If you need a gift for your best friend, this blog post is perfect for you. I put together a gift guide featuring Canadian small businesses that have products perfect for their birthday or just because!
Today, I’m featuring Above and Beeyond’s beeswax wraps, Crystal Cartel’s friendship bracelets, Wicked Lovely Creations’ stamped accessories, EllowDee’s wall art decor and Thoughtfully Handmade’s handmade cards!
To read it, just keep scrolling! Are you ready to gift thoughtfully?
1. Stamped Accessories
Is your best friend sassy, sarcastic and a little bit cheeky like me? Because I have the perfect gift idea if they are! Emily from Wicked Lovely Creations creates cheeky stamped accessories that bring joy and laughter to people’s lives.
My personal favourite is her keychains, especially the bold motivational quotes. When your friend has a bad day, they can look down and see something funny that makes them smile!
Emily stamps on aluminum, which means her accessories are hypoallergenic and won’t rust nor tarnish. I love how Emily sources her supplies from Canadian shops because she’s supporting local too! Her pieces are all stamped by hand, one letter at a time. So, every piece is unique!
I’ve personally given some keychains to friends, and they loved them. Get your best friend the perfect accessory by heading to Wicked Lovely Creations’ Etsy shop. Make sure to visit Emily on Instagram if you want something custom!
2. Wall Art Decor
Not into sarcastic and sassy quotes? No problem! I think these beautiful wall art decor prints from EllowDee are perfect for anyone.
The owner, Mandy, started this small biz during her maternity leave with her fraternal twins. Her son called her daughter Ellow, and she called him Dee- and thus EllowDee was born!
Mandy first started with nursery prints, but now, she offers a wide range of printed, woven and painted pieces that fits many aesthetics. All of her prints are professionally printed on archival paper, so the quality is fantastic! I love how she also sources her materials from small Canadian shops and her local yarn store.
If you need more than one print, Mandy creates personalized groups of wall art too! She combines different mediums that complement each other to fit your friend’s space. Help your bestie upgrade their space by getting a print from EllowDee’s website. You can contact Mandy through Instagram about those custom orders!
3. Friendship Bracelets
Have a minimalist best friend? These friendship bracelets from Crystal Cartel are perfect for them! Fiza, the lovely human behind the brand, makes these gorgeous but minimalist bracelets.
She always wanted to start a business with her creations, so she took the pandemic as an opportunity to start! Even though the pieces are simple, they’re durable because Fiza uses high-quality silk, Swarovski crystals and beads. And, they’re all sourced locally within Canada!
What I love most is the elegant finish the 100% natural silk thread gives to the bracelets. Oh, and don’t worry if you don’t know your friend’s wrist size. All Crystal Cartel bracelets are either self-tie or with an adjustable pearl enclosure, so no guesswork is required!
To purchase a set of friendship bracelets, head to Crystal Cartel’s Etsy shop. Don’t forget to check out Fiza’s Instagram page for shop updates!
4. Beeswax Wraps
If your BFF is eco-conscious or zero waste, these beeswax wraps from Above and Beeyond are a perfect choice! Teachers by day and crafters by night, Tina and Mark are passionate about education and making the world better. They wanted to reduce their own plastic consumption and started making wraps for themselves.
Soon enough, their friends and family wanted wraps too, and Above and Beeyond was born! Tina and Mark use 100% cotton from independent Toronto fabric shops, which you know I love. They also source their beeswax from a local Ontario farm and use 100% pure pine resin and organic jojoba oil.
Since this is a side hustle for Tina and Mark, they spend their weekends making wraps! Tina irons and cuts the fabric while Mark is at the stove coating the fabric with the oils. They are a 100% handmade biz- they even hand-cut the labels! I own a couple of Above and Beeyond wraps, and I love them!
Even if your friend has some already, they can always use a couple more just in case. Head to Above and Beeyond’s Etsy shop to shop. Make sure to visit their Instagram because they often host story sales!
5. Handmade Cards
Want to be extra thoughtful for your best friend’s birthday? Maybe you want a gift to cheer them up after a tough time. A handmade card is your solution! I have many cards fit for all aesthetics.
Just get them a card they’ll love and pair it with any gift from this guide. That way, you can write a thoughtful message inside to make the gift even more special! Handmade by me, intended for you to give, all of my cards are meant to spread joy to whoever receives them. I started Thoughtfully Handmade with a mission to help others spread positivity.
Giving a handmade card is a small gesture that can bring happiness to people’s lives! My products are unique, and I only produce 6-8 cards for each design. By purchasing something from me, you’re also donating ten cents to Toronto Environmental Alliance. They are a non-profit organization that strives to build a greener Toronto.
To purchase a card, you can click on a photo above with the design that you like or visit the “Shop” page on my website. Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter, Yandy’s Chronicles, for fun behind-the-scenes content and DM me on Instagram if you want something custom!
I hope you were inspired by my suggestions in this gift guide! Getting gifts from friends is hard- especially if you’ve been friends for a while. My goal is to make the gift-giving process easier for you with these suggestions. Even if you don’t purchase something from everyone featured, please go over to our social media and engage with us!
Leave a comment