Shopping small could be a good call for Christmas. You’ll find wonderful stores across West Sound — Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo, Silverdale, Bremerton, Port Orchard and Gig Harbor. We feature 20 small businesses.
We hope this gift guide will help you find the right gifts for your friends and family while supporting small businesses. Of course, prices and products are subject to change. We are confident you will find something that will make your loved ones happy, no matter what you choose.
Furnish Bainbridge is a family-run business that offers customized furniture such as chairs, couches, rugs and more. The staff recommend Aloka blankets, pillows and towels as great gifts. The blankets ($350 each) are colorful and thick, well-suited for Christmas and winter.
At Calico Toy Shoppe, you’ll find gift ideas for your young kids or grandchildren. There are stuffed animals, art supplies, building sets, science toys, baby dolls, baby toys, books and older-aged games. Shopping for a girl, you’ll find racially diverse baby dolls for $46.99. For boys, one idea is marble sets, which come in tons of colors and cost $4.99 per set.
Wilder Grace offers curated clothes from Mabine Layers, Faherty, Paige and more. Additionally, you’ll find jewelry, bath supplies, accessories and candles. One of the largest collections is jeans, which range in price between $128 and $188.
L’Atelier TR rounds out this Bainbridge Island section with food: “locally made chocolates, confections, wine, port, champagne.” L’Atelier sells its chocolate, which it calls “bonbons,” in six different box sizes, ranging from $5 for a two-piece box to $96 for 48 pieces.
This boutique has clothes, mugs, soap, soy candles, jewelry, cards, bags, etc. Unlike many boutiques, Northwest Land and Sea caters to both men and women. Graphic T-shirts and hats are good for male family and friends. Soy candles ($22.50) are a nice gift for anyone who likes home décor or a relaxing ambiance.
Crimson Cove’s is Poulsbo’s go-to place for food and kitchenware gifts, including dishes, wine, glasses, spices and more. The silver and decorative wine pourers are $33 or $37 (“Viking-style”). If your loved one is not a drinker, check out the $7.50 seasoning tins.
The Curious Child is the Calico Toy Shoppe of Poulsbo. There are plastic animals, a plethora of stuffed animals, Legos, games, educational workbooks, crafts, costumes, dolls and baby toys. The stuffed animals sell well, with choices including bunnies, dogs, wild cats or Squishmallows. The stuffed animals range approximately from $18.99 to approximately $49.99.
Everyone has a book nerd among their friends or family members. Away with Words Bookshop & Apothecary has books for adults and children alike. You’ll also find small toys for younger recipients on your list and various lotions ($8 for 1 ounce, $14 for 2 ounces and $25 for 4 ounces) for older loved ones.
Artists’ Edge has paper, frames, paint, pencils, brushes, markers, pens and pastels. Oil paint prices span $8.93 to $23.57 per tube, and according to the store, these prices are lower than in other places. In addition, many paints at Artist’s Edge are from the Pacific Northwest.
This small business is a new addition to the Kitsap Mall. It’s a place to either make your own candle or buy one, with scents like Sweet Amber, Citrus Spice, Lime Basil Mandarin or Smoked Leather. Parents can even bring their young ones here to make gifts for their grandparents. If you don’t want to make a gift, buy a ceramic jarred candle for $28 or some $8 bath bombs that look like doughnuts.
Scrapbook Zone is perfect for scrapbookers who need all types of paper, stencils, ribbon and stickers. The “Letters to Santa” paper is only $1.30 per sheet, with embellishments to cut out or more solid sheets to paste pictures on.
The Bremerton Mercantile is almost a boutique, but with some snacks and beverages for sale as well. You can find a gift for just about anyone here. There is candy, kids’ toys, signs, men’s products, jewelry, Washington state souvenirs, puzzles, sassy candles, cards and Washington-themed candles. Ideas include food kits ($40) and pop-up bouquet cards ($12).
F.R.O.G. Soap costs $7.25 per bar and $3.95 for a half bar. Examples of scents are “peaches and cream” and “soda and bubbles.” You’ll also find laundry and bath supplies, with bath bombs in scents such as orange-vanilla, cucumber-melon and lime-coconut.
Josephine’s Mercantile is a beloved antique store for Port Orchard residents. Don’t be afraid to stop by as an out-of-towner, though. There are knickknacks, glassware, baskets and furniture. There’s also a display of air plants (around $9.50-$16 each), terrariums ($25) and painted shells ($10-$15). A coffee run at the café inside the store can finish off your shopping.
Downtown Port Orchard’s wine shop. Membership guarantees a 10% discount for military, 25% discount on wine and 30% discount when purchasing four or more bottles of wine.
Mainline Music says that it has the biggest collection of strings for instruments on the Kitsap Peninsula. Additionally, there are all kinds of instruments, including guitars, drum sets, keyboards and ukeleles. Amplifiers add to the guitars and range from about $220 to around $750.
This shop has clothes, jewelry, home goods, candles and more. Accessories like hats, shoes and sunglasses also perch inside Dolly Mama Boutique & Home. You can buy a vase, candlesticks, a tray or tableware. There are throw pillows priced between $70 and $116, too. If that is still not your loved one’s preference, look for the perfume — $44 will buy “Smoky Fig” or “Gypsy Soul.”
There is soap, jewelry, candles, clothes, artwork and bath products at Fox Island Trading Co. The Washington-made, Build + Breathe wooden earrings feature mostly oceanic colors and designs for $12-35. You can also go the route of $25 lotion, which comes in Honey + Pear Enzyme, Peppermint Bliss, Honeysuckle, Cranberry Affair, Grapefruit + Pomegranate and more.
This shop has gifts for the foodie on your list — cooking supplies, mugs, alcoholic paraphernalia and a tons of oils and vinegars such as Peach Balsamic Vinegar or Rosemary Olive Oil. For the Love of Spice offers samples, so you can give each a go before buying one for your loved one. The oils are around $25-30 for a large bottle.
Give the gift of experiences. Classes and DIY sessions are available at Lisa Stirrett’s Creative Warrior Studio. Gift certificates are available for those important people in your life. Be brave. Be bold. Be creative.
Mary Beth Barrett is an undergraduate student at Northwest University in Kirkland, studying English. When not in class, she can be found working in Student Services or reading a good book. She is currently...
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