Affordable American-made gifts are more accessible than ever if you know where to look.
Holiday shopping does not have to mean overspending or settling for mass-produced items that feel generic. Whether you are searching for stocking stuffers, office exchange ideas, teacher gifts, host gifts, or a little something to round out your holiday list, there are plenty of meaningful American-made options in the $5-$25 range. Across the country, small workshops, family-run businesses, and craft-driven studios are creating beautifully designed products that fit almost any budget.
This year’s Made in America Holiday Gift Guide highlights hundreds of gift ideas from companies that keep their production within the United States. Here are a few standout picks I liked for under $25 to show that you can support Made in America, shop responsibly, and give gifts people truly appreciate without stretching your budget!
As seen on Shark Tank, Ohio’s Doc Spartan makes various bath and beauty products for men, women and pets. Starting with the intention to combat the drug epidemic in their area through service and awareness, this veteran-owned business has been making great strides in the manufacturing and philanthropy sphere. Doc Spartan’s Christmas Cookie Crumb Scrub ($21.99) with a “festive scent that evokes freshly baked cookies” would make for a fantastic stocking stuffer.
Handcrafted in Billings, Mont., Rock Creek Soaps brings the beauty of the Rockies to every bath. Founded on family values and environmental care, the company makes sulfate-, paraben- and phthalate-free soaps, bath bombs, scrubs and moisturizers that are gentle on skin and kind to the planet. With compostable and recyclable packaging and a mission that supports at-risk women and youth through internships and job training, Rock Creek Soaps makes gifting feel good inside and out. Check out the holiday-ready shower steamers and bath bomb sets, priced at just $16.
Dave Hill has always been passionate about candy making, but it wasn’t until 2014, eight years after he moved to the nation’s capital, that he turned that passion into a business. The Capital Candy Jar makes all of its delicious confections by hand just a few blocks away from the U.S. Capitol building. A must for anyone who believes the best to celebrate the holidays is with sweets! Savor the flavors of the holiday season with Peppermint Bark ($8.45) or Cranberry Orange Pistachio Bark ($8.45).
RAXA 3D in Albuquerque offers inexpensive 3D printed toys for children. The animal-shaped figures range in cost from $5 to $10 and make ideal stocking stuffers or box several up for a complete gift. Every model is designed to be played with, touched and displayed. Check out the hermit crab ($15) and raccoons ($5), or get exotic with an axolotl ($7).
The husband-and-wife duo behind Treeworks source the wood they use from the trees near their house to handmake kitchen utensils. It helps that the husband is a certified arborist! The collection isn’t limited to your normal fork, knife and spoon; the company has invented a few fun hybrid items too, like the foon and spoontula! Treeworks’ $24 bestseller, Ol’ Faithful, is a spatula that serves equally well for stirring as serving.
Tuck a little sustainability into someone’s stocking with Hummingbird Glass Straws – reusable, colorful and way more fun than plastic. They make smoothies, coffee or cocoa taste better (trust us!) and are safe for both kids and adults. Easy to clean and made to last, they’re a small gift that adds a big dose of cheer to every sip. This beautiful set ($18) of four straws in cherry, teal, green and blue could be split perfecting into stocking stuffers for a family of four. I’ve had a set for six years now, and even in a busy house with kids, they’ve held up beautifully.
Washington state’s Emily Lex found meaning in becoming an artist and the impact it has on those she influences. In creating her watercolor art, prints, cards ($5) and coloring books ($24), she is inviting others to slow down with her, enjoy each stroke of the brush or pen and find beauty in the moment. Each paper product is labeled with where it is manufactured; nearly all (including the stickers) are American-made. I was gifted one of her watercolor books this year, and it quickly became one of my favorite little quiet-moment escapes.
New Hampshire is known for its natural beauty, and this family-owned organic body care company is keeping it that way with its sustainable manufacturing practices. Badger Balm‘s employees are a tight-knit community, and being a good place to work is central to the company’s mission. You’ll find lip balms, body oils, hair care and more from Badger Balm, made with all-natural ingredients. This special holiday set comes with three deeply moisturizing lip balms for only $11.79. These make for a great stocking stuffer!
Instead of a gift that fades, why not give one that grows? The Jonsteen Company nurtures baby sequoias ($8.99), redwoods ($8.99) and other trees in California, packaging each seedling in American-made materials and supporting U.S. farmers in the process. A living tree makes a lasting present for gardeners, nature lovers or anyone who appreciates a gift with roots.
Treat your senses with a Velvet Whiskey candle in gorgeous custom-blended scents, like Bluegrass Bourbon ($15), Peppermint Mocha ($15) or Brandied Cranberry ($15), and give your candle the stage it deserves by pairing it with a holder ($20) crafted from authentic Kentucky bourbon barrel staves — all made in Southeastern Kentucky. Velvet Whiskey sources the natural soy for its candles from American farmers.
The New York Times dubbed Gina Locklear the “Sock Queen of Alabama” back in 2016, and she’s still going strong. Locklear’s organic sock company, zkano, continues to roll out new designs of festive, sustainable socks ($21) at its factory in Fort Payne, which once was known as the Sock Capital of the World. I order these socks year after year, and they always make a great gift. (Featured in the 2023 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide)
Small gifts can still have a big impact, especially when they support American makers. Happy holiday shopping!