Small for All: A DMV Gift Guide for Everyone on Your List

If you didn’t already look to local makers for your holiday gifting needs, 2020 is the year to make the switch. No matter who is on your list, there’s something from an amazing shop or artisan in the DMV to make their holiday merry. Shop small this winter and give a gift to your community, too. 

THE CREATIVE
For the friend brimming with curiosity, here’s everything they need to keep creating and learning. 

Art from Transformer’s FlatFile
Give the gift of art through this evolving collection of two-dimensional works. With a variety of mediums all sized at or below 16” by 20” inches and prices no more than $500, a one-of-a-kind work of art from a myriad of amazing artists will brighten up anyone’s wall for years to come while supporting creators. http://flatfile.transformerdc.org // @transformerdc

The Comptoir Spanish Flu/Covid-19 Embroidery Kit
This embroidery kit for beginners by The Comptoir has everything you need to get started, including an informational booklet explaining different stitches alongside your supplies. The end result is the encouraging message that “We’re all in this together” atop an authentic image from 1917 during the Spanish flu. In addition to a new hobby, this gift is a great reminder of the resilience we all carry and our ability to help one another through tough times. $25. www.femme-fatale-dc.myshopify.com // @femmefataledc

Official Royal Watch Earrings
These wearable works of art will brighten up an everyday outfit or sophisticate a hardworking friend’s work-from-home ensemble. From bright colors to eye-catching metallics and classic neutrals, you’ll find a piece for every wardrobe – and probably want to treat yourself to a pair, too. Various styles and prices. www.officialroyalwatch.com // @officialroyalwatch

Paint My Life Coloring Book
This is the perfect gift for the person in your life who misses the energy of concerts. D.C. photographer Farrah Skeiky took an assortment of her concert photos and turned them into coloring pages that provide a canvas for creativity. $15. www.farrahskeiky.com // @reallyfarrah

“Tattoo a Banana: And Other Ways to Turn Anything and Everything Into Art”
We’ll still be at home more often than not in the coming months, so why not find ways to turn the common things near you into art? In this book, artist Phil Hansen teaches how to “develop everyday creativity with offbeat techniques.” Say goodbye to boredom and hello to endless entertainment. $17 from the National Museum of Women in the Arts’ gift shop. http://shop.nmwa.org // @womeninthearts

THE GOURMAND
For the one who is not only a foodie, but always one step ahead of every edible trend. 

F–k the System Hot Sauce
Do you have someone on your list who puts hot sauce on everything and considers your everyday sauces a walk in the park for their taste buds? Grab them a habanero hot sauce or a habanera mild hot sauce to spice up their holiday season. Plus, this woman-owned hot sauce brand donates their proceeds to the Stop Police Terror Project. Various sizes and prices. www.fuckthesystemhotsauce.com // @fuckthesystemhotsauce

Mocktail Club Variety Pack
Partaking in Dry January? Don’t drink? Just want a booze-free beverage that’s exciting and unique? Give Mocktail Club a spin. This gift-ready variety pack contains four flavors – Havana Twist, Capri Sour, Bombay Fire and Manhattan Berry –for a refreshing and lightly sparkling treat. Cheers! $16.96.
www.mocktailclub.com // @mocktailclub

Pratt Standard Old Fashioned Variety Set
You know the friend, the one with the bar cart boasting every high-end booze known to man and beautiful barware to boot. Instead of giving them another bottle of liquor, try something that will truly take their home bartending craft to the next level. This kit from Pratt Standard will allow them to make the classics and experiment with new creations thanks to True Kola Syrup, True Rich Simple Syrup and Earl Grey Vanilla included. $45. www.prattstandard.com // @prattstandard

“Spirits Sugar Water Bitters: How the Cocktail Conquered the World”
Columbia Room’s Derek Brown crafted this essential history of the cocktail alongside co-author Robert Yule, and it’s a must for any cocktail aficionado who loves to know the ins, outs and history of their food and drink. Once it’s been thoroughly studied and enjoyed, it’ll look great on a bar cart, ready to be referenced during Zoom happy hours – and, hopefully soon, IRL ones too. $39.95. www.rizzolibookstore.com // @columbiaroom 

Yoco Confections Gift Card
Grab a gift card for the foodie with a sweet tooth in your life. This D.C.-based sweets shop boasts a variety of delicious options like gourmet popcorn, alcohol-infused lollipops, barks, chocolates and more. Let your loved ones pick treats to brighten their day whenever the mood strikes for a sweet pick-me-up. www.yococonfections.com // @yococonfections

THE LUXE
For the lover of all things beautiful, enriching and spiritual, to keep them grounded and cared for no matter what. 

Apothékary License to Chill Set
We can all use a little relaxation boost. Give the gift of calm with this set of relaxing ingredients from Apothekary, featuring 12 servings of their Chill The F* Out, Follow Your Gut and Ashwagandha Root blends, packaged with a black vegan leather pouch, gold custom dosing spoon and an on-the-go pouch with single servings of Chill the F* Out and Follow Your Gut to take your newfound chill with you. Cheers to a balanced 2021. www.apothekary.co // @apothekary

District Batch Experience Kit
What’s more luxurious than treating someone to an elevated, vegan, fragrance-free, small-batch, locally made skincare routine? This gift set allows you to enter the world of District Batch with sample sizes of their OCM Ritual, Carrot Glacial Clay Mask, Charcoal + Cactus Face Bar, and Immortelle Tonic. They’ll be glowing this winter and their skin will thank you. $30 at Femme Fatale. www.femme-fatale.com // @femmefataledc

Rachel Pfeffer Jewelry D.C. Flag Necklaces
These necklaces are a fashionable way to wear your love for D.C., whether they make their way to someone who’s in the District to show their hometown pride or to an out-of-town loved one as a memento from our great city (and the person in it sending it their way). Available in brass, sterling silver, and various sizes and prices. www.rachelpfeffer.com // @rachelpfeffer

Sunsoaked Crystals
An array of crystals is a dual-purpose gift, both beautiful to look at and powerful to use. Sunsoaked features an array of high-quality crystals for all needs. Pick up lapis lazuli for self-expression, quartz for healing, selenite to cleanse crystals and energies, and more. Various offerings and prices from Femme Fatale. www.femme-fatale.com // @femmefataledc

We L.I.T. Candles
We L.I.T. stands for “We Live In Truth,” and this one-person, Black- and queer-owned candle company encourages Black, trans and nonbinary people to live their truths as well. With a wide array of scents, organic waxes, raw materials and reusable packaging, We L.I.T.’s candles are a must-have for luxurious, everyday self-care practice. Various prices, sizes and scents. www.weliveintruth.com // @weliveintruth_welit

THE NATURAL
For the one who is always outside, off the grid and enjoying the muddier things in life. 

Capitol Hill Outfitters Gift Card
Give the gift of a weekend away – like, really away – with a Capitol Hill Outfitters gift card. They’ll help plan a camping trip and also offer gear rental for the best back-to-nature experience. If anyone in your life is fatigued from all the indoors time in 2020, this gift will be a literal breath of fresh air. www.capitolhilloutfitters.com // @caphilloutfitters

Clean Hands, Can’t Lose
Even adventurers have to head back home and unwind indoors at some point. This down-to-earth kit has bergamot soap and lotion for scrubbing up, body oil for staying hydrated, incense to ground and relax, and of course, an adorable air plant to keep them connected to nature until their next great expedition. $75. www.shopsaltandsundry.com // @saltandsundry

Kinfield Golden Hour
This might not sound like the sexiest gift on the planet, but to those who are one with nature, what’s sexier than keeping bugs and toxins away while you get outdoors? From the adorable packaging to the citrus vanilla scent paired with the even more effective Indonesian citronella, this DEET-free repellent is as cute as bug spray gets. $22 from Veer & Wander. www.veerandwander.com // @veerandwander

Metallic Watering Can
Do your favorite green thumbs have every plant under the sun by their window? Help them upgrade their plant care game with this watering can from Grounded. Its unique silhouette will look picturesque among a sea of indoor greenery. $40. www.grounded-plants.com // @groun.ded

The Sun Worshiper
Bring some sunshine into someone’s home with this grow-your-own prickly pear cactus kit. While your nature-loving gift receiver may already be one with the plants and have a coveted green thumb, the kit contains a copy of “The Little Book of Cacti” for all their cactus care needs and edification, plus an adorable enamel sunbeam keychain. $50 from Little Leaf Shop. www.littleleafshop.com // @littleleafshop

THE UTILITARIAN
For your most grounded and “with it” companions, featuring things they’ll actually use.

Face Mask by Cathy Olivar Brand
These double-layered face masks by D.C. area designer Cathy Olivar are pretty and practical. With multiple designs and colorways, they’re an easy way to treat the best dressed person on your shopping list, keeping them safe and stylish well into 2021. $6-$12. www.shopmadeindc.com // @shopmadeindc + www.cathyolivarbrand.com // @cathyolivarbrand

Moglea Weekly Jotter
Based on the events of 2020, a dated calendar might prove a
risky investment. Enter this minimalist planner by Moglea, complete with dot grid pages on the left for listing and doodling, and a weekly grid on the right for planning what you can. It’s
the perfect way to help your most organized friend take it week by week in the new year. $26 at Steadfast Supply. www.steadfastsupply.com // @steadfastsupplydc 

Republic Restoratives Hand Sanitizer
Hand sanitizer is a 2020 must-have, so you might as well support a local, LGBTQ- and woman-owned business while you stock up on your sanitizers. Grab one for yourself and to give to a loved one. The elegant white bottle and 16-ounce size will keep everyone on your list elegantly clean this season. $12. www.republicrestoratives.com // @republicrestoratives

Stamptitude Stamp and Wax Seal Premium Gift Set
If you’re in need of something for a friend that loves to do things old school, look no further than this classy stamp and wax seal set. Pick your favorite stamp motif, and hopefully you’ll get to see it in action when your friend sends you a thank you note. $64. www.shoppennypost.com // @shoppennypost 

Touchie No Contact Tools
Cute and useful, a no-touch tool emblazoned with the cheeky “Can’t touch this” or “2020 is just the worst” phrase of your choice is a great addition to the key ring of anyone on the go. Use it to open doors, press buttons, and generally touch less things while out and about. $17. www.shoppennypost.com // @shoppennypost

Enjoy this piece? Consider becoming a member for access to our premium digital content. Support local journalism and start your membership today.