a one-stop resource to cover all your holiday shopping needs with locally sourced gifts available at local, independent stores

Why go to a big corporate box store to shop for someone you care about? There is a plethora of locally-made, handcrafted, unique, affordable gifts available at independent businesses around the Seacoast, enabling you to purchase something truly meaningful for your loved one while supporting the local economy.

The Walmarts and Best Buys of the world, with their blinding incandescence and cookie-cutter products, are devoid of holiday charm and character. Santa would never go there, and neither should you. The real spirit of the holidays is encapsulated in the quirky local retail shops, galleries, studios and other businesses dappling the downtowns of our Seacoast communities.

The Wire compiled this guide with the help of suggestions from readers for great holiday gifts, with an emphasis on items that are locally made, locally available, and awesome enough to satisfy any friend or family member on your holiday shopping list.

But even this list is just the beginning! This week, we’ve devoted the entire paper, cover to cover,  to local gift ideas on all fronts: find suggestions for foodies in the food section, outdoorsey folk in the outside section, thoughts on shopping for the booklover in your life in our books section, etc. We we’ren’t able to include all the great suggestions we got from readers, so you’re still going to have to go out there and make your own local discoveries, but isn’t that part of the fun?

Friday, Nov. 25 is Plaid Friday, a locally-grown initiative to encourage everyone to do their shopping at local, independent businesses, but that sentiment extends throughout the season, starting... now!

for people who have heads

• original hats by Amity Joy: Pick up a smart-looking knit cap in the color of your choice, or a crocheted cap with kitty-cat ears (only available in real cat-colors) from the Odd Showroom (117 Market St., Portsmouth) or visit Amity’s Etsy site http://www.etsy.com/shop/amityjoy

• Colorful scarves for men and women made from upcycled and recycled fabrics, made by a squid! OK, not really made by a squid. Made by Somersworth artist Maryellen McKeen, www.LovelySquid.com

for people who are tired of eating directly off the table
• Consider the humble plate: practical, necessary, uninspiring. No more! The dinnerware of Erin Moran transforms common eating surfaces into extraordinary altars for daily rituals of deliciousness! Even those Spaghetti-Os will taste better when slurped off the surface of a brilliantly-colored, satisfyingly sturdy bowl, plate, cup or what-have-you. She also makes cute magnets. Available at Three Graces Gallery in Portsmouth, the Button Factory Open Studios or at www.erinmorandesigns.com.

for people who like to remember things past
• For writerly and vintage types, walking past the display of restored typewriters in the window at Hoyt’s Office Products in Portsmouth is like walking past a pet shop window full of frolicking kittens. It’s nearly impossible to resist their siren song. Pricey? Sure. Impractical? Definitely. But there’s something about banging out words on vintage keys, the satisfying clack, the ding of the carriage return, that’s captivating even in this age of touch-screen typing. The shrink-ray version is available across Market Street at Tulips, where Saco artist Monica Foley offers handcrafted vintage typewriter rings and pendants.

• Climb the mountain of retro-chic that is Re-Enhabit in Portsmouth and come back from the summit with something quirky, pretty and unique, such as a 1950s-era orange and black plaid cotton day dress, or that delightful magnet with the pretty bird on it that says “Your love has made me a drunk.” Get started at www.re-enhabit.com.

for your crackpot uncle
• A subscription to the New Hampshire Gazette: Whether your uncle swings left or right, we absolutely guarantee that he will love, or love to hate, The Nation’s Oldest Newspaper, www.nhgazette.com.

for the love of SCIENCE
• Membership to the Seacoast Science Center: Unlimited admission to both the center and Odiorne Point State Park for one year, members-only winter hours and early registration for summer camps are just a few of the perks. Great for kids. At www.seacoastsciencecenter.org.

for yogis
• Sweat-soaked yoga mats might not be pretty, but the bags that carry them can be. Virginia Davis handcrafts yoga mat bags in Portsmouth, available at Sun Moon Stars Herbals in Rollinsford or online at www.sleepingvirginia.etsy.com. Know a guy (or gal) who needs a little help figuring out what to wear? The newly opened Buddhi Boutique on Ceres Street in Portsmouth will help you get it right, locally.

for the would-be commodore
• There’s only one gift that offers the experience of sailing aboard a 19th century shipping vessel. Membership to the Gundalow Company comes with three sail passes aboard their new handcrafted replica gundalow, built by local master shipwrights, blacksmiths, sail makers and volunteers. Get it at www.gundalow.org or 60 Marcy St., Portsmouth.

to shred or not to shred... that is the question
• How about a 1968 Rickenbacker 345 MapleGlo with three toaster pickups from Gary’s Guitars in Portsmouth? Instruments and lessons: put a song in their hearts and their hands with a guitar, drum, flute, ukulele or nearly any other instrument you could think of from Gary’s Guitars in Portsmouth, Exeter Music, Ralph’s House of Tone or Earcraft Music in Dover—all of which offer a tremendous selection to choose from, and years of talented experience to draw on, and play with. Or dig mom’s old guitar out of the attic and have it tuned up!

• Enroll your kids (or your parents) in a music lesson. Portsmouth Music and Arts Center offers music and art classes, individual lessons and music camps throughout the year, www.pmaconline.org/lessons.html.

endless... winter?
• Give the gift of endless waves with a handcrafted custom surfboard by Richard Dennis from Timber Island Surf Company in York, Maine, or a sustainable wood board shaped by Grain, also in York. Or visit a local surf shop to find more boards or lessons. When conditions are right, New Hampshire and southern Maine have some of the best surfing in the country!

for people who have faces
• An un-awkward family photo: Forget going to the mall and sitting on the lap of some creepy Santa. Commission a photo of your kids, your family or your pets from one of our many local talented photographers in an iconic Seacoast location. There are many to choose from (go to www.seacoastlocal.org to find members of Seacoast Local), but our readers recommend www.scottpyatesphotography.com.

give the gift of green
• So if they’re not responsible enough for a goldfish, how about a plant? Indoor plant ideas include: potted amaryllis, herb gardens, succulent container, poinsettias, or a Christmas cactus from Rolling Green Nursery in Greenland. All plants potted and grown on site or within 50 miles.

for people with reindeer
• Don’t let grandma get run over again! Make sure your sleigh—or door, or hat, or dog—has a functioning sleigh bell. Made in New Hampshire, available in Portsmouth at Paradiza.

support your local laser craftspeople
• Christmas ornaments, cribbage boards, coat racks, key racks, clocks, and custom engraving... made with lasers! All wooden products made in Strafford by Laserkrafts, www.laserkrafts.com.

for people who like birds
• Maggie Nuhic birdhouses: What could possibly attract colorful birds better than a brilliantly handpainted birdhouse by the Eliot, Maine, artist? This is just one of the striking local works of art and craft available at Tulips American Handcrafts in downtown Portsmouth at 62 Market St.

for people who carry things
• Creative, funky bags made from recycled sails by Laura Cleminson of Hoist Away Bags in York, www.hoistawaybags.com.

for adorning a lady
• Lovell Designs in Market Square, Portsmouth features handcrafted jewelry and ornaments, including delicate pewter drop earring designs based on the stained glass rose windows of the most famous cathedrals in Europe, such as Sainte-Chapelle and Notre Dame, as well as Chartres in France and Lausanne in Switzerland. They also have lovely nature-inspired designs, including their fishy Cold River Run drop earrings. Nearby are Market Square Jewelers and Alie Jewelers, who are both also located in Dover.

• Any number of other independent jewelry stores in the area offer one-of-a-kind items for one-of-a-kind people. For fans of DIY, you can’t go wrong with annual local craft fairs like Craft Fix and Button Factory Open Studios.

we don’t know how to categorize this, but it sure sounds cool
• Cast bronze vegetables and fruit from the Green Foundry in Eliot, Maine; upcoming availability at Craft Fix and at the Button Factory open studios.

for people with poor night vision
• Hand-made sconces and night lights by artist Hope Murphy of South Berwick, Maine, many of which feature delicate silhouettes on glass of trees and waterfront imagery. Each one is one of a kind. She also makes glass knobs for bathrooms and kitchens. See it all at www.fuzingglass.com/.

for people with creatures
• Catnip toys made out of recycled sweaters from Full Circle Community Thrift Store on Route 236 in Eliot, Maine, rolled...err, stuffed with locally grown organic catnip, www.fullcirclethriftstore.com

• Any cat fanatic will go bonkers for local artist Megan Bogonovich’s Totem Kitty, a porcelain figurine available at the Artstream gallery in Rochester (www.artstreamstudios.com). Could add some welcome strangeness to a corner of your loved one’s house.

• Pick up some homemade doggie treats at The Canine Cupboard on State Street in Portsmouth, or get your man’s best friends a gift certificate for grooming at Your Pet’s Peeve on Albany Street, Portsmouth. If you prefer some DIY bathtime, Club Canine in Portsmouth has tubs of all sizes and the supplies to wash your pooch (and keep you dry).

• An illuminated light strap for your pet, from Chowder Ware. As if years of lighting up our lives with beautiful flowers wasn’t enough, Ambrosia Gardens proprietess Kim Cady now wants to illuminate you and your pet, for your own safety! Available at Ambrosia Gardens on Daniel Street in Portsmouth.

• You love your neighbor, but not their dog? Be subtle and give them dog training/behavior problem services by Lenore Smith of Downward Dog Companion Dog Training. She will come to the dog owner’s home to work with both the family and the dog on anything from teaching simple obedience commands to solving common behavior problems such as barking, digging or house training. She’s at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Don't forget the kids

• Give a membership to the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire in Dover. Give a family membership and help someone enjoy a year of admission to the museum and discounts in the shop. Or, better yet, give your parents the grandparent membership and enjoy some time off while they take the kiddos to the museum, www.childrens-museum.org.

• The Original Buoy Bat! Made by Bill Page of Buoy Sports, it’s the perfect gift for people who love the ocean and baseball equally—a baseball bat made from a real buoy! If they look at you funny when they unwrap it, just look them dead in the eye and say, “It’s what you asked for.” Available at G.Willikers! Toy Shop in downtown Portsmouth.

• Little H. tutus: Custom tutus for your stylish little ones, locally hand crafted by Micaela Demeter in Dover and available at G.Willikers! Toy Shop in Portsmouth, www.littlehbigstyle.com.

• Teach your grandkids what you so thoroughly failed to teach your kids: how to save money. Open a Kids’ Bank account at Piscataqua Savings Bank, with a friendly bear teller for little ones and interactive exercises as they get older and their savings grow. Not only will they be learning to plan for the future, they’ll be learning how important it is to use a local bank.

a scent for all seasons
If fragrance is your thing, but you want to do the right thing by shopping local this season, try these spots around Market Square in Portsmouth.

• Jane Gee at 10 Ladd St.: Owner and artist Jane Gee describes her store as an “eco-porium” with an entire line of body lotions, bath salts and aromatic candles, all made by Jane herself with natural essential oils and no synthetic additives. Make sure you leave with: Try the Pink Grapefruit Body Lotion or Lemongrass Hand Wash – it’s soft and rich enough to stunt-double as a hand lotion. Or ask Jane Gee to help you with a custom blend to suit your own tastes. Customers agree the Sweet Balm cures all manner of wintry skin ailments, as well as making an excellent lip balm.

• Prelude, 65 Market St.: Prelude combines an extensive lineup of well-known labels like Crabtree & Evelyn, Dr. Hauschka, and Mistral with locally-made products like Victorian Lavender-Scented Goat’s Milk Lotion from Jenness Farms in Nottingham and Rosemary Peppermint Soaps from UmaJoy in Rollinsford. They also carry Edwin Jagger’s excellent shaving products for men. Make sure you leave with: Beautiful hand-made porcelain dusting powder containers, with soft lambswool puffs, from Uncommon Senses in Dover.

• Somnia, 107 Congress St.: Somnia is drenched in the sleepy romanticism that fueled a thousand films in Hollywood’s Golden Age. Turns out they also offer some of the most sophisticated scents and skin supplies—Diptyque, Elizabeth W., and  Antica Farmacista, to name a few. Make sure you leave with: Body lotion from Villa Lusso, hand made by Deb Carducci in Massachusetts, and soon to be featured in gift sets at this year’s Oscars.

• Fa La Lo, 7 Commercial Alley:  Fa La Lo is the place to find unusual fair trade and locally-made gifts for people on your holiday list. Make sure you leave with: Portsmouth Soap Company’s new line of small-batch, handmade soaps.  Try the Bay Rum for a spicy shower, or get your tropical freak on with the Bare Naked or Hawaiian Girl scents.

the art of the gift certificate

Reconsider the humble gift certificate. While conventional wisdom has long despised the gift certificate as the unimaginative, gift-giving equivalent of punting, if deployed correctly the results can be brilliant. But skip the boring gift certificate to a chain store; instead, share your favorite unique local shopping experiences with a gift certificate to a local, independent shop or restaurant you want to share. Or, expand your gift-giving horizons by gifting intangible things and experiences you might never have thought of gifting before. For instance:

• for inky people: Tattoos: At this point, since there’s more folks around here with tattoos than without, consider helping them along with a gift certificate to any of the area’s fine tattoo establishments, such as Hobo’s Tattoo (Daniel Street, Portsmouth), Iron Works Tattoo (Congress Street, Portsmouth) or Tattoo Junkies (Route 1, Portsmouth).

• for the flexible: Give the gift of a clear mind and healthy body with a membership to one of the many Seacoast area yoga studios. You can start at www.seacoastlocal.org to find out which studios are located near your loved one.

• for the fatigued: A massage. Sure, rubbing someone’s sweaty, calloused, semi-deformed feet is gross, but it just feels so good! And (here’s the brilliant bit) you can pay someone else to do it. Bliss out your loved ones with a professional massage from any local masseuse. We don’t think there are any big-box chain massageries… yet.

• for hippies: Get a haircut. It will make you seem extra thoughtful to figure out where your loved ones go to get their hairs trimmed, and they’ll be thankful that you’ve already taken care of this necessity. Get your loved one a gift certificate for their favorite stylist, barber, colorist or other beauty professional. Or, if they really need help, maybe you should send them to your favorite, instead.

• for the busy mom or dad: Get the car detailed. Kids can be pigs. So can adults, for that matter. Get them a gift certificate for having their car detailed (inside or outside, your choice) so your loved ones can ride in style.  Luster King springs to mind: 635 Sagamore Avenue  Portsmouth.

• for the film buff: Don’t just send them to the movies… send them to see good movies. Get them a six-pack of movies passes for The Music Hall, available at the box office at 28 Chestnut St. in Portsmouth. DVDs of their favorite flicks and TV shows are also available at nearby Bull Moose Music.