Locally Made Mother's Day Gift Guide: 18 Arkansas Made Gifts Mom Will Love
Stacey Bowers
Handmade gifts are always a great idea, and these Arkansas-made products are perfect for Mother’s Day.
So you’ve outgrown making Mom macaroni necklaces, but you still want to give her something handmade (with a lot better craftsmanship) from the heart? Giving something handmade in Arkansas is like giving TWO gifts because you’re giving a super cool, creative item someone poured their heart into as well as the warm fuzzy feels that come with shopping small and local. I’ve rounded up some of my favorite locally made gifts in this Mother’s Day gift guide. Check out the decorative, useful, wearable and edible gifts here, all made in Arkansas.
Ceramicist Carla Churchwell makes these adorable ceramic houses that double as incense burners. Carla’s gorgeous pottery includes stacking heart-shaped trinket dishes, cute “worry warts,” Guinea hens and more. Find Churchwell Pottery here.
The Red Bird Designs is tie-dye reimagined with gorgeous color palettes. Laura Grimes dyes every piece by hand, so they’re all wonderfully unique. Check out her gorgeous apparel as well as tableware here.
Bang-Up Betty’s custom birthstone necklaces are the perfect gift for mothers, grandmothers or anyone with several special people close to their heart. Wear the birthstones of each little one in your brood! Check out the whole Birthstone Cluster Collection of handmade jewelry here.
These custom “Real Housewives” wine glasses are hilarious, and you can have Lux + Soul print them with your hometown. Lux + Soul offers a wide range of candles and lounge wear as well, so you can create a whole self-care package for Mother’s Day. Shop Lux + Soul here.
Artist Sherry J. Williamson’s colorful and delightful paintings light up any room, and her wide array of greeting cards, prints, stickers, magnets and more make cheerful gifts. And Sherry is always donating to worthy causes through her work! Check out Sherry’s shop here.
Dessert chef Matcha Norwood’s inventive and delicious cheesecakes are unforgettable. Follow her at Cheesecake On Point to keep up with what she’s cooking up and where she’ll be!
Bang-Up Betty’s Arkansas Rice Flower Necklace is a nod to the Natural State that gives back. This necklace pays homage to Arkansas’s staple crop while giving back to the Arkansas Foodbank, the largest hunger relief organization in the state. The Arkansas pendant was made with real Arkansas rice flowers (from Cornerstone Farm, near Altheimer, AR). Get the Arkansas Rice Flower Necklace here.
North Little Rock-based woodworker Paul Milholland’s mid-century modern handcrafted wooden birds are the perfect addition to any birdwatcher’s shelves. Paul’s Danish-inspired work includes incredibly beautiful furniture as well as gorgeous figurines like whales, herons and geese as well as the birds above. Check out Milwerk Modern here.
Moms who would love an uplifting book to add to their collection of bedtime stories will treasure Crystal C. Mercer’s From Cotton to Silk: the Magic of Black Hair. Publisher Et Alia Press describes this book perfectly: “Sprinkled with #BlackGirlMagic and an ode to cultural beauty, From Cotton to Silk encourages girls everywhere to appreciate their hair in its natural state and love themselves just the way they are. Its enchanting pages reveal 467 hours of hand-stitching poured into textile renderings that blend cloth, culture, and the superpowers of the kinky, curly coif.” I could spend hours staring at all the intricacies of Crystal’s illustrations! Get your copy here.
Encourage mom to do some journaling or make it easy for her to keep track of her busy schedule with a handmade fillion from Little Mountain Bindery. You can even build a custom one to make it extra personal. Shop Little Mountain Bindery here.
In my family, you can’t go wrong with the gift of tea from Abbi’s Teas & Things. Abbi Siler hand blends all of her teas and sources consciously, so you’re sure to get the very best tea that’s ethical and free of added sugars. Her Watermelon Rose blend is legendary! Some of my other favorites include Cherry Chamomile, Lavender Lemon and Lavender Pear. Shop Abbi’s teas here.
Up mom’s relaxation game with CBD gummies (plus salves, cookies and drops!) made from locally grown hemp. These new watermelon CBD gummies from Hawgs Hemp Refinery in Birdtown, Arkansas, are so tasty it’s hard to not eat the whole bag in one sitting. Get them here.
Bastet Glassworks got her stained glass start renovating antique church windows, and sometimes she even incorporates antique windows into her own quirky window hangings. These stained glass feather sun catchers would look beautiful in a birdwatcher’s window. Message Felicia directly on Instagram here to purchase a stained glass feather or have her create something custom for you.
Speaking of stained glass… This necklace from Bang-Up Betty’s Gallery Collection inspired by art history was fashioned after the rose windows of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. It would make a perfect Mother’s Day gift for moms who love to travel and need to stop and admire all the beautiful churches when they do. Find the Rose Window Necklace here. It’s part of my Gallery Collection of jewelry inspired by Art History.
Creative moms will love the handmade watercolor paint sets created by Wild Ozark. Madison Woods makes the paints by grinding up actual rocks, clay and earth from Arkansas, creating the most beautiful natural pigments. Check out her shop here.
Jewelry maker Elizabeth Rogers electroforms copper around gorgeous gemstones to create her signature stud earrings. These deep blue lapis lazuli studs are just one example of the dreamy stones available through her shop Web and Rock.
Give Mom the gift of a new hobby! Beading is such a fun, creative activity, and the folks at Argenta Bead Company make it fun to learn, shop and socialize with their workshops and extensive shop filled with all the supplies you need to get started making jewelry. Visit them in SoMa or call them to get a gift card. Visit the Argenta Bead Company website for more information.