Local Gift Guide 2019

It may be the season of giving, but we’re also looking to give you some ideas for gifts for seasons to come. If you’re looking for a birthday gift, housewarming gift, wedding gift, baby shower gift or to treat yourself to something nice, Pittsburgh’s shops and makers have you covered.

A For the home chef, we love giving these seasoned salt blends from Steel City Salt Co. The one shown here is garlic and herb and let me tell you, your kitchen will have that amazing “I’ve been cooking all day” smell as soon as it goes in the pan. Available at Love, Pittsburgh in Mt. Washington, their stand at 21st and Penn in the Strip District, their new Grant Ave storefront in Millvale or online.

B These beautiful hardwood spreader knives are a great gift for any host. Made locally by the team at Bones and All, these are carried by Schoolhouse. If you are unable to stop by Schoolhouse in East Liberty’s Detective Building, you can snag these online as well.

C Candles are a great gift for almost any occasion. What makes this one special is that the ceramic vessel is absolutely stunning. Instructions on how to clean out the wax are thoughtfully included, so you can reuse it as a catch all or planter. Bombabird has a collection of work that we could just drool over for days. Visit local events such as Handmade Arcade, stores such as Love, Pittsburgh or one of my Columbus favorites; Stump or shop online to purchase.

D When we first came across Jenna Vanden Brink a few years back, I think Nick had to pull me out of the booth. There are so many things we both love about her work from the colors to the delicate line work to the minimal ceramic jewelry she creates. Her pieces make great gifts for Mother’s Day, or as a housewarming gift. A set would be a lovely wedding gift. Catch her at her Sharpsburg studio or over at her Etsy shop.

E We are big fans of Stak Ceramics. You will notice a few of their pieces around our house, and we love giving their products as gifts. Their tablet stand works great in the bedroom or office with flowers in the ceramic vessel, or use it in the kitchen to hold utensils and pull up your digital recipes. This makes a stellar housewarming or wedding gift. You can find Stak at their Susquehanna Street Studios (their seconds sales are great!), in stores such as Love, Pittsburgh, Make+Matter or West Elm or at their online store.

F-G If you’re ever looking for an alternative to a fresh floral arrangement, Roxanne’s Dried Flowers in the Strip District is a good go-to. They have pre-made dried bouquets, wreaths, vessels, plants and other home and garden goods, such as these plantable cards. Yes, it’s literally the gift that keeps on giving. Their shop changes products and displays multiple times a season, so it’s always a good idea to stop by (just don’t ask Nick - he will tell you it’s a personal danger zone for me). They also offer select products online.

H We love KloRebel’s architectural sketches. You can get them as an art print, on coasters, totes, dish towels, etc. This coaster set happens to feature my favorite bridge in Pittsburgh - the Smithfield Street Bridge. When we walk to downtown, we take the Duquesne incline and walk across this bridge. You can visit KloRebel’s Etsy site to see sketches of not only Pittsburgh’s landmarks, but many around the country as well.

I This key ring from Studebaker Metals is gorgeous on it’s own. If you have a friend who is a minimalist, or who is a new homeowner, or if you’re looking to make your set of guest keys something really special, this is a great option. Studebaker hand-forges their jewelry and goods here in Pittsburgh. You can check them out at their online shop to see their range of products.

J This 3D printed ceramic planter is a great gift for anyone who is a plant lover, maker or designer. Coded Clay was founded by someone with architectural training, so it’s no wonder we’re attracted to their products. While a portion of their collection is available online, some products are exclusively available in stores such as Make + Matter or at local events.

K Pittsburgh is nicknamed the “City of Bridges”. Did you know there are 446 bridges in Pittsburgh? Nine of the most prominent bridges are illustrated here by Worker Bird. You can pick up this design as an art print as shown, or featured on a tee or tea towel. You can find Worker Bird in stores such as West Elm, Love, Pittsburgh, Heinz History Center, the Warhol Museum, and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History to name a few. You can also check out their online shop.

L If you’re from Pittsburgh or have lived here, you know the local dialect (yinz, dahn-tahn, jagoff, nebby) and if you don’t know, now you know. This baby onesie by Make Believe is a cute yinzer gift for the new baby or soon-to-be parents in your life. We spotted this at Love, Pittsburgh, but you can also get it online.

M Another one for the kiddos in your life. Full disclosure: this set is made in Portland, but is carried by a brand I’m very happy to see in Pittsburgh - Schoolhouse. I’ve adored their products for years (more on that later) and this simple block set illustrates their passion for simple and slow living with products that are tried and true and will last for years to come. They have a good selection of kids items for the holidays, so catch them in the store or online while you can!

N For your loved one who would like to try their hand at making their own cards or artwork, loves plants or enjoys being outdoors - a press kit. We came across this kit at The Farmer’s Daughter on the North Side, who also has it available online.

O Pennsylvania is the Keystone State. So, why not grab a set of keystone earrings for you and your mom, friend, or sister? These are made by Frost Finery and come in different finishes so you can get the perfect ones for each person. You can get these at shops such as love, Pittsburgh, Pavement, Uncommon Goods, the Carnegie Museum of Art, through Frost Finery’s Etsy shop or through love, Pittsburgh online.

P Art prints by Shane Henderson keep us coming back for more. We love these drawings because, well, we’re architects and these speak our love language. If you have a friend or family member who is an architect or designer, loves old buildings, is into historic preservation, or is just in love with drawings, these make a fantastic gift. They’re available in multiple sizes, and you may spot a couple of these in our house in later posts. You can also find a schedule of events ,as well as stockists such as Love, Pittsburgh who carry prints in store and online, on Shane’s website.

If you would like pointers on gifts similar to any listed above, we can link some for you - just let us know if you’re interested in the comments below.