The 256 Project 2020 BIPOC Holiday Gift Guide
The holidays may look and feel a little different this year. Those connections we’re so used to making with friends and family over the next two months may not even happen. This means that the gift of giving is even more important than ever to show we are thinking about the people in our lives even when we can’t be with them. Back in June, I wrote about ways to support black business (see here), so what better time than now? The 256 Project 2020 Holiday Gift Guide is all BIPOC businesses and makers creating beautiful objects for the home, body, pets, kids and for the gift itself.
All gift ideas are pictured above and throughout the below.
For the Home:
Artist Jessi Raulet’s colorful art prints would brighten up any space. Check out her site, EttaVee, here and shop her prints here.
Estelle Colored Glass produces luxury, hand-blown cake stands and stemware in a colorful array of jewel tones and pastels. I have my eye on this emerald green decanter and these amber smoke rocks glasses.
Made sustainably and in the U.S., Linoto’s linen towels will upgrade any cleaning task in the kitchen.
This Nomad Pen Holder available at Goodee is a beautiful addition to anyone’s work space.
Trickster Company is an indigenous-owned design shop founded by siblings to promote indigenous design. I absolutely love this Dreaming in Raven design of their tempered glass cutting board.
For body:
Papa Rozier brings castor oil and moringa oil seeds from a family-owned farm in Haiti to be cold-pressed and bottled in Brooklyn, NY, for its reviving soft hand cream, something we’ll all need this winter with all this excessive hand washing!
Here’s a soap company that knows what I like – a good scrub and a good cocktail. Soap Distillery delivers small batch, handmade soaps without the hangover, like this Hot Toddy Soap Bar.
With a message of love, this unisex sweatshirt from By Yellowtail, a Native American-owned fashion brand and retailer, is everything we need right now.
For Pets:
Winter can be hard on pet paws, so Pardo Naturals has this moisturizing paw and nose bar made of 100% natural ingredients.
L.A.-based Trill Pawz creates pet tags and accessories inspired by pop culture icons and sayings, like this funny Spicy AF tag.
Also, um, these two pet companies are run by kids and really deserve a lot of your attention. Check out Ava’s Pet Palace for healthy pet treats and Sir Darius Brown and his Paw-some Mission here.
For Kids:
Did you know that most children’s books – by far – have white lead characters? You can check out more on those statistics here. To help diversify the books the kids in your life read, check out Books for Diversity to inspire your next children’s book purchase, since books make wonderful gifts.
L.A.-based Miki Miette makes cool kids clothes. Gus wore this romper all summer and it would make a chic gift for any little one.
Designer Joy Cho of Oh Joy! has a new series of kids books with great messages, like “Be Curious!” and “Oh So Kind!”
Masks and Accessories:
Maybe these will be the coolest accessories this holiday season?
Loungewear company Splendor Revival has these beautiful floral cotton masks (no longer available). Artist Yetunde Rodriguez has turned her gorgeous prints into beautiful masks, like these.
To keep those masks hanging out of the way when it’s safe to take them off, check out these HYBRID bungee mask cords at Sundae School.
Chocolate:
That’s right, I just made chocolate its own category. That’s just how strongly I feel about it. Bedre, a chocolate company owned and run by the Chickasaw Nation, has many sets perfect for gifting this holiday season and whenever.
Holiday Cards and Wrapping Paper:
And then there are the greeting cards and wrapping paper to package up all your holiday gifts.
Aya Paper Company has really cool cards to send friends – like this one and this one – this season, as well as this holiday card set.
Unwrp features work by a variety of artists on their various paper products, including oversized, premium-weight wrapping paper. I have my eye on some of their fun prints.
If you’re doing some holiday shopping this year, I hope you can contribute to BIPOC artists, makers and entrepreneurs by shopping their goods. Hopefully, this gift guide gets you started. ‘Tis the season, so happy holidays!
