Finding gifts for the hard-to-shop-for can take a toll. One Dupont Circle shop hopes to make it easier, by featuring more than 60 D.C.-area small businesses.
WASHINGTON — With the holiday season in full swing, finding new ways to creatively tackle gifts for those hard-to-shop-for loved ones can take a toll.
One Dupont Circle store hopes to make it easier while supporting D.C.-based artists and artisans.
Shop Made in DC (1330 19th St. NW) opened in October and currently gives customers access to more than 60 D.C.-area small businesses.
Forty-eight are showcased on the retail floor alone, and new artists are routinely rotated in. It also has a cafe, which includes its anchor coffee shop, four breweries, a cidery, a distillery, a bakery and five different nonalcoholic beverage producers.
Check out 15 of these local businesses in the gallery below:
Small Planes Coffee and Roastery‘s instant coffee is a notch or two above that Starbucks stuff. Try that or a 16-ounce bag of their Memora Estate blend from Ethiopia, with hints of berries, chocolate and mulled wine.
(WTOP/Elly Rowe)
WTOP/Elly Rowe
Calabash Teais the culmination of years of formal herbalist and naturopath training. Whether you’re looking for a detox (Tea Tox) or a good black tea (Fat Black Pussy Cat), you can find it in the Shop Made in DC store or online.
(WTOP/Elly Rowe)
WTOP/Elly Rowe
Husband-and-wife duo Colin and Sarah Hartman created Harper MaCaw Chocolatewith one objective in mind: turn chocolate into a force for tropical reforestation. Keep an eye out for dark Brazilian, bourbon-barrel-aged and winter spice varieties.
(WTOP/Elly Rowe)
WTOP/Elly Rowe
Wear that D.C. pride on your chest with unique T-shirt designs by Territory‘s Toby Bokum-Fauth, featuring familiar historic Washington landmarks, neighborhoods and more.
(WTOP/Elly Rowe)
WTOP/Elly Rowe
Victory Dance Creative‘s prints portray classic D.C. neighborhoods through vibrant bursts of color and shadows. Screen printer Anthony Dihle loved making these prints so much that he opened a studio where he could do it full time.
(WTOP/Elly Rowe)
WTOP/Elly Rowe
Handmade Habitat‘s all-natural soy candle and beauty goods are meant to nurture and inspire endlessly. Owner Amina Ahmad makes the sweetest pair of letterpress matchbooks to go with them, too.
(WTOP/Elly Rowe)
WTOP/Elly Rowe
Printed Wild‘s designs are fun, tropical and fresh, and printed on everything from gift wrap to shoulder bags.
(WTOP/Elly Rowe)
WTOP/Elly Rowe
From cheeky greeting cards to onesies, Mariko Iwata’s designs for Mik’s Letterpressare spunky and lighthearted, with D.C. humor woven right in.
(WTOP/Elly Rowe)
WTOP/Elly Rowe
The feeling of drinking from a handmade ceramic mug just never gets old. Hollow Work Ceramicsmakesdrool-worthy earthenware that’s a great gift for a loved one (or for yourself).
(WTOP/Elly Rowe)
WTOP/Elly Rowe
Much of the furniture you see at Shop Made in DC is handcrafted by Godet Woodworking and Furniture.Adam Godet is a master at coaxing wood to serve a variety purposes, creating pieces that are meant to last a lifetime.
(WTOP/Elly Rowe)
WTOP/Elly Rowe
True Syrups and Garnishes‘ creations are great authentic ingredients for pre-prohibition concoctions.
(WTOP/Elly Rowe)
WTOP/Elly Rowe
Mallory Shelter Jewelryis versatile, whether it’s worn by itself or is delicately layered.
(WTOP/Elly Rowe)
WTOP/Elly Rowe
Shea Yeleen Health and Beauty‘sshea butter products are dedicated to empowering women in West Africa and the United States.
(WTOP/Elly Rowe)
WTOP/Elly Rowe
8 Myles LLC‘s gourmet sauces and rubs offer eclectic flavors (and have no processed sugar).
(WTOP/Elly Rowe)
WTOP/Elly Rowe
Lil Fishy‘sattire is inspired by both Asian and Western culture, and is made for the eco-conscious shopper.
(WTOP/Elly Rowe)
Owner Stacey Price said there is definitely a little something for everyone on the holiday shopping list.
For those who may be a little indecisive, Shop Made in DC gift cards are also available, as well as themed gift baskets with an array of products from throughout the store.
The local flavor stands out to shoppers who want original, creative gift ideas for parties, white elephant exchanges and that special someone who somehow seems to already have everything.
The waiting list for artists looking to be featured in is already more than 250 and growing by the day, Price said. But in choosing who gets featured, it’s all about what customers like (the D.C. flag, for instance) and retail readiness.
Being able to produce on a larger scale, look professional and keep up with store demands is the biggest challenge of managing a store like Shop Made in DC, she said.
“With all of these makers, what keeps us from selling more of their goods is not having their goods,” Price said.
“Our biggest challenge is not having items on our shelves.”