Shop Local, Pittsburgh: Gifts by Makers

It is the season of gifting, one of the five languages of love (alongside touch, time, affirmation, and action). Whether the gifts you give are tiny statements of thoughtfulness or major monuments of adoration, you can find something inspiring from local boutiques and makers. Perhaps shopping local is a sixth love language–one that speaks to lively main streets and praises vibrant Pittsburgh neighborhoods!

Ten Thousand Villages | Squirrel Hill

Tree bark printed napkins on a table.

Block-printed by skilled artisans in India, the intricate cypress tree pattern of these napkins recalls 16th-century Mogul-era designs. Every purchase supports the good work of this global organization.

Alma Mercantile | Lawrenceville

A coffee mug modeled on a table with coffee grounds and milk.

The gorgeously tactile finish of the Sursierra coffee dripper is matched by a perfectly proportioned mug. The pair will awaken your fingertips just as the coffee they make and hold awakens the rest of you. The mug rests on a handwoven, all-cotton Guatemalan tea towel.

Galimard | Dormont

Three bottles of colorful perfume sit on a black stripped tabletop.

French perfume dynasty Galimard launched in Dormont last year with Les Studio des Fragrances. Choose from 127 different scents to craft a bespoke fragrance as a gift—or create a scent together with your beloved with the help of a certified expert “nose” and a deep-dive into perfumery history. You’ll leave with a 100-milliliter bottle of your secret formula. Only you can return to order more. $200 per person. By appointment only. (Text by Aakanksha Agarwal)

Tabbara Artisan Chocolate | Point Breeze

A variety of small chocolates are laid out on a table with a box in the back.

Available at six Pittsburgh boutiques and online, this third-generation family affair makes delicious and sophisticated bonbons with recipes inspired by glamorous Beirut of the 1950s. They are perfectly giftable … if you can resist enjoying them all by yourself.

Pittsburgh Glass Center | Garfield

Two pink patterned glass ornaments that come to a drop shape at the bottom.

Crafted with ancient Venetian techniques, these Penn/Fairmount ornaments magically reflect and refract the fairy lights on your holiday tree. A limited edition only offered this season.

Hot Haute Hot | The Strip

Three brown and four blue wooden mushrooms on a purple mat.

A single ‘shroom is a lovely gift for a dreamy, woodsy co-worker. A half dozen is a treasure trove of natural mystery just right for the armchair philosopher with whom you spend your tenderest evenings.

Farmer’s Daughter Flowers | North Side

Two mugs with mushroom's plastered on the outside.

Fresh flowers. Zany ornaments. Thoughtful gifts. A friendly hello. You’ll find all of these here, in addition to hand-sculpted mushroom mugs and chock-full-of-herbs teas to calm your nerves.

Fallingwater | Mill Run

A red striped and blocked pattern on a blanket and purse modeled on a chair.

After a week in residence at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, London-based designer and weaver Eleanor Pritchard created Pfenestr, a pattern inspired by the colors, materials, and fenestration of this renowned residence. The design refers to the oxide-red metal window frames and their horizontal design that often run directly into Fallingwater’s stone walls. Limited-edition blankets and cushions are available solely through the museum’s store and website.