10 WAYS TO SHOP LOCALLY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
Edmonton-area makers and small businesses let you get creative for your loved ones
Shopping local for the holidays is important for Edmonton. Supporting local businesses and makers helps the city remain vibrant, while these creators and businesses allow Edmontonians to give thoughtful gifts when Christmas rolls around.
Here are some suggestions to keep your gift-buying local this season:
GRINCH TREE
These cute little arrangements are perfect for anyone who can’t quite fit a full-sized spruce into their home. Made of cedar, fir and silver boughs harvested in British Columbia, Grinch trees have the same fresh aroma as the real thing. As far as decorating goes, there are lots of possibilities. Go with the store’s five default colour pallettes, or ask for something custom. If you’re hoping to buy the smallest, 10-inch version at $50, make sure to call in to order, as online pricing starts at $75.
Where to get it: Laurel’s on Whyte, 8210-104 St.; also available online
Price: $50 to $150
Information: www.shoplaurelsonwhyte.com
DUCHESS COOKIE BOX
You really can’t go wrong with cookies, so consider a Duchess holiday cookie box. The contents are a bit different to what’s normally found in the bakery, as some treats are made exclusively for this set. They’re available by online preorder only, so make sure to plan ahead when ordering.
Where to get it: Must be ordered online; pick up at Duchess Bakery, 10718-124 St.
Price: $35 for box of 18, $68 for box of 35
Information: duchessbakeshop.com
THE TEA GIRL 2018 ADVENT CALENDAR
This advent calendar contains two teaspoons of tea for each day for the 24 days, 22 of which are flavoured at The Tea Girl. Because the flavouring is done in-house, most of the calendar teas are allergen free (although teas with allergens can be swapped out if needed), and all are completely vegan and nutfree. Cheating doesn’t work with this set, either, because the labels are on the inside of the tins.
Where to get it: The Tea Girl, 12411 Stony Plain Rd.
Information: theteagirl.com
Price: $50
GERMAN DREGENO WOODWORKS
From tea light-powered propellers to incense-breathing nutcrackers, the Wildbird General Store has a wide range of German handcrafts this season. Each woodwork was made by German woodworking company Dregeno, and imported for the holiday season.
The designs vary widely, and some narrow, carved scenes fit perfectly in the windowsill. Candle arches and Christmas pyramids (wooden structures with rotors powered by the heat from tea lights below) work more as centrepieces.
Where to get it: The Wildbird General Store, 4712-99 St.
Price: $35 to $800
Information: www.wildbirdgeneralstore.com
LUX BEAUTY BOUTIQUE CURATED GIFT BOX
The gift boxes at Lux are an energy saver if you’re not a skincare and makeup enthusiast. Just tell them who you’re shopping for (friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, mother, grandmother, etc.), set a price point, and they’ll figure the rest out. Boxes can include bath bombs, candles, skin-care products, shaving care, hair care — anything really.
Orders can be made online, but the staff will be able to build a more personalized box if it’s done over the phone.
Where to get it: Lux Beauty Boutique, 12515-102 Ave; also available online
Price: $50 to $200
Information: luxbeauty.com
PARCEL + PROSE GIFT WRAP, STOCKING STUFFERS
Anyone looking for unique and cute packaging for under the tree may want to check out the locally owned Parcel + Prose. A Santa hatwearing meerkat pattern is among this year’s batch of 15 holiday wrapping-paper styles, available in three-sheet rolls and 22-inch by 30-inch sheets. Gift bags and tags are available in all sizes as well. The shop carries a selection of stocking stuffers: socks, soaps, Christmas crackers, holiday candles, and matchbox-sized games.
Where to get it: Parcel + Prose, 10524-124 St.
Price: $5 to $9 for sheets, $13 for rolls
Information: parcelandprose.com
BOB ROSS MERCHANDISE
For the art lovers out there, some Bob Ross merch might do the trick. The legendary painter has joined the shelves of When Pigs Fly, with gifts that include stickers, mugs and pins. On the larger side are jigsaw puzzles of the serene landscapes created on The Joy of Painting, as well as sprout-growing Chia Pets in the form of Bob Ross. Given their size, a lot of these items can work as Secret Santa gifts or stocking stuffers.
Where to get it: When Pigs Fly, 10470-82 Ave.
Price: $9 to $30
Information: www.whenpigsfly.ca
EDMONTON ACTIVITY BOOK
With a backdrop of illustrated local landmarks, Hello #YEG: An Edmonton Activity Book by Jason Blower is designed to help young Edmontonians engage with the city — and their schoolwork. The book’s 160 pages contain histories of local landmarks, with mazes, word searches, puzzles, as well as colouring and matching activities. The book is built on Alberta’s Kindergarten to Grade 3 curriculum, covering math, science, language arts and history.
Where you can get it: Online at snowalligator.com; on the shelf (supply-depending) at TIX on the Square, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, Art Gallery of Alberta, Chapters, Indigo and Coles, The Italian Centre, Audreys Bookstore, Muttart Conservatory. Information: www.helloyeg.jasonblower.com
MODERN GRAVITY FLOAT STUDIO SESSION
It’s a gift of nothing — just floating for an hour in a giant bathtub. It’s a great way to give someone a break from the stress of the holiday season. The experience isn’t likely to feel claustrophobic either, as float studios at locally owned Modern Gravity have Seven-foot ceilings that can be lit up to look like a starry sky. Open from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. every day, a gift float will fit into even the busiest schedules.
Where to get it: Modern Gravity Float Studio, 10945-120 Street; also available online
Cost: $65 for one session, $99 for two sessions
Info: www.moderngravity.ca
LOCALLY DESIGNED CALENDARS
Calendars are a gifting staple that can be made even better by local artists, so here are a few places to start. Edmonton-based Ochre Lea is releasing a hand-carved block-print calendar featuring lively, green foliage for 2019, while Edmonton and Montreal-based Mezzaluna Studio has a 2019 midcentury calendar and a perpetual abstract wall calendar this season. Calgary-based Scout Paper Goods has a calendar with paintings of glass jars containing natural objects such as honeycombs, flowers and mushrooms. For a bit of everything, try the hand-printed Society of Northern Alberta Print-Artists (SNAP) Gallery ’s annual calendar, with the work of 12 local artists. Where to get it: Available online from SNAP Gallery (snapartists.com), Ochre Lea (ochrelea.com), Mezzaluna Studio (mezzalunastudio.ca) and Scout Paper Goods (scoutpaper.com).
Cost: $38 to $60