Your Alabama gift guide

When it comes to artists, makers, and small businesses, Alabama is gifted. Whether it’s luxury spa products from Montgomery, heirloom fountain pens from Huntsville, or sweet treats straight from a Gallant sheep farm—you can find something for everyone on your holiday list, all crafted in the Yellowhammer State.

Gifts for foodies

The much-lauded small-batch caramel spreads from Dayspring Dairy are made from sheep’s milk produced on the Kelly family’s 30-acre Gallant farm. The decadent, dulce de leche–inspired True Ewe topping comes in three varieties, including the award-winning bourbon flavor. $8 for a 5-ounce jar.

Family-run premium-tea importer Piper and Leaf offers a boba tea–brewing kit that’s a holiday favorite. The Huntsville operation provides everything from tapioca pearls and a sipping setup to plenty of tea in fun winter flavors like Cherry Christmas and Piper Mint Blues. Kits from $89.99.

The broad collection of kitchenware from Moon Lake Pottery includes colorful fish-shaped containers perfect for storing finishing salts. Phenix City–based potter Toni Street spends weeks on each whimsical sea creature, using bubble glazing to give them unusual patterns. $55. moonlakepottery.etsy.com.

Gifts for homebodies

Give that monstera plant an artful start in one of Sharon Whelton’s propagation sun catchers. The stained-glass hangers come in soft iridescent and bold rainbow colors from Whelton’s Birmingham studio. They can double as bud vases, too. Hanging designs from $134.

Avery Ainsworth, who learned woodworking from her father, launched AA Bedswings and Things during the pandemic. Her handcrafted wooden swings are ideal for whiling away an afternoon on the porch. From $575. fb.com/aabedswings.

Seasonally fitting scents like the pine-forward Walk in the Woods combined with centerpiece-worthy containers make Crave Candle Company a go-to choice for home entertainers. Opt for the luxuriously long-burning dough bowl candles or something from the Birmingham-based maker’s mercurial Steel City collection. From $15.

Gifts for art aficionados

Birds and botanicals dominate the intricate linocut prints hand-pulled by Meg Tannehill Justice Art in Scottsboro. The trained illustrator’s designs, inspired by North Alabama’s hill country and its rich biodiversity, take up to three months to carve and press on 100 percent cotton paper from France. From $37. etsy.com/shop/megtannehilljustice.

From salvaged hardwoods and creative resins, Cary Bone—the one-man show behind Grain Turner—crafts heirloom-quality writing implements in his workshop just outside Huntsville. Among his most popular options? Rollerball, ballpoint, and fountain pens made from used whiskey barrel staves out from Lynchburg, Tennessee. From $65.

Full peonies, ornate dahlias, and lush roses crafted from premium crepe paper add a touch of spring to winter months. Paper artist Thao Hoang’s work is so lifelike that visitors to the Paper Petals Company in Huntsville often mistake it for the real thing. Make-at-home kits complete with detailed video tutorials allow folks to craft their favorite blossoms. Kits from $50.

Gifts for fashionistas

With vibrant colors and patterns that pop, Melanie Wilson of Moody-based Ann and Em Jewelry crafts bold earrings from lightweight polymer clay and resins. From neon bead-encrusted studs to gold-tone dangling sets, Wilson draws inspiration, in part, from the spirited style of her grandmothers, for whom she named her company. From $5.

Orange Beach–based indie optics shop Maho Shades draws inspiration for its chic frames from top vacation destinations across the globe. Made from quality materials—including 24-karat gold hardware and scratch-resistant Trivex lenses—Maho’s sunglasses are designed to blend with the Gulf Coast vibe. From $120.

Bull Hide Denim Company, a one-man workshop out of Wetumpka, tailors classic Western cuts true to size out of durable selvedge denim. Popular styles like The Cowpuncher and The Maverick come finished with a branded hair-hide patch and a craftsmanship guarantee. A women’s line is in the works. $150.

Gifts for relaxation lovers

Skin-care-guru Tenesha Carter launched Aqualime nearly 10 years ago with inventive scents such as lavender lemon and her signature charcoal peppermint. Get a fresh set of four to five botanically infused scrubs, soaks, oils, mists, balms, and bars sent to you every three months with her subscription service. $40.

By popular demand, Alaina’s Collection of all-natural skin-care products added a men’s line last year focusing on all things beard. Spicy citrus, soothing lavender, or unscented beard oils complement handmade shea balm. A brush and conditioning soap complete a seasonal kit available for the holidays. Starting at $40.

Cotton that is grown and milled on Red Land Cotton’s family farm at the edge of Bankhead National Forest goes into every one of the company’s two-ply terry spa robes. The third-generation family farm focuses on sustainable growing techniques and heirloom-quality linens, towels, and bath items. Robes from $180.

Gifts for outdoor types

Who says rugged can’t be stylish? Outdoor atelier Tom Beckbe’s signature Tensaw field jacket boasts an enduring waxed-cloth shell and cotton lining dyed with Alabama red clay for a look that’s as at home on Birmingham streets as it is in the hardwood bottoms. Check for women’s cuts and the popular classic camo pattern. $495.

Montgomery-based tentmaker Catoma boasts nearly three decades of experience and an origin story designing shelters for wilderness firefighters. Today, the quick-assembly SpeeDome is popular with campers of all stripes. From $349.

Stocking stuffers

Peanut Butter Dog Treats made with spent brewing grain from CahaBones. From $9. cahabones.com.

Handmade wooded spatulas from Yellowhammer Utensils. From $18. etsy.com/shop/yellowhammerutensils.

Hand-poured botanical wax sachets from 1818 Farms. $14.

Kids’ color-your-own Christmas tees from Southern Throne Boutique. $15.95.

Upcycled Power Pots from Community on the Rise, which helps those experiencing homelessness. $10. fb.com/communityontherisebirmingham.

Funny and clever vinyl stickers from Longleaf Prints. From $3.

Hummingbird cake mix from the nonprofit WE Made, which employs people with disabilities. $6.

Travel journalist and guide author Jessica Fender has a soft spot for handmade goods, which may be why she’s running out of shelf space. Follow her adventures across the South and beyond on Instagram at @travelerbroads.