If you know someone who wants to sew, gather up some supplies and a couple extra goodies to inspire them. Start with a sewing caddy or tote as your container and fill it up with sewing basics. Needles, spools of thread, pins and a pincushion are musts.
Go further with these suggestions from Tracy McElfresh of Kettering-based Tracy’s Sewing Studio LLC: “Great fabric scissors, Gingher and Mundial are my favorite. You can’t sew without a seam ripper, and my favorite is the Seam-Fix (available at Through the Ages Fabric in Centerville). It has a rubber tip that pulls all of your strings out. Marking tools are valuable to a seamster, as well as a good seam gauge.”
Don’t limit the basket to just supplies. Add a gift certificate for a private sewing lesson or a sewing pattern that you know they’ll love. A handmade piece of fiber art is also a wonderful addition to keep your recipient inspired and brighten up their sewing room. You can find McElfresh’s fiber artwork at her Esty shop, TracySews.
2. “MADE IN OHIO” BASKET
Ohio-themed baskets are a popular gift each year and usually revolve around a specific type of item – people love to get a basket of tasty Dayton-area foods. For this gift basket, however, consider giving an eclectic mix of luxurious gift items made in the heart of it all.
Start with a container that fits — maybe an old Mikesell’s tin, if you can scavenge one, or a scarlet bowl or Ohio-made basket if you can’t, suggested Donna Trent, gift shop manager at Grandma’s Gardens in Waynesville. The Grandma’s gift shop offers a wide selection of local items — basically one-stop shopping for this basket.
Trent recommended a couple of food items, particularly local honey. “One of our employees does beekeeping, and we stock his honey here,” she said. There are also jams from Robert Rothschild in Urbana to consider, as well as cookies — another Grandma’s-staff-made pick.
For a delicious-smelling addition, try Root Candles, made in Medina and goat’s milk soap from Goshen-based Honey Sweetie Acres.
Top your Ohio basket off with an Ohio State ornament or socks, add an “Ohio, the Heart of it All” pillow, and you’re good to go. These make especially good gifts for folks who’ve moved away from the region as a sweet reminder of home.
3. LOCAL BEVERAGE BASKET
To really delight this holiday season, why not take the gift of beverage to the next level?
A small- or medium-sized cooler makes a great container for this set. Start with a sampling of local beers from Cincinnati- and Dayton-area brewers like Yellow Springs Brewery, Mad Tree Brewing and the Rivertown Brewery and Barrel House. Top it off with the pièce de résistance, Esther’s Little Secret by Warped Wing Brewing Company, an annual holiday collaboration between the brewer and Esther Price Candies in Dayton.
Throw in a bottle of local wine or Belle of Dayton liquor, a bag of Mikesell’s pretzels and a logo T-shirt and pint glass from your recipient’s favorite brewery.
4. ARTIST’S BASKET
We’d be remiss if we didn’t include a nod to the area’s amazing arts scene. If someone on your list is an artist, put together a gift to help reach their creative peak.
Use a handmade basket or large, sturdy ceramic bowl as your container. From there, let your recipient’s interests dictate the supplies you include — a set of acrylic or oil paints, some high-end paintbrushes, a set of drawing pencils, watercolors or glazes for pottery are all good choices. Don’t forget a sketchpad!
Add a couple of well-chosen pieces of local artwork. They’re easy to find this time of year at festivals and sales put on by local arts organizations. Try the Dayton Visual Arts Center’s Holiday Gift Gallery for one-stop shopping, Rosewood Arts Centre in Kettering or the gift shop at We Care Arts, also in Kettering.
Round the artists’ basket out with a gift card for art classes or open studio time, an art book or information about upcoming gallery shows in the area.
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