One of my 2020 and 2021 goals is to cut back on Amazon purchases and try to support small businesses whenever I can. Now that the holiday season is coming up, I am trying to make a consistent effort to buy only from small businesses, especially those by women because we love female-run shops! However, it can be tricky with all the information out there to find high quality, affordable, and unique gifts among all the small businesses opening up. To narrow down all the choices, I thought I would share with you guys some shops I’ve made purchases from in the last six months and why they stand out to me. By the way, what I love about these shops is how easy it is to make online purchases, especially since I have to shop while in quarantine.
Book and Reverie
Okay, this online shop is out of this world! Lia creates the most gorgeous and high-quality candles I have ever seen. I last purchased the autumn lore and magical great hall candles, and they smelled like magic, parchment, and pumpkin. They were worth every cent! Lia even included a cute sticker in my order at no extra charge. The candles are great for friends, family, or even to treat yourself! Lia is a pleasure to work with, always working to create new designs and communicate with customers. What is really cool about this shop is its online presence: on Instagram, you can help vote on future candle creations, and on TikTok, you can watch Lia create the candles from scratch!
Wooodsii
Ariana of Wooodsii just launched her own website for this small business! All the designs are of a unique and adorable aesthetic. I originally found Ariana’s designs on Etsy because I was looking for an unusual, but fun “I Voted” sticker. The shop’s cottagecore designs drew my eye immediately. This shop does not only feature stickers, but stationary, pins, and washi tape too. I can not wait to buy some of the Avatar: The Last Airbender stickers next! If you want to check out Ariana’s past designs, they are on Instagram and TikTok too.
Cunning Linguist Co.
This shop is run by Kari, whose designs I was seeing all over Tumblr. The asexual ghost pin design was a love at first sight purchase for me! The shipping was quick and the packaging was environmentally friendly, which I appreciated. This is a small business that makes excellent stocking stuffers: pins, patches, buttons, stickers, mugs, apparel, totes, and notebooks. Also, the shop description on the Etsy website is the best I have ever seen: “Sassy, feminist, intersectional, inclusive, queer, sex-positive, and kink-friendly flair.” It’s so inclusive! You can also check out the shop designs on Instagram.
CafeChaCha
Colleen’s shop sells feminist, political, and social justice pins. I purchased the Kamala pin, and Colleen has since created a Madame Vice President pin that I also need now. When I made the purchase, not only did Colleen mail me the pin, but also a gorgeous Rosie the Riveter vote sticker and matching print at no extra cost! The customer service for this shop is incredible. This shop is a great place to consider purchasing from this holiday season, especially for your group of feminist friends!
B Cherry Co.
Not only is Bre a Susquehanna alumni, but the designs of this shop are wonderful! I was gifted one of the Hocus Pocus stickers from a friend, and now I want to buy literally every sticker by Bre. The stickers are hardy and diverse across the board, so they are a nice stocking stuffer for everyone on your list. I highly recommend anything from this shop! Plus, if you want to learn more about running a small business, you can check out the shop on Instagram and TikTok.
