Whether you find holiday gift shopping to be a merry mission, a challenging chore or a bit of both, it always feels good to start checking names off your list. It’s even better when your gift purchases are thoughtful, original and more likely than not to be gladly received. Give yourself some bonus points (and cash them in for cookies) for shopping locally and supporting small businesses here in California.
Check out our 2024 holiday gift guide with great ideas for all budgets, and take a look at all of our previous gift guides as well.
(Prices and availability are subject to change)
Blackwing Notebook Essentials Set – Winter Edition
The Blackwing 602 pencil, which gained cult fame in the 20th century for its high quality and distinctive rectangular eraser, was revived by a Stockton-based company in 2007. For a loved one who enjoys writing, sketching, or simply making their to-do lists with the finest tools, give a holiday gift of the Blackwing Notebook Essentials Set. The Winter Edition box set includes a Blackwing notebook, four Blackwing Pearl pencils, a one-step long-point sharpener engineered to create a long, curved point, and a point guard to protect each perfectly honed pencil tip. Choose from blank, ruled or dot-grid paper types for the notebook.
Bear Soapstone Carving Kit
$35 from the deYoung/Legion of Honor museum store
This Bear Soapstone Carving Kit makes an equally sweet and enjoyable holiday gift for children (8 and up) and adults. Inside the eco-friendly packing, find everything needed to create a 3D model of a bear by hand. The mindful project starts with the rough hand-cut soapstone bear shape, which is slowly sculpted using the included kid-safe carving knife, two grades of sandpaper, polishing wax and buffing cloth. Natural color variations in soapstone make each bear a unique color varying from green to brown.
Napa Valley Wine Barrel Candle Holders
$95 from Vacaville Stave Co via Etsy.com
If you have a loved one who would appreciate wine-inspired decor items that are stylish and subtle, consider this set of six candle holders from Vacaville Stave Co. The candle holders are created from reclaimed Napa Valley wine barrels. Winemaking blemishes are left intact, which means no two candle holders are identical, each one exuding its own boozy heritage. The holders are finished with mineral oil, and candles are included.
Vintage Menu Art
Vintage Menu Art, a company based in Los Angeles, collects and preserves vintage menus from as far back as 1813, then turns them into fine art prints that you can order as a fabulous holiday gift. The collection focuses on creatively illustrated menus from the 1930s to 1960, and you can browse them all by state, city or theme. The California collection includes vintage menus from iconic bars and eateries like the Luau Room at Hotel Coronado, San Francisco’s Cliff House, Bob’s Big Boy and Oakland’s Trader Vic’s. Unframed archival prints are available in a range of sizes.
Vintage Pencils Oval Enamel Tray
Even the hardest-to-buy-for friend or family member can make good use of this charming oval enamel tray decorated with a vintage pencil illustration. It’s great for corralling keys and spare change, tidying a desk, or keeping by the bedside for watches, jewelry and doodads. The tray measures approximately 10 x 5 x 0.75 inches, and is available through The Library Store, run by the Library Foundation of Los Angeles.
Maker’s Keep
For crafty, handy, artistic friends and family, the Maker’s Keep from Oakland-based Cocoknits is both a stylish and super-useful holiday gift idea. It’s a silicone slap bracelet – so one size fits all – with a brushed steel-plated magnet for holding any small metal notions close at hand. Plus, the bracelet doubles as a ruler, with measuring lines in inches and centimeters on the underside. The Maker’s Keep is designed for knitters but it’s equally useful for holding pins, nails, fishing thingies, hairpins, paperclips e.t.c. Choose from five colors.
Stag Beetle Sculpture
This awesome stag beetle sculpture is a unique gift idea for that quirky friend or family member who loves art and nature. It’s eco-friendly as well, as each sculpture hand-crafted by Metal Souls is created using recycled and upcycled scrap metal.
Roasted and Sea Salted Pistachio Butter
$13.49 from the Pistachio Factory
From a family-owned pistachio farm in Templeton, this roasted and sea-salted pistachio butter makes a delightful gift for any foodie, including those with dietary restrictions. The pistachio butter is delicious, semi-sweet with the decadent flavor of pistachios, and versatile for snacking and as an ingredient. It’s also 100% plant based, free of gluten, dairy and soy, with no added sugars and made in small batches in a pistachio-only facility. A glass jar makes this made-in-California pistachio butter extra gift-worthy.
Spring Tumbler
Elevate your coffee or tea on the go with this hand-thrown, elegantly decorated tumbler made from speckled buff clay. The tumbler comes with a washable silicone lid, and it’s dishwasher and microwave safe. The handmade item has subtle color variations so no two are exactly alike.
Agnes Pelton (Great Masters in Art)
Anyone who enjoys fine art or is enamored by the landscapes of the California desert will adore this hardcover book by Gilbert Vicario showcasing the works of Agnes Pelton (1881-1961). Pelton was an American modernist and honorary president of the Transcendental Painting Group who settled in Cathedral City in 1932, where she painted symbolic and abstract compositions inspired by the surrounding desert.
Talitha Coffee Subscription
From $19.49/month at Talitha.com
A subscription to the varied coffees from San Diego-based Talitha Coffee could be the perfect holiday gift that keeps on giving throughout 2025. Build a custom subscription from a choice of coffees, such as medium roast Arise, dark roast Ignite and seasonal Winter Slay. All coffees are available in whole-bean or special grinds for drip, espresso, AeroPress and other brewing modes. Your giftee can manage their subscription to select different coffees or pause deliveries at any time. It’s also good to know that Talitha Coffee uses funds from coffee sales to provide advocacy, support and employment for survivors of human trafficking, giving deeper meaning to every sip.
