I can’t say enough about how much I love Etsy. I’ve been a customer for years and order all the time from my favorite shops for gifts, all of my fabric and items that I can’t find anywhere else. All of these shops are listed for the uniqueness of their products. There are many makers in the United States that offer a product that you can’t get anywhere else, but I tried to include a mix of both domestic and international sellers.

So here are some of my favorite small makers. The criteria I used was that everything had to be handmade, they all have rave reviews and all have five stars.

Ceramics / Pottery

Gram Ceramics

Handmade in Turkey, this shop has very unique pieces that are food safe, lead free and non-toxic. Their signature technique has an almost chiseled look to it, but there’s also smooth espresso cups, pasta bowls and a glazed drip look that’s really cool. I’m a mug girlie, so the mugs caught my eye and his customer service is superb.

Ready to ship within 2 days of ordering with UPS or Fedex and the estimated delivery dates are 2-5 business days for the US and Canada. Unbelievable really, but true.

Brooklyn Global

Run by a designer, photographer and artist, Brooklyn Global has a funky aesthetic to its pottery that I really gravitate to and because the owner is a photographer, the items just jump off of the page. From pedestal bowls to rounded vases and chip & dip bowls, everything is just so unique. Lisa, the owner, used to just sell her handmade concrete planters but has diversified now and I’m so glad she did. And who doesn’t love a good chip & dip bowl? I know I do.

Shipping from NY; fast and reasonable.

Home Decor

Knots Studio

This studio is located in Tel Aviv and makes the most beautiful knotted decor and accessories. From floor cushions to pillows, benches and stools, almost everything is in a luscious velvet or a vegan suede. The colors are muted, which I love and they even have beautiful baskets and key chains with the same woven style. If you want to have something in your home that is a conversation starter, I would highly recommend this shop. Each piece is handmade by order.

Allow 5-10 days to make and ship your purchase. Shipping is extra, but it’s worth it.

By Michelle Handmade

Michelle makes the most beautiful candles. If you’re a candle girl like me, you’ll love her shop. So well crafted and made of beeswax and soywax. She doesn’t have a lot of items in her shop, but everything is exceptional. My favorites are the ombre candles in multiple colorways. She also has pillars and tealights and makes everything custom with ridges, marbling and a bubble technique. Hexagonal and twisty shapes go along with the standard taper. She makes these in small batches so you might have to wait a couple of weeks to get them.

Standard shipping out of Torrance, California.

Jewelry

Lago Clay Jewelry Shop

The owner, Patricia, is located in Lisbon, Portugal and everything she makes is out of polymer clay with stainless steel. There are so many sellers on Etsy that make clay jewelry, but everything looks the same to me. Neta makes the clay look like it’s not even clay. Some of her earrings look like flower petals and some like shells. Everything is very organic, which I love, and makes a statement. She will even do custom pieces.

All of the jewelry is shipped by registered mail.

Roberto Gold Diamond

Handmade 14K Gold and 925 Silver, Roberto Gold Diamond makes beautiful delicate jewelry. My favorite is the name necklace where you give them your name and he will create a minimalistic, abstract version. The first necklace below is LINDA. Can you see where the letters are? I think it’s so cool. They also do initial, name and word necklaces that can also be diamond encrusted. This is the ultimate personalization store.

You can specify USPS shipping between First Class, Priority and Priority Express.

Art

Riverry Studio

Located in Washington, DC, Megan Mya is such a great artist. She specializes in pet portraits, which is perfect for pet lovers. She will also paint your house from a picture. It’s a wonderful gift for a new homeowner, a housewarming gift and even realtors can give a picture of the house as their gift. Other ideas are to get a picture of your old house if you’re moving, a picture of your business, the location of a first date, etc. The sky’s the limit.

Free shipping on all orders.

S Brown Art

Stacey Brown is the artist and is located in Atlanta, GA. He’s been featured on numerous tv shows and he has created murals for commercial properties in Atlanta. In the business for 24 years, he uses watercolors and sells prints on paper, canvases and even pillows. One thing I love about him is he doesn’t limit himself to one subject. He has landscapes, flower art, figurative art, urban scenes and music art. Something for everyone.

Standard shipping domestically and internationally.

Textiles

Turkish Weaving Art

I love Turkish towels because they’re lightweight, super absorbent, they dry quickly and come with fringe. Who doesn’t love fringe? These are handmade and then they make robes, pillow covers, shawls and blankets out of them too. So when I found this maker, I was totally into it, plus they can personalize anything you buy from them. If you haven’t tried Turkish towels, please do. You’ll fall in love with them like I did.

Free shipping on orders over $45 from Turkey.

Urbanstax

The owner, Dolapo, is a trained architect but loves to create items with bold and vibrant fabrics. So she started to source handmade prints and batiks from all over Africa. Batik from West Africa, Ankara or Dutch wax prints from Ghana and Tanzania, Aso Oke (woven strips) from Nigeria and Shweshwe from South Africa. These are fabrics that I haven’t been able to find anywhere else.

Even though they are located in the U.K., the shipping is reasonable and you can upgrade if you need it sooner. Trust me, it’s worth the wait.

Fashion

Doroteyya

This shop is totally my style; minimal and neutral although she does do color in an understated way. The owner, Doroteya, designs and makes everything herself and is made to order. It was so hard to just pick three items, but I love a good sweatshirt, a jumpsuit and a t-shirt and hers are so unique. She takes the basics and puts a twist on it with asymmetrical hems, cut-outs and different wrapping techniques. In the Spring and Summer, she also has a killer linen line.

Once made, everything ships DHL and will be delivered in 2-3 business days from Bulgaria.

Thaqafah

I’m a sucker for a thick soled sandal and a unique flat shoe and this shop has both. Handmade in Dubai, these shoes come in a multitude of colors including metallic. Their “Saudi” sandals wrap around your foot and toe in a unique way and the colors are in different shades of the same color. I love their barefoot shoes, or what we call ballet shoes, because the top of the shoe comes further up on the foot so they don’t feel as flimsy as regular ballet shoes. Their booties are also so cute. Love this shop.

Free shipping from Dubai.

Recycled / Reclaimed

Parwana Paper

Based in Toronto, Parwana Paper has some of the best recycled papers. They ship all of their products in clear eco bags that are compostable. I’m a sucker for a pencil and these are made out of recycled paper. There’s notebooks and various papers in different colors and textures. I love notebooks and paper and have a notebook for every part of my life. The torn edges lend it a cool look too.

Purchases below $25 are automatically shipped USPS first class but you can contact the seller to discuss shipping details.

Wasabottle

As soon as I saw this Canadian shop, I swooned. I actually have tons of leftover wine bottles that I told myself I would do something with but never did. So, when I saw what this shop did, I couldn’t believe it. Just beautiful items besides the normal cutting the bottle into glasses. By adding different materials to it, frosting the glass, etching and more, they’ve taken it to a different level. There are lamps, vases, storage jars, pendant lights, etc. They also make things out of liquor and beer bottles. I love everything.

Shipping costs are reasonable and they usually ship 3-4 days after the order is received.

I’m just itching to go buy some more of these items right now. Good design just makes me feel good. I get so inspired by people who are creative and can make a living creating.

What do you think? Have you heard of any of these shops and/or bought anything from them? If you have your own favorite Etsy Shops, please let me know so I can check them out.

See you next time.