In a recent article by Fast Company, I read that Instagram shoutouts for small businesses can generate an average of 23% of revenue! It makes a huge impact to share the products you love and our team at Create! wants to be part of this by helping promote the artists, makers, and organizations in our community. I’ve compiled this big list of gift ideas for the holidays for you that includes a variety of art, other handmade goods, and more keeping different price points in mind.

I hope you’ll consider shopping small & local this year especially. As small business owners, Kat and I know how important it is and how grateful we are for each and every customer who has supported us along the way.

Happy gifting!

-Alicia

Artist Claira Heitzenrater is offering holiday mini paintings directly from her Instagram for $45 each plus tax with free shipping. You can also check out what she has up in her webshop!

Looking for prints with cat-titude? I interviewed Philly-based illustrator Kendra Dandy earlier this year and fell in love with her bold and sassy style. She offers affordable prints and products through Society 6.

These lighter sculptures by Brooklyn-based artist Jenna Morello make a statement without breaking the bank. Yes, they preserve real flowers and plants, but no, they aren’t functioning - they’re art!

Do I even have to explain this one? A cute, affordable gift for all of your art friends - or yourself, of course! Find it on Etsy with all of the rest of Fugly Barbie’s collection.

Equally fun for the holidays is the “Merry Kitschmas” collection of paintings by Ingrid V. Wells. Shop directly through Voss Gallery, which is offering free domestic shipping through December!

“With this new body of work, I sought to address the psychological needs of my viewers during this challenging time, particularly those experiencing loneliness and depression. Scientific studies since the late nineties have discovered that the feeling of nostalgia counteracts difficult emotions like loneliness and can even be so powerful as to bring physical warmth to the body. This fascinating psychological phenomenon informed my thought process while developing this cheeky collection.”

For those on a budget, how about cute pins and stickers by Volta Voloshin-Smith?

Willing to splurge a little? There are two stunning collages by Chicago-based artist Heather Polk at PxP Contemporary!

10% of t-shirt and blouse sales from Repaint History will go to the Baltimore Museum of Art in support of their efforts to collect only women artists in 2020/2021! (Also available in black)

You can also support Tessera Arts Collective by purchasing their collaboration tee with Art Girl Rising!

The Complete Smartist Guide is a book to jumpstart any artist’s career in 2021!

Learn how to sell more art, build a thriving business, and lead the creative life you've always dreamed of! This is the book with all of the practical information about how to actually make a career in the arts that we never learned in art school. The Complete Smartist Guide is packed with tips, hints, and actionable steps from our personal experiences working in the art world. In this essential guide for self-taught and emerging artists, we discuss not only business tactics, sales strategies, and how to promote your art online and in person, but also actionable information about how to deal with creative burnout, overcome imposter syndrome, and avoid the comparison game! We’ve built our creative businesses largely using social media and email marketing so we share all of the exact steps we used to reach audiences of hundreds of thousands of followers around the world. To make sure we rounded out this book with even more solid advice, we’ve included interviews with numerous contemporary artists to share their unique insight into how to license your art, attract clients for commissions and mural projects, develop your unique creative voice, and so much more!

For the art mamas in our community, you’ll definitely want to pick up a copy of The Motherhood of Art by Melissa Huber and Heather Kirtland!

Balance motherhood and creative pursuits! Women and new mothers are constantly encountering the message that they can never do anything for themselves once they have children. This conversational book is like brunch with girlfriends, offering you friendly advice, community encouragement, and tips on carving time out for creative endeavors. Meet women who not only defied the "no more time to be an artist" stereotype but found motherhood gave them focus, confidence, and efficiency in their art and creative endeavors. Becoming mothers renewed a sense of purpose in their creative pursuits, and by prioritizing this need to create, they became more patient and better mothers to their children. Interview questions cover a range of topics, including early days and creative work, community and vulnerability, and tactics for regular creative practice. Whether you read it front to back or pick it up for a 5-minute dose of encouragement, this is the encouragement you can lean on for balancing family life and art in your own way.

If you enjoyed any of The Jealous Curator’s previous books, we highly recommend her first children’s book How To Spot An Artist! Trust me, it’s not just for kids ;)

It was also incredibly exciting to see Shamona Stokes release her book Horn of Plenty through Friend of the Artist earlier this month! Grab her book here.

Collective 131 has curated lovely selection of ceramic pieces to choose from, like this fortune cookie by Casey Lin! You can also browse a variety of artwork and other unique, handmade items all made by women.

There’s also an incredible amount of amazing artwork to be found on SHOWFIELDS! Here’s just one example by Nicolle Cure. Sign up for their newsletter for 10% off your first purchase!

Ana Sneeringer recently launched a beautiful collection of scarves, although I’d take a peek at her t-shirts and sweatshirts too!

For even more art you can wear, hop over to Paradigm Gallery’s website for masks by PJ Linden (her egg sculptures are fabulous too!). While you’re there, don’t miss the very affordable sketches by Lauren Rinaldi.

For anyone who loves a little pop of color, these brushes by Palmesque would make a perfect gift!

Or perhaps a rainbow ornament by Megan Coonelly?

I hope you’re still with me because last but certainly not least, I want to highlight this phone case designed by Laura Fedorowicz…

and these inspiring Artpreneur affirmation cards by Gita Joshi, artist coach and host of The Curator’s Salon podcast!