Shop Small, Shop Local Holiday Gift Guide: Locally Handmade in and around Asheville, North Carolina
Shop Small, Shop Local Holiday Gift Guide: Locally Handmade in and around Asheville, North Carolina
Looking for the best locally handmade holiday gifts in Asheville? Our guide highlights some of the region’s most talented makers, artists, and artisans. This curated guide features everything from watercolor and fine art prints to handcrafted jewelry, small-batch craft chocolate, locally made nut butters, and artisanal seasonings including infused salts and sugars.
Supporting local makers not only helps you find meaningful, one-of-a-kind gifts — it also strengthens our creative community here in Western North Carolina. Whether you're shopping for unique stocking stuffers, Asheville-made home goods, or handcrafted treats, this guide showcases the incredible talent that makes our mountain towns so special.
Explore the full list of featured makers below and shop local this holiday season. Your support keeps Asheville’s artistic spirit thriving!
Some of these featured local makers are also sharing exclusive discounts just for Travel Guides Asheville followers 🤍
Save this guide on Instagram to easily reference & share with friends!
1. Well Seasoned Table
TGA Followers Discount: Use code WSTGA25 for 15% off online orders of $100+. Valid through December 31, 2025.
Instagram: @wellseasonedtable
Local Retailers: Flora Asheville - Asheville • Asheville Botanical Garden - Asheville • Jesse Israel & Sons - Asheville • Olive This! - Asheville • Red Fiddle Vittles - Asheville • Sow True Seed - Asheville • The Rhu - Asheville • West Village Market - Asheville
+ Western North Carolina + South Carolina
About Well Seasoned Table: Well Seasoned Table offers handcrafted, small-batch culinary magic from our Appalachian farm. Our holiday gift boxes feature our best selling seasonings, salts, sugars, and herbal beverages, all made with farm-grown & wild-foraged ingredients. Beautifully packaged and thoughtfully curated, they’re the perfect gift for food lovers, home cooks, and anyone who appreciates unique, flavorful, farm-inspired delights.
2. Three Nuts Co
TGA Followers Discount: Use code TGA for 10% off! Valid through December 31, 2025.
Instagram: @threenutsco
Upcoming Markets: River Arts District Farmer's Market (Wednesday - all winter), North Asheville Farmer's Market (every other Saturday Jan-Mar), Asheville City Market (winter on and off), West Asheville Tailgate Market (Dec 16), Holly Jolly Market @ White Horse in Black Mountain (multiple dates in Dec), LoLex Market (dec 13), Biltmore Park Santa in the Park (Dec 6). Check website schedule for more and updates!
About Three Nuts Co: Inside each jar and chocolate bar is a story about life, love, the places we've been and the places we will go. Food has always been a way to share my journey. While Three Nuts is in essence an exploration of identity and Algerian roots, it is also a reflection of roads traveled, the people we know and the traditions and flavors that others have been shared. We hope to intrigue your senses and challenge your preconceived notions about ingredients, while also sharing our offerings with those around you as an avenue to connect, commune, and find your own creativity in the kitchen or on the table.
3. Mtn. Metalworks Jewelry
Instagram: @emmamacchiarini
Location: 22 London Rd, Asheville, NC
About Mtn. Metalworks Jewelry: Emma Macchiarini is a third generation Jeweler who believes in handcraft, and connection with her customers. She takes custom orders, does repairs, and offers classes in Jewelry making in her studio. Emma pioneered the wedding ring DIY workshop, starting in 2015. Come see what’s so special about Metalworks Jewelry!
4. Audrey Laine Jewelry + Sawyer Home Collection
Instagram: @audreylainejewelry
Local Retailers: Atomic Furnishing (home decor only)• Elementality - Asheville • Woolworth Walk - Asheville • Grovewood Gallery - Asheville • Miya Gallery - Weaverville • The Jewelers Workbench - Waynesville
Upcoming Events:
Open Studio
📅 December 21
🕒 12–4 PM
📌 By appointment
About Audrey Laine Jewelry: Modern bespoke artisan jewelry and home decor inspired by nature, handcrafted by metalsmith Audrey Laine Sawyer in the Blue Ridge Mountains west of Asheville. Jewelry pieces feature intricate hand cut silhouettes + shadowboxes fabricated in sterling silver, gemstones, and shaped wood. Home decor is handmade in collaboration with woodworker Jesse Sawyer. Wall sculpture and tabletop decor feature tropical leaves handmade out of brass with shaped wood bases.
5. Yekaterina Benson Art
Instagram: @ybensonart
Retail Locations: Marquee - Asheville • Old Europe Pastries - Asheville • The Rhu - Asheville
Upcoming Market:
Uncommon Holiday Market
📅 December 6–7
📍 Battery Park Hall, 46 Haywood St, Downtown Asheville
Vibrant and whimsical paintings of favorite local spots: Blue Ridge Parkway overlooks, WNC forests, waterfalls, flowers, and trails. Yekaterina is an Asheville-based landscape painter, hiking the mountains and bringing their beautiful views into people's homes. Her paintings are emotionscapes: visual depictions of what we experience in places that make us feel awe, joy, aliveness, inspiration, or peace. Western North Carolina is rich in places like this, and Yekaterina's depictions of them are loved by locals and travelers alike. Her original paintings and giclee prints make thoughtful gifts for those who love the Blue Ridge outdoors. Whether you're visiting Asheville or call it home, find a piece of art that reminds you of how gorgeous this part of the country is.
6. Bluebird Designs
TGA Followers Discount: Use code TGA10 for 10% off your order! Valid through December 31, 2025.
Instagram: @bluebirddesignsjewelry
Retail Locations: Art Mob Studios & Marketplace - Hendersonville • Ignite Jewelry Studios - Asheville • Woolworth Walk - Asheville
Bluebird Designs was founded in 2010 in Truckee, California by artist Jessica (Hall) Blissett. The brand is best known for its colorful, nature-inspired jewelry crafted in sterling silver and enamel, featuring a signature collection of birds—especially bluebirds. Jessica’s work blends playful artistry with everyday elegance, making each piece easy to wear both casually and for special occasions.
After falling in love with Western North Carolina, Jessica relocated the studio to Asheville’s River Arts District in 2013, where she worked happily until flooding in 2024 forced a move. In April 2025, Bluebird Designs found its new home in downtown Asheville, where Jessica continues to create her vibrant designs. Visitors can explore her reworked artist studio and gallery at Ignite Jewelry Studios, Jessica’s second business, located at 84 W Walnut St Unit A, Downtown Asheville, NC 28801.
7. Pure Ritual
TGA Followers Discount: Use code TGAHOLIDAY for free shipping. Valid through December 31, 2025.
Instagram: @pure_ritual
Retail Locations: Enter the Earth - Asheville • Southern Highland Craft Guild (Grove Arcade) - Asheville • Mars Landing Galleries - Mars Hill • Flow Gallery - Marshall • Center for Craft - Asheville
Upcoming Market:
Southern Highland Craft Guild Holiday Sale
📅 December 13, 2025
🕒 10 AM–4 PM
📍 Folk Art Center
About Pure Ritual: Pure Ritual is a unique collection of copper and gemstone jewelry created to support one’s spiritual practice and assist you on your healing journey! Inspired by sacred geometry, ancient symbols, and elements in nature, each piece is designed to amplify the energies of the gemstones. These energetic adornments are sophisticated and rustic designs that also serve as a talisman to bring balance, emotional well-being, and empowerment in your life. Artist Nina Kawar is using a process called copper electroforming that is Art and Science in one! She is handcrafting the adornments and growing copper around the one-of-a-kind statement pieces in an acid bath with electricity.
8. Folk Saints
TGA Followers Discount: Use code HOLIDAYTGA for 5% off your order. Valid through January 1, 2026.
Instagram: @folk_saints
Retail Locations: East Fork - Asheville • Finch Grocery - Asheville • Flora - Asheville • Haywood Common - Asheville • OWL Bakery - Asheville • Spicewalla - Asheville • The Chop Shop Butchery - Asheville • The Rhu - Asheville
Upcoming Markets:
The Big Crafty
📅 December 6–7
🕒 12–6 PM
📍 Harrah's Cherokee Center
The Holiday Bazaar
📅 December 13
🕒 10 AM–1 PM
📍 North Asheville Tailgate Market
Holiday Market at Carolina Ground
📅 December 14
🕒 10 AM–1 PM
Holiday Market at Farewell
📅 December 21
🕒 10 AM–2 PM
About Folk Saints: Give the gift of slow-cooked tradition this season. Inspired by my Argentine heritage, I make a weekly production of artisan dulce de leche, the perfect gift for the food lover on your list. We ship nationwide every Thursday. Every jar is the result of a 10-hour slow-simmering process. This method ensures an incredibly creamy, silky texture and a deep, complex caramel flavor. Enjoy it on bread, crepes, pancakes or baked goods. It's delicious with fruit, ice cream or just by the spoonful. Inspired by the magical realism of Latin America, the name Folk Saints honors and celebrates stories of magic, miracles and folklore. Learn more about our story on our website, find recipes and inspiration on our instagram.
9. Kai Leia Clay Studio
TGA Followers Discount: Use code TGA25 for 25% off your purchase. Valid through December 31, 2025.
Instagram: @kai.leia.claystudio
Retail Locations: The Cottage Collections - Asheville • Signs of Hope Marketplace - Asheville • Read Me Unconditionally Book Bundles
About Kai Leia Clay Studios: Gina is the creator behind Kai Leia Clay. She is a mother of two daughters and uses her down time to create lightweight jewelry made from polymer clay. She uses a wide variety of techniques and materials to create beautiful jewelry for everyone! She loves getting into the tiny details and always puts a little TLC in each piece.
10. Marble & Steel Craft Chocolate
Instagram: @marbleandsteelchocolates
Retail Locations: Stone Ashe Vineyard & Winery - Asheville • The Trove GVL - Greenville
We specialize in handcrafted airbrushed chocolates filled with silky ganache and delightful textures. Our artisan bonbons and chocolate confections are made in small batches using fresh ingredients with flavors that pair with some of the finest Swiss white, milk, and dark chocolates. Perfect for holiday gifting!
11. Fern & Willow Essentials
TGA Followers Discount: Use code HOLIDAY for 10% off your purchase. Valid through December 31, 2025.
Instagram: @fernandwillowessentials
Retail Locations: Asheville Forager - Asheville • Bobo Market - Marshall • Dog & Pony Show - Asheville • Instant Karma - Asheville • Madison Natural Foods - Marshall • Nature Hollow - Brevard
About Fern & Willow Essentials: Fern & Willow Essentials is a small-batch soap studio based in Asheville, North Carolina, where traditional cold-process soap-making meets refined fragrance and thoughtful design. Each bar is handcrafted in the Blue Ridge Mountains using time-honored methods, elevated scent profiles, and moody, vintage-inspired packaging that feels both nostalgic and modern.
This season, Fern & Willow Essentials brings a touch of quiet luxury to holiday gifting with a collection of soaps designed to turn simple rituals into meaningful moments. From bright, uplifting citrus blends to warm amber woods and herbaceous all-natural scents, each bar captures a mood, a memory, or a place — making them beautifully giftable for anyone on your list. Fern & Willow soaps are crafted in small batches, cured for long-lasting quality, and wrapped in elegant band labels featuring dark navy tones, intricate illustrations, and a vintage-inspired aesthetic.
Whether tucked into a stocking, paired with other local goods, or gifted as a standalone piece, these bars offer an elevated, handcrafted option for those who appreciate artisan-made goods with character and soul. Thoughtful, sensory, and crafted with care, Fern & Willow Essentials brings the magic of Asheville’s maker community to your holiday season — one bar at a time.
12. Clay Magik
Instagram: @claymagik
Retail Locations: Black Mountain Center for the Arts - Black Mountain • Element Tree Essentials - Asheville • Instant Karma (both locations) - Asheville • West Village Market & Deli - Asheville
About Clay Magik: Clay Magik is a Woman-owned business based in Western North Carolina. Every item made is designed, hand sculpted and inspired by the magic and beauty of nature. Earrings are lightweight, durable, and hypoallergenic. Each pair is unique and one of a kind. Specialty items include clay paintings on canvas, wood or metal switch plates. Classes are available upon request.
13. Little Ray of Light Design
Instagram: @littlerayoflightdesign
Retail Locations: Show & Tell Holiday Pop Up Shop (Asheville Mall) - Asheville • Earthy Minds Gallery - Saluda • Local Color - Brevard • The Cottage Collections - Asheville
Upcoming Markets:
Fairview Handmade Market at Turgua Brewing
📅 Sunday, December 7
🕒 11:30 AM–4:30 PM
Show & Tell Holly Jolly Market at The Orange Peel
📅 Wednesday, December 10
🕒 5–9 PM
Holiday Market at S&W Cafeteria
📅 Saturday, December 13
🕒 12–7 PM
BIPOC Holiday Market at New Belgium
📅 Sunday, December 14
🕒 1–4 PM
Holiday Mingle & Jingle Market at The Grey Eagle
📅 Saturday, December 20
🕒 10 AM–3 PM
Ray is a self-taught whimsical wildlife artist inspired to paint after feeding the birds and squirrels in her front yard. Ray's paintings are whimsical stories of the adventures of wild creatures. Black bears, squirrels, beavers, groundhogs, and more fill these vibrant landscapes hand-painted with acrylic on canvas, wood, and recycled materials. The name of her business Little Ray of Light Design comes from Ray’s intention to bring love and light to your soul through creations inspired by the joy of living in nature.
14. Mammal Matt
TGA Followers Discount: Use code TGAHOLIDAY for free shipping. Valid through December 31, 2025.
Instagram: @mammalmattart
Retail Location: Woolworth Walk (Booth 209 ‘Star Holler’) - Asheville, NC
Upcoming Markets:
The Wedge Holiday Market
📅 December 14
🎨 Live hat printing on site!
📍 Plus: Find me on select days at The Grove Park artist stalls
About Mammal Matt: I've been illustrating and screen printing since 2012 and have gotten to work with many of my favorite bands! My style is influenced by natural elements, psychedelia, mythology and the depths of outer space. All my work is hand drawn.
Offered Services Include:
ILLUSTRATION Hand-crafted, custom Illustration created with love to fit your needs. With an array of styles and open-minded approaches, let’s tell your story together.
MERCHANDISE / PRODUCT DESIGN: With over 10 years of experience working with bands, breweries and small businesses let’s work together in making some awesome merch your fans/ patrons will love. My studio runs a full apparel printing press capable of small and large runs.
LETTERING/TYPOGRAPHY: I love bringing a unique, hand lettered approach to my projects, bridging design and illustration together.
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