17 Maker-Made Gifts That Are Sure to Spread Some Holiday Cheer

Nov 23, 2016

The holidays are a time to spread cheer and do good unto others. And this year, it feels as though we all need a little extra of both. Which is why we’ve teamed up with Handmade at Amazon to curate this gift guide filled with amazing products that share messages of love, laughter and support. These unique, handmade items are crafted by artisans and are guaranteed to make spirits bright. So read on and enjoy!

1. Comfort + Joy Vintage Spoons by Milk & Honey Luxuries: This seasonal message is hand stamped into a beautiful vintage spoon. The silver plated piece is just the thing for the coffee or tea lover in your life.

2. All Is Calm All Is Bright Gold Foil Poster by Digibuddha: Made by hand in a small shop outside of Philadelphia, this print is the perfect thing to bring some joy into a BFF’s house this holiday season.

3. Happy Holidays Letterpress Coasters by Ruff House Art: Ho, ho, ho! The holidays are most definitely here, which means Christmas parties abound. These adorable letterpress coasters make great stocking stuffers for your resident hostess with the mostest.

Sending Positive Vibes

4. “Here Comes the Sun” Art Print by Lyrical Artworks: Help fight the winter blues by bringing a little sunshine into a loved one’s life. This art print is sure to brighten anyone’s day, especially for friends or family experiencing a very white and stormy winter.

5. “Be Happy” Large Coir Doormat by InspireLifeToday: Give someone the gift of happiness with this “Be Happy” doormat. It’s the perfect way to send good vibes to the world all year round.

6. Sharing the Joy Around Wood Fire Soy Candle by Pure Palette Scents: This soy candle made by Pure Palette Scents is ideal for a newly cohabiting couple. The woodsy aroma of cedar and pine is reminiscent of a cozy cabin in the snow.

7. Amazing Things Will Happen Wood Journal by Cardtorial: For the dreamers, give them the gift of a blank page. Let them fill this handcrafted journal with their many adventures and ideas.

Giving Love and Support

8. “You Are Special” Hand-Painted Vintage Plate by Casa & Co. Design: We may not always remember to tell someone we love that they’re special, so give them a constant reminder of how you feel with this vintage, hand-painted plate.

9. Grateful and Thankful Wine Bag by Graceful Greeting Co.: Wine or a bottle of bubbly is the ultimate host gift. Take it to the next level with this sweet wine bag and let your host know how you really feel.

10. Where You Lead, I Will Follow Tote Bag by Genuine Design Co.: Your bestie will know that you have her back with this canvas tote. Give it as a stand-alone gift or fill it with a bunch of other goodies.

Spreading Joy and Laughter

11. The Snuggle Is Real Pillow Cover by Parris Chic Boutique: ‘Tis the season for getting real cozy and cuddly! This handmade pillow cover is totally legit for the snuggle bunny on your gift list.

12. Set of 3 Funny Kitchen Towels by RusticHomeByDesign: These punny towels will bring a smile to the Top 40 music lover in your life and will add next-level cuteness to any kitchen.

13. Of Course I Drink Like a Fish, I’m a Mermaid Stemless Glass by EtchPressYourself: There are no judgements here! This hilariously etched glass is AMAZING for your wine-o roommate or friend.

Crafting Custom Messages

14. Custom Zip Bag by Shop Sandra Smith: OMG! Send a super secret message to a loved one with this custom bag. What a fun way to reveal how you really feel.

15. Mason Jar With Flowers Personalized Cutting Board by Bloxstyle: Know a pair of newlyweds? This super cute personalized cutting board is a great way to commemorate their union.

16. Miss You Wood Ornament – Customize City and State by Greta’s Handmade Gifts: With these hand-painted ornaments, let a long-distance friend know that even though they’re far away, they’re still close to your heart.

17. Personalized Gold Bar Necklace by The SIlver Wren: Everyone could use a little extra bling! Share a message of gratitude or one of your choosing with this beautiful hand-stamped custom necklace.

How will you be spreading holiday cheer? Tweet to us to let us know and include #handmadeatamazon!

Photos via Amazon.

30 Bougie But Affordable Gifts To Spoil Everyone On Your List

Charles Chocolates

Chocolate Brand

December always has a way of sneaking up on us with a frenzy of cute holiday decorating, festive gatherings, and dreaming up the best gifts for our besties. If this month has you feeling more frazzled than festive, don’t worry—we’ve got you (and them) covered.

Charles Chocolates

Charles Chocolates Winter Fleur de Sel Collection

We partnered with Charles Chocolates, the award-winning artisanal chocolate brand, to create a gift guide filled with unique and just-a-little-bit bougie finds, because everyone deserves to treat themselves once in a while, holiday season or not! From a plushy robe and scented candles to a box of the most creative handmade chocolates, including a chocolate box you can actually eat, these picks are perfect for everyone on your list — and maybe even a little treat for yourself.

Score a FREE Charles Chocolates Bar when you spend $25 or more!

The Coffee Lover

Brit + Co

Charles Chocolates Winter Collection Edible Chocolate Box

These coffee-lover gifts, including a colorful French Press and adorbs mug, are sure to perk up your day — and theirs! Pair your morning cup with a delicious piece of handmade chocolate for the ultimate sensory experience. You can literally eat the box in this Winter Collection from Charles Chocolates filled with Fleur de Sel Caramels, Peanut Butterflies and Milk Chocolate Caramels. SO good!

Featured:
Charles Chocolates Winter Collection Edible Chocolate Box
Bodum x World Market 8 Cup French Press Coffee Maker
Handheld Electric Rechargeable Milk Frother for Coffee
Rika Mug
Williams Sonoma Coffee Scoop With Clip

The Cozy Homebody

Brit + Co

Charles Chocolates Holiday Collection

For the pal who loves to stay in and get cozy, here’s a cute kettle for steeping her favorite tea, some cozy wears, and Charles Chocolates Holiday Collection with flavors like Pecan Fleur de Sel Caramel, Cinnamon Spice Truffle, Orange Zest Truffle, and Maple Truffle. Charles Chocolates are all natural so it’s real chocolate vs. a sugary (read: cheap) substitute. The flavors are so unique and fun to taste-test. It’s the perfect gift for when you’re feeling indoorsy!

Featured:

Your Holiday Crush

Brit + Co

Charles Chocolates Peppermint Bark

Sneak a fancy chocolate bar, like Charles Chocolates Peppermint Bark Bar, made with homemade peppermint candy, in your S.O.’s stocking, plus some essentials for the camper, music lover, and beanie wearer!

Featured:

The Sweet Tooth

Brit + Co

Charles Chocolates Bittersweet Chocolate Santa

Sweet tooth be gone with Charles Chocolates Bittersweet Chocolate Santa Clause. This thing is not small, weighing in at 3 lbs. of deliciously rich chocolate. Adults will actually enjoy this vintage-style Santa as much as kids! Pair with a bottle of wine dressed in an adorable bow, a cake stand candle (so cute!), darling dessert plates, and/or a baking lover’s cookbook! Toss some mint chocolate almonds in stockings too!

Featured:

Your Jewish Bestie

Brit + Co

Charles Chocolates Hanukkah Collection Edible Chocolate Box

There’s a lot of talk about Christmas this time of year, but not all of our friends celebrate. And this year, Hanukkah starts on Christmas day so we can celebrate together! Gift your bestie who celebrates the Festival of Lights with this Hanukkah Collection Edible Chocolate Box filled with flavors like Fleur de Sel Caramel, Passion Fruit Heart, Espresso Caramel, and Meyer Lemon Yankee. They might also enjoy a new cookbook celebrating their heritage, cozy slippers, jewelry, and an artful wine decanter for the holidays. Candle-lighting matches are a perfect stocking stuffer or White Elephant gift too!

Featured:

Score a FREE Charles Chocolates Bar when you spend $25 or more!

Hallmark’s First-Ever Dating Show Is Coming So Soon

"What would you do if your entire family, and your hometown, set you up to find love?" That's the question Ashley Williams poses in the first Small Town Setup trailer, coming to Hallmark+ in 2025. And if anyone has the answer, I have no doubt it's Hallmark — if anyone knows about warm, cozy, and sappy romance it's them! Even if you're not a huge reality dating show fan (or if you couldn't stop watching Reese Witherspoon's Love in Fairhope) this is one January TV show you won't want to miss.

Here's everything we know about Hallmark's dating show Small Town Setup, hosted by Ashley Williams.

'Small Town Setup' puts you right in a Hallmark movie.

All six episodes of Small Town Setup premieres on Hallmark+ on Thursday, January 2, 2025, and is hosted by Ashley Williams, who you'll recognize from movies like Falling Together and Two Tickets to Paradise as well as How I Met Your Mother.

Just like your favorite Hallmark movies are all about finding love, Small Town Setup focuses on singles coupling up. The show will follow a single who "has made it in the big city, but has yet to find love." And their concerned parents (definitely a Hallmark trope and an IRL trope...) get the whole neighborhood involved in finding three potential matches.

"When the singleton arrives home for a visit, they are presented with dating options curated by their hometown. After three dates, will they find love in their hometown? Or head back to the big city? All is revealed at a big town hall event, full of heart, warmth, and a few laughs along the way."

Okay, getting the entire town involved in my love life sounds crazy, but the whole community coming together for a town hall event sounds exactly like the kind of sweet and sappy event my life needs. (Listen!! Dating as a 20-something in the city is harder than I expected...)

Throughout the trailer we see our singles looking for love around their hometown, going on small town dates, and finding connection in the most unexpected places. Yeah...I'll be tuning in — especially since Small Town Setup is totally giving Gilmore Girls.

Check out the 11 New January 2025 Movies Viewers Will Adore — and you'll want to add to your calendar ASAP!

pop culture entertainment hallmark tv

Collaboration Hacks Every Small Business Owner Should Know

Verizon

verizon

In our Take 5 series, sponsored by Verizon, we ask women in business about unexpected challenges, their inspirations, recent wins, and how the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program has helped propel their business forward. Here, we meet Therise Edwards, founder/CEO of Teshley Solutions, an education consultancy firm that helps students and families navigate the complexities of the education system K through 12.

What is an unexpected business challenge that you faced and how did you overcome it?

I wouldn't call myself a FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid) expert, but I ended up having to know a lot more about it than I ever anticipated. FAFSA is what administers Pell Grants, which is what a lot of colleges base their financial aid on. I knew about the application changes, and some were excellent, but they made a series of critical errors and a lot of parents were scrambling. It was not my intent to have this as my area of focus; it just became a necessity.

What's a recent small win for your business?

Recent small wins are my collaborations. I formed partnerships with one organization that focuses on students with special needs. I hosted a webinar with the executive director of that organization. I formed a partnership with members from an insurance company on planning and paying for college. That was my first corporate sponsorship. And I've got a series of events coming out because others actually reached out to me. One of them I met through another networking platform, but I got to that platform from one of the sessions that I did with Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program.

How did you start to collaborate with external partners?

Just changing my strategies and my approach, and just being more secure and more emphatic in making connections. It ends up being this continual cycle.

Is there a woman in business that you admire or that you look up to?

I have two. Leontyne Anglin, who runs a nonprofit called Beyond Expectations. She works with a small pool of students, but she just gives them enormous exposure and opportunity. She's brilliant with collaborating with individuals and businesses and really bringing the students what they need. And then the other on a bigger scale is Cate Luzio, founder and CEO of Luminary, who taught her Business Plan Bootcamp through the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program. She is just a dynamo. She is just so supportive of women entrepreneurs. She's awesome.

How did the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program help propel your business forward?

All of the collaborations and partnerships with the exception of one all came from joining the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program. I’ve taken all of the free classes and the one on projections and pricing, something every entrepreneur struggles with, was very helpful. There have been so many of them. Sometimes you're completely ignorant in a category so you take the class and it's like, okay, that's good to have. But then sometimes you sign up for it and it's like, oh, yeah, I did know 90 percent of that, but this other 10 percent is going to be very, very helpful.

Learn more about the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program and Teshley Solutions.

Illustration by Daniela Jordan-Villaveces

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12 "Outdated" Travel Destinations To Avoid In 2025 (Thanks, Overtourism!)

Tourism can be a blessing for the economy of many cities around the world, but it often comes at a price. Destinations like Venice and Bali are iconic for a reason — they’re unique, breathtaking places that lure travelers from around the globe. But when a travel destination becomes too popular, it risks losing its charm and overcrowding can strain infrastructure, inflate costs for locals, and disrupt the peace and quiet of small, serene towns.

Here are 12 destinations that have struggled with overtourism. The good news? Many are implementing smart strategies to balance tourism with sustainability. Planning to visit? Consider booking during the off-season for a more authentic and enjoyable experience or try these hidden gems.

Pixabay

Venice, Italy

Cruise ships and swarms of tourists have overwhelmed this picturesque city, leading to overcrowded canals, damaged infrastructure, and skyrocketing prices. The local population is dwindling as Venetians leave due to the city’s unsustainable tourism boom. Last spring, in an effort to manage the influx, the city put into effect an entry fee for day-trippers and has limited cruise ships docking its shores.

Oleksandr P

Bali, Indonesia

Once an idyllic paradise, Bali now suffers from traffic congestion, environmental degradation, and overcrowded beaches. The island’s resources are strained under the weight of mass tourism, but there are efforts underway to promote sustainability like putting a moratorium on new hotels.

Willian Justen de Vasconcellos

Machu Picchu, Peru

Overtourism has led to erosion and damage to this ancient Incan citadel. A quota system and mandatory guides are helping preserve this popular South American destination.

Darren Lawrence

Tulum, Mexico

Once a tranquil paradise known for its pristine beaches, ancient Mayan ruins, and eco-chic vibe, Tulum has become a cautionary tale of overtourism. The surge in popularity, fueled by Instagram-worthy scenery, has brought overcrowding, environmental strain, and rising costs. The Guardianreported that locals are being pushed out by developers and despite the thinking that tourism helps local communities, poverty nearly doubled between 2015 and 2020. Local ecosystems, including fragile mangroves and coral reefs, are threatened by unchecked construction and pollution too. The local ruins have implemented stricter rules like no food or drink to limit trash and environmental impact from tourists.

Jimmy Teoh

Santorini, Greece

Instagram fame has turned this once-serene island into a tourist hotspot. Narrow streets are perpetually clogged, and locals are struggling with soaring costs of living due to tourism demand. The government has since capped the number of daily cruise ship visitors to keep overtourism at bay.

Chait Goli

Cinque Terre, Italy

Known for its colorful cliffside villages and breathtaking coastal views, these once-quiet fishing towns now see millions of visitors annually, way more than they can handle. To combat issues like congestion and cruise ships, local authorities have introduced visitor caps and encourage sustainable travel to protect Cinque Terre’s charm.

Rudy Kirchner

Reykjavík, Iceland

Is there anyone not going to Iceland these days? A small country with breathtaking landscapes, Iceland has been overwhelmed by tourists flocking to Instagram-famous sites like the Blue Lagoon and Diamond Beach. It's best to travel during the off season (November to April) and travel to lesser known spots like the Sturlungalaug hot spring.

youseflns

Maya Bay, Thailand (Phi Phi Islands)

This iconic beach, popularized by the DiCaprio film The Beach, suffered ecological devastation from hordes of visitors and anchored boats. Coral reefs were destroyed, and the beach was closed for years to allow recovery. It has since reopened after a huge revitalization project, but they have introduced visitor caps.

Pixabay

Kyoto, Japan

Traditionally quiet streets of this ancient capital city now teem with tourists during peak season. An increase in litter from tourists has required the city to install more trash bins to handle the crowds, and peaceful geishas are often chased down for photos. To mitigate the problem, Kyoto is considering running special buses to popular sites to reduce overcrowding, and temples and shrines are encouraging visitors to come early in the morning.

Prabin Sunar

Mount Everest, Nepal

The ultimate challenge for adventurers, Mount Everest has experienced overcrowding on the slopes and at base camps, leading to dangerous conditions, with litter and human waste piling up on the mountain. Permits are now harder to get, and stricter regulations for climbers are being enforced.

Mateusz Popek

Dubrovnik, Croatia

The Game of Thrones effect brought an influx of fans to this medieval city. Overcrowded streets and cruise ship arrivals have made it difficult to appreciate its beauty. The local government is taking steps to limit daily visitors and impose stricter cruise ship regulations.

Helena I

Lisbon, Portugal

Short-term rentals dominate the housing market now, thanks to affordable flights and the digital nomad craze. This has led to skyrocketing rents and displaced locals. Historic neighborhoods are inundated with tourists, making them less charming too. Everything from public transport to waste management struggles to keep pace with the influx. I went in December and it still felt a bit like Disneyland. Douro Valley and Madeira might be more favorable destinations any time of year.

Cure your wanderlust in 2025! Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for more travel ideas!

travel destinations overtourism travel 2025 where to travel european travel asian travel japan bali venice travel

13 Yummy Christmas Cookies From Around The World

Heaping plates of Christmas cookies are synonymous with the holidays. It seems that nearly every country around the globe has their own variation on the holiday classic. In fact, some of these regions have been making their version of Christmas cookies for literal hundreds of years.

If you’re looking for a way to reconnect with your heritage, or maybe just want a little baking inspiration, check out our picks for the yummiest Christmas cookies from around the world.

The Noshery

Mantecaditos con Guayaba

These may look like ordinary thumbprint cookies, but these almond shortbreads from Puerto Rico are filled with a special guava marmalade. (via The Noshery)

Broma Bakery

Meringues

French meringues are a classic crumbly egg white cookie with a chewy interior. These get an extra European twist with the addition of Nutella. (via Broma Bakery)

Pretty. Simple. Sweet.

Alfajores

Deeply flavored dulce de leche, a caramel made from whole milk commonly found in Spain and many Latin American countries, is the key ingredient in these super pretty sandwiched Christmas cookies. (via Pretty. Simple. Sweet.)

Fancy Peasant

Melomakarona

These Christmas cookies that hail from Greece get their sweetness from a generous soaking of fresh honey! (via Fancy Peasant)

Very Eatalian

Baci di Dama

The name of this Italian treat translates to “lady’s kisses” — how adorable is that? These bite-sized cuties are made with ground hazelnuts and filled with a dollop of dark chocolate. (via Very Eatalian)

Cooking Classy

Linzer Cookies

These Austrian Christmas cookies are typically made with raspberry jam, but feel free to get crazy with a filling of your choice. Plus, the gorgeous windowpane look will make them a prize takeaway at your next cookie exchange. (via Cooking Classy)

Olivia’s Cuisine

Basler Brunsli

If you’re hanging out in Switzerland around Christmas time, you’ll definitely see these chocolate treats around. They’re often described as Swiss brownies due to their deliciously chewy texture. Perfect with a cup of eggnog or coffee! (via Olivia’s Cuisine)

Cilantro Parsley

This post has been updated with additional reporting by Meredith Holser.

Lead image via Pretty. Simple. Sweet.

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