Baum Pottery, Lebanon
Make your list and check it twice. Then check out our annual selection of Ohio items that are ideal for Christmas gifting.
Baum Pottery, Lebanon
At their home’s pottery studio and gallery, Mike and Karen Hughes have a neat working relationship: He throws all of his functional pottery pieces on a wheel; she helps with everything else. Hughes is a rare potter who makes dinner and salad plates, and his work reflects techniques he learned during an apprenticeship in England. Baum Pottery’s best-selling Cracker Tray is a beautiful and versatile dish that can be used for serving and baking
or as a planter and centerpiece.
Amish Country Soap Co., Berlin
Using family recipes dating back 250 years, Shane and Tracy Cultice make handcrafted artisan soaps with all-natural ingredients and certified essential oils that yield wonderful scents as well as therapeutic benefits. Dirty Boy, a pumice bar soap infused with coffee grounds, is ideal for farmers, gardeners, mechanics, and other folks who get their hands extra dirty. The company’s deliciously scented holiday soaps include Pumpkin Crunch, Warm Roasted Chestnuts, and Peppermint Bark.
Castle Noel Ornaments, Medina
Ohio artist Mark Klaus loves Christmas so much that he created Castle Noel, a year-round attraction in downtown Medina that features enchanting store-window displays and his outstanding collection of costumes and props from beloved Christmas movies. Klaus also designs and sculpts exquisitely detailed Christmas ornaments. Available in a tasteful bisque-white, the ornaments depict fanciful fairies and jolly “Santa Klaus” figures. They’re sold online and in Castle Noel’s gift shop.
Handwoven Wonders, Wilmington
Inspired by nature, Carol Tedrick uses a variety of different looms to produce meticulously finished wares with original hand-dyed patterns and fabric combinations that range from rugs and towels to placemats and Navajo wedge weave bracelets. While Tedrick’s log cabin pattern rugs and custom bed scarves are her best-sellers, she also makes wine bottle gift bags in a red-and-green plaid that’s unabashedly merry and bright.
Homestead Furniture, Mt. Hope
Owned by Ernest and Barbara Hershberger, Homestead Furniture is an Ohio Amish country destination known for making fine, custom-designed furniture, but it also crafts laser-cut puzzles at its spacious showroom store on State Route 241. The distinctive oak puzzles depict the lower 48 states, as well as the individual states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, and they’re handsome enough to double as conversation pieces or home décor.
JustPerfect Vinegar Company, New Albany and Kent
What makes J.P. Rousseau’s apple cider vinegar and Chambourcin vinegar so special? He procures less-than-perfect ciders and wines from orchards and wineries throughout Ohio, then turns them into superior vinegars with flavors that are, well, just perfect. Based in New Albany, his family-owned business makes its products at a facility in Kent, and it’s one of the few vinegar companies using the submerged generator process.
Margaret L. Bickenheuser, Maker and Purveyor
of Fine Baskets, Springfield
Master basket-maker and history buff Margaret Bickenheuser specializes in historical designs inspired by baskets once used in everyday life. She welcomes custom orders and has crafted miniature baskets as small as a finger and oversized enough to hold an entire person. Bickenheuser is also adept at seat-weaving and makes German-style shaved wood Christmas ornaments and decorations.
Quarry Hill Orchards, Berlin Heights
What could be prettier than a box brimming with ripe, red apples? What could be tastier — or healthier for your friends and family — than the Crimson Crisp, Honeycrisp, Melrose, or any of the other apple varieties homegrown by the Gammie family near the shores of Lake Erie?
Shore Society, Lakewood
Rachael Koenig combines her graphic design skills with her love of Lake Erie for Shore Society, a business with stylish products that celebrate Ohio’s picturesque lakefront and the pleasures of its boating-swimming-fishing lifestyle. Shore Society’s “Lake Erie” script sweatshirts and tees are printed in Cleveland, and its ever-popular “Cooler by the Lake” speckle-patterned ceramic mugs make great stocking stuffers.
Steubenville Popcorn Company, Steubenville
Made from a recipe developed by the enterprising Nelson family, Steubenville popcorn contains a secret ingredient and is so tasty that customers say it’s the best popcorn they’ve ever had. The company’s imaginatively named and flavored offerings include Christmasy Nutcracker Sweet and Elfnog, patriotic Uncle Sam’s Cinnamon and The Pursuit of Happiness caramel, and a Cardinal Crunch and Beautiful Ohio Blend that are sure to please every true Buckeye.
Stitching Sabbatical, Amelia
At Stitching Sabbatical, embroidery artist Michelle Staub creates custom animal portraits framed in embroidery hoops and accented by charming flowers and greenery. Staub works only on commission and amazes pet owners with her attention to detail and ability to create realistic portraits out of reference photos and thread.
Sub Rosa Tea, Sandusky
Sub Rosa owner Joy Skarupa specializes in organic, loose-leaf tea that includes green tea grown in Japan, red tea from South Africa, and black tea from Sri Lanka. Green Walnut and Schizandra Berry are her best-selling tea blends, and Skarupa also offers devices for steeping in hot or cold water.
Swittens, Oxford
Butler Rural Electric Cooperative member Pat Gifford elevates the sewing circle to a whole new level at Swittens, the home-based business and workshop where family and friends help her transform gently worn clothing and thrift shop finds into upcycled mittens and other woolly creations. Along with warm and cuddly ski hats, scarves, and ear warmers, Swittens’ unique products include a popular “Fringe Scarf” fashioned from cashmere mufflers; pillows, purses, and totes constructed from vintage blankets; and cuffed Christmas stockings made from plaid Pendleton skirts.
Tuft Woolens, Portsmouth
Lanolin from sheep’s wool is the key ingredient in the skin-conditioning bath bars and soaps produced in their home studio by the husband-and-wife team of Martha Tremblay and Jeff Cohen. The couple’s signature Sock Wash makes garments feel super soft, and it can be used to hand-launder all types of woolens.
Twisted River Coffee Roaster, Dayton
Using a 100-year-old coffee roaster, Dan Clayton roasts small batches of the best beans he can find. The result is smooth coffee without bitterness, and customers have told him they like the taste so much that it doesn’t need cream. While Twisted River’s signature Trinity Blend contains three light-roast coffees from three different regions, it also produces a rich and flavorful holiday blend.
Winans Chocolates and Coffees
A fourth-generation company operated by Laurie and Joe Reiser, Winans operates several retail stores near Dayton, but produces all its chocolates and coffees at its combination flagship store-candy factory-roastery in Piqua. While customer favorites include Winans House Blend coffee and peanut butter-filled chocolate Buckeyes, you can’t go wrong with the Celebrate Ohio gift basket. The state-shaped basket sports a festive red bow and is filled with Buckeyes, wetzels (chocolate-covered pretzels), and other delightful chocolates.
