The 2022 holidays are just around the corner + this year you may want to do your gift buying as early as possible. Shop Small Saturday is November 26, Hanukkah starts Sun., December 18, Christmas is right around the corner, and Kwanzaa starts on Mon., December. 26. Long story short — we’ve got some shopping to do. Here’s our list of quali-tree gift ideas.
Visit Shops in Chapel Hill
Sally Mack, has been in Chapel Hill for over 40 years and calls this place home. You can find her out and about daily or at her Chapel Hill boutique, appropriately named SallyMack. A popular item in her shop right now is local textile collage artist, Elaine O’Neil’s 2023 annual calendar brimming with colorful fabric tapestries of favorite places around the Carolinas. Fair warning – these get snagged up fast
Consider the gift of reading. Flyleaf Books, a locally owned and operated book store in Chapel Hill carries new and used books plus hosts author events every week. Among a huge selection of authors, titles and genres in-store and on-line, Flyleaf carries fun and informative books relating to Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.
How do you show your love for your favorite Tar Heel community – you open a UNC fan gear shop. Fifty three years and counting this family owned store has every possible UNC affiliated stuff imaginable. Fight the chill on the hill with this Carolina Blue Beanie with Pom-Pom and Fleece at The Shrunken Head Boutique in Chapel Hill.
Mama Dip fans in the house? Bring the legacy into your home with two cookbooks, Mama Dip’s Kitchen (a bestseller) and Mama Dip’s Family Cookbook. Both available online. and hey, why not get a Southern Pecan Pie while you’re at it!
Staying at The Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill is an amazing experience during the holidays. But, if a stay isn’t in your plans you can still visit their gift shop in person or online for gifts unique to the iconic hotel. We love their fragrant candles that are hand poured locally in small batches from American grown soy wax. Choose from Sweet Carolina with a sweet citrus fragrance, Carolina Inn the Morning with a pleasant clean fragrance and Spring Inn Carolina which has a delicate floral fragrance.
Visit Shops in Carrboro
What better way to remind someone of their home sweet home or entice family to visit than a gift reminiscent of North Carolina. This & That Gift Gallery is a local favorite shop in downtown Carrboro for an eclectic mix of handcrafted jewelry, pottery, wacky gadgets and more.
Housed in a former train station depot, My Muses Card Shop is filled with inspirational cards, artisan paper, journals, arts supplies and gifts to warm the heart. It’s easy to spend an hour in this quaint shop in Carrboro while listening to soft music in the background and perusing every space and corner and happen upon that perfect gift.
Holiday ornaments, hats & scarves, stocking stuffers, wall art & sculptures or gifts for entertaining – all handcafted by local artists – are the focus of local artisans at WomanCraft Gifts, a Carrboro-based co-op of that was founded in 1973. We love the whimsical Holiday Gnome Bells in red or green with polka dot feet. Shop in person or on-line.
Among the several unique boutiques at the historic Carr Mill Mall in Carrboro, you’ll find Sofia’s, a boutique, shoetique and gift emporium. A myriad of gift ideas like Oyster dishes, Hot Buttered Rum mix, and this bee necklace for the Save the Bees enthusiast in your life.
Visit Shops in Hillsborough
Big Spoon Roasters recently made Hillsborough their home for making small batched, handcrafted nut butters and bars. Chai Spice, Maple Cinnamon, Carrot Cake - um, all we can say is YUM! Pick up a trio for gift giving available at our local Weaver Street Market Cooperative and other local stores.
Yee-Haw! That’s what you’ll be saying when you walk into the boot room of Uniquitiques vintage shop in Hillsborough. Always a fashion statement, cowboy boots have been around for aeons and, from what we can see, will be for the foreseeable future especially at Uniquitiques… they have quite a following from artists to musicians to chefs.
A warm atmosphere and unique offerings in the quaint downtown historic district of Hillsborough, that's what you'll find at 108 Churton Street. This boutique offers destinctive home decor, designer ladies apparel and jewelry, plus the most adorable, charming baby gifts.
And for our best furry friends... keep them warm this winter with a fleece vest, sweater and a fuzzy cozy bed from Paws at the Corner, located on Nash Street, Hillsborough’s West End
Part of the lure of ‘main street USA’ are the unique shopping experiences and we have plenty – too many to list here, but you can find more of our favorite stores on the Visit Chapel Hill & Orange County website - shopping
Download a pdf of more gift giving ideas.
Find Made in Orange County gift ideas.
REMINDER NOVEMBER 26TH- SHOP SMALL SATURDAY IN CHAPEL HILL, CARRBORO AND HILLSBOROUGH
(Top image: Sofia's Boutique at Carr Mill Mall)
