The Daily Memphian’s new Holidays in Memphis newsletter series will be your helping hand this season with recipes, holiday events, gift ideas and more. Sign up here to receive seasonal tips in your inbox through New Year’s Eve.

In just a few days, you’ll be sitting around the dinner table, trying desperately to avoid talk of politics while stuffing your face with more food than you’d normally eat in 24 hours. And once the dishes are cleared, it’s time to turn your attention to holiday shopping. Sure, you’ll get some sweet deals from big-box stores on Black Friday, but a handcrafted, Memphis-made gift or free experience is so much more thoughtful. Here are a few ideas for Small Business Saturday (and beyond).

Oh, and quick plug: You can never go wrong with a gift subscription to The Daily Memphian. (Wink, wink.)

Memphis note cards by Karen Pulfer Focht:

Photojournalist Karen Pulfer Focht’s prints are available on note cards. (Courtesy Karen Pulfer Focht)

Remember the days when gift-giving was followed by nice, handwritten “thank you” cards? Let’s bring that back. Memphis photojournalist Karen Pulfer Focht sells sets of blank note cards adorned with her artful images of Memphis scenes. Give a set as a gift, and maybe the recipient will send one back to you as a “thanks.” You can find Focht’s art prints and cards at Maggie’s Pharm, Novel, Feelin Memphis and several other places, or order in bulk from her website. — Bianca Phillips

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Organic candles from Virtue’s Candles:

If you have a lover of scented candles in your life, you can pick up a unique holiday gift from Virtue’s Candles. Owner and maker Elda Ramirez hand pours her organic candles, which come in comforting fragrances such as lavender, orange spice and honeysuckle, and rose petal. Plus, they’re embellished with bits of dried florals and gemstones. Her candles come in a wide variety of shapes, including butterflies, cacti, snowmen, floral bouquets and even ice cream sundaes. You can find Virtue’s Candles at Milli’s Flowers and Gifts, another Latina-owned business at Crosstown Concourse, as well as at local festivals and events. — Aisling Mäki

The Ginger’s Bread & Co. bread-of-the-month club:

Baker Jimmy Hoxie offers a bread-of-the-month club at The Gingers’s Bread & Co. (Meka Wilson/The Daily Memphian file)

Memphis baker Jimmy Hoxie’s The Ginger’s Bread & Co. bakery in Midtown offers a monthly bread subscription. Each month, your gift recipient will receive a different loaf, ranging from country white and hearty whole wheat to challah and focaccia. (See them all here.) You can opt for one loaf per month for either six or 12 months or two loaves per month for either timeframe. — Maymo Hawkins

Playhouse on the Square ticket pack:

Charles Hunter peforms a scene in “The Wizard of Oz” at Playhouse on the Square. (Courtesy Playhouse on the Square)

Give the gift of theater. Playhouse on the Square is selling a five-pack of tickets to any of their shows. With shows like “Junie B. Jones: Toothless Wonder,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “Who’s Holiday” running though December, there’s a show for everyone. Plus, tickets are good all season long. Playhouse five-packs can be purchased here.

Anything from the Metal Museum gift shop:

The Metal Museum has a gift shop featuring metal work by local and nationally known artists. (The Daily Memphian file)

What comes to mind when you go in search of locally made items? You may not necessarily think of metal work. But you should. The Metal Museum’s gift shop has a wealth of items from earrings to sculpture and kitchen utensils to children’s items, all crafted by local and nationally known artists. The museum is also in the midst of an expansion to Overton Park in the landmark Memphis College of Art building. Supporting the gift shop is also a way you can help the effort there. — Bill Dries

‘I Like Memphis’ hats from Slowdown Dry Goods:

Courtesy Slowdown Dry Goods

Remember in the late 2000s when everybody loved Memphis? We were all “grit-and-grind” this and bike lane that. Well, we still love Memphis. But sometimes, it can be a real jerk. Like, when crime happens. Or when gentrification drives up home values so high you can’t afford to buy a house or pay property taxes. It’s fair to say that sometimes, we just like Memphis. So, why not wear that message on a hat? Memphis clothier Slowdown Dry Goods offers “I Like Memphis” hats (and T-shirts!) in multiple colors. Order online, or check out their new store on Broad Avenue. — Phillips

Cxffeeblack Anti Gentrification Coffee Club subscription:

Bartholomew Jones’s company, Cxffeeblack, offers a coffee club subscription that supports its mission. (Benjamin Naylor/The Daily Memphian file)

Give the gift of caffeine and help support Cxffeeblack’s mission to make coffee more than a means for gentrification, consumerism and hypercapitalism. This gift idea delivers two bags of coffee per month to your loved one’s door, and your support helps Cxffeeblack with its payroll and its internship program. — Dalany Duncan

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Graceland gift card:

Elvis Presley’s jumpsuits are on display at Graceland. (Jane Donahoe/The Daily Memphian)

What’s more Memphis than Graceland? Perhaps it’s the reality that most Memphians have never even visited the home of Elvis Presley. And speaking from experience, I can unequivocally say they are missing out. The mansion alone (and that retro-chic jungle room) is worth the trip, but enhancements in more recent years make the experience even more memorable. More than 100 pieces of Elvis’ clothes — most notably the jumpsuits! — are on display in the Elvis museum, as are a large collection of his classic cars. You can’t help but fall in love with the most famous Memphian after you’ve walked the grounds of his Whitehaven estate. A tour of Graceland isn’t cheap, so a gift card may be just the push your friend or family member needs. So what’s the best Christmas gift for the Memphian on your list who has it all? It’s a visit to the international attraction in their own backyard that they’ve (likely) never seen for themselves. — Jane Donahoe

Gifts from Snapdragon Floral:

While grabbing flowers for your holiday festivities from Snapdragon Floral on Mt. Moriah Road, take time to browse the locally made products. In addition to Joanna Dyer’s flower arrangements, the shop also sells local pottery from GeorgiaMud and Memphis-poured soy wax candles from Four Candles Byrne. — Abigail Warren

Creep ornaments from babycreep: 

Give a gift that’s super cute and a little creepy. Memphis artist Nikkila Carroll of babycreep creates colorful holiday ornaments with her signature baby lips and noses, and you can find them this season at Five in One Social Club on Summer Avenue. Looking for something a little less seasonal? Her porcelain baby kiss earrings feature lips in so many colors, including a traditional red and very alien green. — Phillips

A walk and a poem in a natural setting:

The Wolf River Greenway can inspire a handwritten poem. (Bill Dries/The Daily Memphian file)

If you are looking to give a sense of place in a city where the landscape is as diverse as its people, all you need is stationery and some time to set aside. From the Shelby Farms Greenline and the Wolf River Greenway to Big River Crossing and the Old Forest in Overton Park, you can give the gift of renewed or ongoing relationships. The setting can be as big as the Mississippi River or as intimate as one of the city’s smaller parks. Either way, walking in Memphis is more than a song. — Dries

Mugs and vases from Kelsey Berry Pottery:

Kelsey Berry Pottery offers a subscription box that comes with a soap dispenser. (Courtesy Kelsey Berry)

Give the gift of handcrafted pottery all year long. Memphis artist Kelsey Berry offers subscription boxes that come once every quarter for a total of four boxes. For a one-time payment of $140, your loved one will get a soap dispenser with pump, a to-go coffee cup with a handmade sleeve and silicon lid, a sponge holder, and a large soup bowl. You can also add on options for local delivery, nationwide shipping and a gift box with ornament. — Phillips

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Pet portrait ornaments by Allie Phillips:

Courtesy Allie Phillips

Local artist Allie Phillips has got you covered when it comes to hand-painted portraits of your pet for the tree. One ornament is $35 or you can get two (same pup, or not) for $60, all the way up to five ornaments for $135. She works off photos, so please text her a clear image of your dog or cat at 901-517-0756. Order deadline is Dec. 10. Yes, she will mail them for you! — Jane Roberts

Gift certificate to a local restaurant:

For the foodie who loves to dine out, a gift certificate to a restaurant may just be one of the most thoughtful gifts to give this year. Not only are you giving the recipient a fun and delicious night out, but you are supporting the Memphis restaurant community. — Jennifer Chandler

Day trip to Beale Street with a loved one:

Treat your loved one to a visit to the Withers Collection Museum and Gallery. (The Daily Memphian file)

It can be hard to miss the historic side of the Beale Street entertainment district. But a day trip to the district has a few things to offer. One of the three best locations is People’s, where some of the pool tables are about as old as the business. What could be more Beale than playing pool on a table possibly used by some of the legends of the district’s storied nightlife? Just down the block is the Withers Collection Museum and Gallery, which features more than a million photos chronicling the city’s history from post-World War II to the Civil Rights Movement and through the start of the 21st Century. Go west on Beale to A. Schwab’s, an old general store that’s the oldest business on the street. In recent years, it has become an informal museum dedicated to the city’s “hoodoo” culture, as well as a place to buy books and knick-knacks. — Dries

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