17 Unique, Handcrafted Gifts You Can Find Right Here In LA: 2023 | LAist

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Illustration of a person's hands spinning a clay pot. The illustration is set against a backgound of fuschia and purple colors accented with stars and gift boxes and ribbons.

Explore LA

17 Unique, Handcrafted Gifts You Can Find Right Here In LA

These creative gifts are perfect for some who can appreciate items made by local artisans to match any budget, from a low of $25 to a splurge of more than $600.

By Bonnie McCarthy

Published Nov 18, 2023 5:00 AM

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Handcrafted arts and crafts are gifts with heart and soul. Shop local and support independent artists, makers and shopkeepers with one-of-a-kind works aimed at celebrating creativity and cultivating personal style. Here are 17 ways to do just that.

Still looking? Here's our guide to shopping locally in L.A. this holiday season, and beyond.

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1. Multicolored bolga basket

A photograph of a handmade basket: The bulk of the basket is taupe, but there are also woven in stripes in various colors, including green, yellow, orange, blue, red and an even darker red. The image is set against a decorative pink background accented with stars, gift boxes and strands of ribbon.

The multicolored Bolga Basket, $88, is handcrafted from dyed elephant grass by artisan weavers in Northern Ghana and sold in the DTLA Arts District at The House of Woo. Bonus points for tucking freshly baked cookies or a holiday loaf cake inside.

2. Hand-painted folk art

A photograph of a hand-painted folk art on wood. The image features a figure wearing a hat, bent over so the face is not visible to the camera, holding a mask of a cat in one hand, and a dog in the other. The photograph is set against a decorative pink background accented with stars, gift boxes and strands of ribbon.

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Local artists at Los Angeles-based Blue Orchard Designs create hand painted folk art inspired by Aztec and Mexican themes on oak, Baltic birch and mahogany. Paintings typically range from $30 to $80.

3. Genderless silk scarf

A black, white and red scarf: The scarf includes several symbolic elements, including a portrayal of an eyeball, meant to signify warding off evil, there are images of plant leaves decorating in a square pattern around the edges. The photograph is set against a decorative pink background accented with stars, gift boxes and strands of ribbon.

Designed in Long Beach and inspired by maker Diosa Leon’s Honduran heritage, the 22 x 22 inch genderless black, white and red printed Roatán Evil Eye Silk Scarf, $35, features the Evil Eye for protection, palm trees to represent wealth, and cowrie shells for good luck.

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4. Stylish match striker and spent tray

Several small earthenware bowls that sit atop an attached, saucer-like tray are spread out across a white tabletop surface. Each item is about the size of a small coffee cup, and each container holds several dozen wooden matches. The containers are made of a roughened surface that you can use to strike the match and light it, and then lay the smoldering match safely on the tray below. The photograph is set against a decorative pink background accented with stars, gift boxes and strands of ribbon.

Also available at Maude Woods in Pasadena: Light a flame, start a fire, in a most elegant way. Designed and handmade in Los Angeles by Amy Gordon of A|G Ceramics, the Match Strike with Spent Tray, $45, utilizes the natural roughness of stoneware to spark a flame and then offers a safe spot to place smoldering matches.

5. Silver-ringed pithos vase

A photograph of an earthenware vase that is accented by what appears to be little petals of clay, jutting off the edge of the ceramics. In fact, those marks were made individually by the artist's thumb, and then the artwork was covered in artistic splatters of paint, in blue, yellow, pink, red and green, for a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork. The photograph is set against a decorative pink background accented with stars, gift boxes and strands of ribbon.

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Los Angeles-based ceramicist Sean Gin uses his thumb to create textural pattern on a hand coiled vase that is then glazed with bright, playful color. Silver Ring Pithos Vase, $600, at Kneeland Co Rarities.

6. Froggy Green ceramics

A photograph of a ceramics collection of kitchen items: There are bowls large and small, cups, mugs, saucers and a holder for wooden utensils. The pottery is made out of taupe, earthy clay and then finished off with a vibrant green glaze. The photograph is set against a decorative pink background accented with stars, gift boxes and strands of ribbon.

Inspired by everyday rituals, the Froggy Green Collection of serving ware and home accessories, $12 and up, is designed and hand thrown by Beth Bowman of Bowman Ceramics in Long Beach.

7. Hand-printed backgammon set

A photograph of a stylish backgammon set, with poppy print and green and taupe stripes and a rich black background making up the play surface. The image is set against a decorative pink background accented with stars, gift boxes and strands of ribbon.

Everyone wins with a game set this good looking. Hand-printed Tabletop Backgammon game in poppy red by Wolfum, $225, is designed in FSC certified Baltic birch, features two sets of play pieces, two sets of birch wood dice and is made in Los Angeles.

8. Blackware Wok Bowl

An earthenware bowl that is striking to look at: Most of the bowl is a putty gray, but the edges are a earthy black and there is a dramatic slash of that same black across one edge. The image is set against a decorative pink background accented with stars, gift boxes and strands of ribbon.

Served up in some of the finest restaurants in Southern California and beyond (think: Vespertine, é by José Andrés) , each piece of Match Stoneware is made by an artisan at the studio in Culver City. Handcrafted Blackware Wok Bowl, $65 by Match Stoneware.

9. Hand-crocheted baby toy

A photograph of a baby's teether ring, but it has been crocheted to look like a baby koala is wrapped around the ring. The image is set against a decorative pink background accented with stars, gift boxes and strands of ribbon.

Hand crocheted in organic cotton, each Neococo baby toy, like this Koala Ring, $38, is made by artist Ibtisam Alshaty, is designed and crafted in Los Angeles and provides training, work and financial independence for women refugees resettling in Los Angeles. Other versions of the toy include a blue bird, and a rust-and-tan pony.

10. Sterling silver hat band

A photograph of a black hat with an ornate stripe of hammered silver around its base. The hat sits on a hat stand atop a table inside a shop. The tabletop also contains a sign, a bowl of decorative stones, a small hammer, and another strip of decorative silver. The image is set against a decorative pink background accented with stars, gift boxes and strands of ribbon.

One-of-a-kind adjustable sterling silver hat band, $650, designed by artisan Carol Kron of Long Beach-based Thistle and Stones. The band is crafted and drilled by hand, set with an Ocean Jasper stone and fastened with a tassled, horsehair braid. Custom orders available, through Etsy.

11. Luxury pickleball paddle purse

Photograph of a luxury pickleball paddle case that doubles as a purse, and also has a strap on it. It is sitting on a white tabletop next to a yellow pickleball. The image is set against a decorative pink background accented with stars, gift boxes and strands of ribbon.

Level up their game with The Addict pickleball paddle purse which can be used as a paddle cover or a bag, up to you, and a detachable strap to help you transition. $325, from Los Angeles-based Fenix Sportier. Hand crafted in Italian leather with custom-made hardware from France, each bag is hand sewn and finished by a seasoned artisan who received training in a Louis Vuitton factory. Can be monogrammed and personalized.

12. Pickleballer's luxury gear bag

A photograph of a luxury sports bag that is white and accented with turquoise banding, and the slogan: "Pickleball All Day Everyday." The image is set against a decorative pink background accented with stars, gift boxes and strands of ribbon.

Also from L.A.-based Fenix Sportier: The 24/7 gear bag for the Pickleball fanatic, $225, from is hand crafted in luxury leather and can be inscribed with the motto Pickleball All Day Everyday. (Or you can opt for tennis icons, or golf icons, or just go plain.)

13. Clover bottle vase

A photograph of a dark green vase that is shaped — if you were to look at it from top down — like a clover leaf. The image is set against a decorative pink background accented with stars, gift boxes and strands of ribbon.

An heirloom in the making: Inspired by the architecture of multi-level structures and the intricate design of antique perfume bottles, the nine-pound Clover bottle vase, $475, by BZippy is handmade and glazed in artist Bari Ziperstein’s Los Angeles Studio.

14. Wiggle vase

A photograph of a dark blue vase whose style is captured by its name — The Wiggle Vase — because the sides ripple, zig zag and curve, like they wiggled into place. The image is set against a decorative pink background accented with stars, gift boxes and strands of ribbon.

Also from BZippy: Designed to resemble a cityscape viewed from afar, the Wiggle Vase, $605. Hand crafted with a collage of organic shapes to convey a sense of precarious balance and artistic gravitas. Can be customized through a variety of finishes and glazes.

15. Woven rope stool

A photograph of a stool made out of blonde wood: the seat of the stool is created by a pattern of cream, tape, brown, and dark brown strands of fabric, tighty woven together. The photograph is set against a decorative pink background accented with stars, gift boxes and strands of ribbon.

Also from Neococo: The Woven Rope Stool made by Ines Gomez with solid wood frame and hand woven cotton rope seat, $175, is inspired by daybeds commonly seen in India.

16. Handmade doll

A photograph of a hand-made fabric doll, with long braids, and a smile stitched onto her face. The doll is wearing a pale green plaid dress, with lavendar accents, and she is wearing lavendar striped footwear that also matches her tiny purse. The image is set against a decorative pink background accented with stars, gift boxes and strands of ribbon.

Move over Barbie. There’s a new doll in town. Handmade by artisans in Chiapas, Mexico, Violet wears a sweet gingham dress and is accessorized with a matching handbag and bows, $65, from Heather Taylor Home in Westwood.

17. Engraved glassware

A rustic wooden tabletop is set with glasses of varying sizes, and a drinking pitcher. All the decoratively etched in some way, one glass has ornage flowers on it, another class has etched hearts, while the pitcher is etched with both patterns. The photograph is set against a decorative pink background accented with stars, gift boxes and strands of ribbon.

Each elegantly engraved glassware from the Rose Ann Hall Collection at Maude Woods in Pasadena — $25 and up — is made from recycled materials and provides dignified and empowering work to artisans in an area of Mexico where skilled jobs at a living wage are scarce.

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Credits

Editing and writing
- Rene Lynch, Gift Guide Editor
- Ross Brenneman, Education Editor
- Bonnie McCarthy, Freelance Writer
- Gab Chabrán, Associate Editor, Food and Culture
- Mariana Dale, K-12 Reporter
- Larry Mantle, AirTalk Host
- Christine N. Ziemba, Best Things To Do Reporter
Art
- Erin Hauer, Visual Designer
- Olivia Hughes, Illustrator
Other support
- Sabir Brara, Digital Product Project Manager
- Redmond Carolipio, Copy Editor
- Anne To, Intern, Copy editing
- Chanelle Berlin Johnson, Director Audience Engagement
- Kristine Malicse, Associate Editor, Audience Engagement
- Megan Garvey, Executive Editor

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