said to smell like “sun-dappled trails through towering pines,” with notes of apple, pine, and cinnamon.
The Grazing Table
Give a gift card for this charcuterie specialist to the foodie in your life—and let them pick out all the unique preserves, syrups, nuts, crackers, and more for their own charcuterie board. They come pre-made, too.
Confections With Convictions
Who wouldn’t want a box of chocolates inspired by your favorite drinks? The Drinks Date collection gives you truffles that taste like an old fashioned, merlot, or champagne. These treats are sure to surprise your tastebuds!
Climb Kalamazoo
Looking to give the gift of an experience? Buy your friends some gift cards to Climb Kalamazoo for rock climbing experiences for all ages. Full-day passes (with all the gear) start at only $25.
Heirloom Arts Tattoo
Heirloom Arts is stacked with a staff of professional, creative, LGBTQ+ artists who specialize in American Traditional, blackwork, floral, and fine-line tattoos. Grab a gift card for the friend or family member who’s been itching for some fresh ink.
READ MORE: 9 unique holiday gift ideas from Kalamazoo
Michigan’s Best Holiday Gifts to Buy Online
The ‘Gander Merch
You can stuff a stocking and support local journalism at the same time by buying swag from The ‘Gander. We’ve got you covered with stickers, notebooks, and seven really cool T-shirts. What’s good for The ‘Gander is great for a gift.
Tri-County Gift Basket Company
Everyone loves the convenience of giving a gift basket for the holidays, but not everyone loves the lack of customization. Tri-County Gift Basket Company solves that conundrum with a wide selection of customized gift baskets that fit themes from gardening to pasta lovers to holiday themes.
Our personal favorite? The Michigan Favorites gift basket, of course, featuring Michigan goodies like Faygo pop, Better Made potato chips, and Sanders candies. You can also order a custom basket by choosing from a base theme or if you’re local to their brick-and-mortar Rochester, MI shop, bring in your own items to add or build a custom basket.
Oh, and one more fun fact: you can shop Tri-County Gift Basket Company year-round for all gift-giving occasions and enjoy seasonal gift baskets as well.
Laser Impressions
Celebrate your love of Michigan—and your appreciation for hot and cold beverages, no matter what the season—with this Michigan leather koozie from Laser Impressions, a small printing shop in Brown City. We absolutely love the stylish design that highlights our favorite state and the high-quality, handcrafted leather that makes a statement.
The shop also has a full variety of apparel, from T-shirts to sweatshirts to hats and bags, and they can customize any design that you would like. For example, stay warm with a cool knit Michigan beanie or quarter-zip with a choose-your-embroidery-color option through the upcoming winter.
Kendalls Caramel Corn
Who doesn’t love caramel corn, especially around the holidays? Kendall Spencer, the creator behind Kendall’s Caramel Corn, makes small batches of old-fashioned popped popcorn and drizzles them with an assortment of sweet toppings, such as peanut butter and milk chocolate and sea salt caramel, and mix-ins that include Reese’s Pieces, cinnamon, and white chocolate.
Motor City Axe
Combining their love for lasting craftsmanship and passion for the outdoors, Motor City Axe creates custom axes and hatchets to withstand the test of time. The Detroit-based company also sells vintage and refurbished axes, hatchets, hammers, and tools. As a bonus, Motor City Axe donates a portion of all proceeds to help preserve our state’s parks, trails, and waterways.
READ MORE: How shopping at these local businesses can help keep Michigan beautiful
Raising Cain Design Co.
Raising Cain Design Co. has home decor and goods to cozy up any space, from festive shower curtains (do you even love Christmas if you don’t have Santa on your shower?) to super-soft sherpa throws and themed accent rugs. Our personal favorite is this Highland cow towel which would make the perfect accompaniment to any bathroom.
Nature’s Keepsakes
Local artist Andrea Podgorski runs Nature’s Keepsakes (@natures_keepsakes), where she hand-crafts one-of-a-kind custom creations for her clients to preserve special memories. She specializes in hand–poured resin art, which can preserve things like flowers, artwork, and even trinkets like seashells. “I do floral preservation,” explains Podgorski. “Keychains to charcuterie trays, wedding bouquets, funeral flowers—a little bit of everything!”
Some of Podgorki’s most popular gifts are keychains and artwork that incorporate dried flowers from wedding bouquets and bridal showers. For instance, Podgorski surprised my sister with a special “Mama” keychain after she became a mother for the first time, using flowers she had hand-dried from her baby shower and preserved her wedding bouquet (pictured above). Her gifts are not only gorgeous but meaningful and heart-warming.
Podgorski works one-on-one with customers for orders, so the best way to place an order is to DM her through her Instagram account, @natures_keepsakes.
Zehr Custom Engraving
It’s hard to choose a favorite product from this small, woman-owned Michigan business. What started with a few simple products in an old pole barn on Angela Zehr’s property has grown into a flourishing shop in rural Michigan with a host of employees.
The company specializes in custom laser engraving, and some of its most popular giftable products for the holidays include monogrammed or custom charcuterie boards, engraved glasses, and its signature cutting board with a transferred handwritten recipe—a product that lets you take passed-down family recipes and preserve them forever in a unique and meaningful way.
Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Co.
As a Michigan-based coffee company, Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Co. started, as the company describes it, in a garage with little more than “a leap of faith” by an Italian-American who combined his passion for art and science into crafting the perfect coffee bean. Now, the company operates a cafe at the TCF Center (formerly Cobo Center), providing a vibrant atmosphere and view into downtown Detroit.
You can always visit the cafe to get a taste of Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Co., but if you prefer to stay tucked in at home, shop for their coffees and merch online for yourself or your loved ones. If you want an easy go-to gift, we recommend the Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Co. bundle that includes two bags of roasted coffee and two mugs. Cheers!
Luxurious Bath Creations
Molly Lawson of Davison, MI, makes bath bombs, shower steamers, whipped soaps, room sprays, and more with her company, Luxurious Bath Creations, with one goal in mind: helping to spread joy and relaxation. “I love to mold, paint, and scent each item to provide every customer with bath bombs that are unique and made with care,” writes Lawson on her website. She ships nationwide, and most products are sent out within 2-3 days of ordering, making them ideal holiday gifts.
Lawson offers many options, but if you need one gift choice, you can’t go wrong with the 12 Days of Christmas surprise bath bomb box, which includes 13 individually wrapped bath bombs to bring a whole holiday season of pampering. You can also give an online gift card (choose an emailed option to make it super easy!) to let your gift recipient pick their favorite pampering experience.
Holland Bowl Mill
This cherry wood serving bowl was featured in the 2013 New York Times Holiday Gift Guide, and nearly a decade later, it’s still a wonderful gift for those who like to host. The best part: It was made and stained by hand at one of the last commercial wooden bowl mills in the country.
Ryba’s Fudge Shops
It’s not so easy to get over to Mackinac Island during the winter months, but you can always bring the fudge to you with an order from one of the oldest fudge shops on the island. Ryba’s has been perfecting its fudge-making craft for four generations, and the result is a deliciously creamy and luscious fudge that any family—Michigander or not—will be sure to enjoy.
READ MORE: Local goods to give this holiday season
The Best Christmas Tree Farms in Michigan
Still need a Christmas tree? We’ve rounded up a few of our favorites around Detroit, Lansing, and Grand Rapids!
Metro Detroit: Broadview Christmas Tree Farm
4380 N. Hickory Ridge Road, Highland
At Broadview Christmas Tree Farm, you’ll get much more than just a tree. In addition to choose-and-cut and pre-cut trees, you can also shop for wreaths and holiday gifts, sip and nibble on refreshments in the warming barn, go on a wagon ride, or visit with Santa.
This 118-acre family-run tree farm is also home to deer, turkeys, rabbits, pheasants, and foxes, and it’s not uncommon to spot these critters while visiting. Guests and their leashed pets are also welcome to tailgate in the large parking lot, so you can easily turn a trip to Broadview into an entire day of festive family fun.
Greater Lansing: Horrocks Nursery Farms & Garden Center
1776 N. State Road, Ionia
With more than 5,000 trees to choose from (plus plenty of pre-cut ones), you’re sure to find the one that’s just right for you at Horrocks Nursery Farms & Garden Center. After you cut your tree, have it shaken and baled before treating yourself to some hot cocoa in the warming barn or roasting complimentary marshmallows over the fire.
The holiday cheer doesn’t stop there, though. Head to the Funhouse to introduce your little ones to Santa and Mrs. Claus before making your way to the Christmas gift shop, which is filled with Michigan-made gifts ranging from coffee and honey to hats and hoodies. Family-owned since 1937, Horrocks is your one-stop shop for all things holiday.
Grand Rapids: Vormittag Tree Farms
9921 Linden Drive NW
Whether you want to cut your own or have someone else do it for you, Vormittag Tree Farm has you covered. This third-generation farm has several Christmas tree species to choose from, including Fraser fir, blue spruce, and white pine.
Drilling, shaking, and baling is all complimentary, and there is also a large selection of wreaths and porch pots available for purchase.
READ MORE: 6 best cut-your-own Christmas tree farms in Michigan
