The Daily Memphian’s 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 holiday tips in your inbox through New Year’s Eve.

Don’t wait for Black Friday to start your holiday shopping; get started now, so you can really enjoy the holiday season when you’re juggling more party invites than days in the month. And while you’re at it, avoid the major online retailers and big-box stores (where Wham’s “Last Christmas” is no doubt playing much too soon). Instead, support local Memphis artists, shops and attractions.

Our reporters, marketing staff and digital desk team offer suggestions for their favorite locally made products and experiences. (And one of these won’t cost you a dime.) Of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t also suggest a gift subscription to The Daily Memphian.

Memphis-based beverage brand Comeback cans and sells coffee sodas in several flavors, including the strawberry and lime "Field Day." (Adrianne Haskins/Courtesy Comeback)

Coffee sodas, incense or coffee beans from Comeback:

Some of us remember the gentle, earthy scent of Greenhaus, a plant shop that had a glorious run next to its sister shop, Comeback Coffee, in the Pinch District. Both brick-and-mortar shops are closed, but these days, Comeback cans and sells coffee soda in flavors like “Field Day” (strawberry and lime) and “Southern Style” (lemon and thyme). The four-packs ($16) are a fun gift or an interesting alcohol-free holiday party option. What about that incense? Comeback offers “Dial In,” the vanilla and patchouli room scent made famous at Greenhaus, in their online shop. They also carry whole bean coffee, roasted at Comeback’s Downtown facility. — Holly Whitfield

M-Town merch:

Brannon Hobbs designs Memphis-inspired clothes. (Courtesy Brannon Hobbs)

Brannon Hobbs began designing M-Town merchandise for himself when he couldn’t find clothes to rep his city while living in Nashville. Vibrant colors of his hats, scarves and shirts match the liveliness of Memphis. Gift his M-Town take on the Tigers or Grizzlies mascots to anyone who likes to rep their teams. (They’ll get to relish in compliments with every wear, I can say from experience.) My favorite ode to Memphis is the “Tomb of Doom” hat. But if you see something you’d like to give, purchase it quickly: M-Town’s recent collab with the Grizzlies sold out the night it debuted. Hobbs says there will be a few new items dropping before the holidays. (People signed up for his emails find out first.) — Laura Testino

Pretty Useful Co. pin keeper: 

Pretty Useful Co.’s pin keeper will hold all your enamel pins. (Submitted)

I went through an enamel pin-collecting phase, and I put every single one of those pins on my Old Navy jean jacket. It was cute, but with every new pin, the jacket got heavier and heavier. And then it became so burdensome that I stopped wearing it — and thus, stopped collecting enamel pins. Enter Pretty Useful Co.’s pin keeper. The 18 x 24” felt pennant will hold all of your pins without weighing down your jacket. And if you’re buying this as a gift, you might as well shop from Pretty Useful Co.’s pin collection — Bianca Phillips

Avalon candle by New Harbert Candles & Kelsey Berry Pottery:

New Harbert Candles fills Kelsey Berry pottery with their scented candles. (Submitted)

This gift combines two local artists: ceramist Kelsey Berry and candlemaker New Harbert Candles. Berry handmakes the holders, and New Harbert fills them. The scent I recommend is Avalon, named after the Memphis street, with notes of red currant, lemon, juniper and peppermint. It’s a nice crisp candle for the holidays. And when you finally burn the candle to its end, you can use the holder for a cup (because it’s dishwasher- and microwave-safe). Berry also has plenty of other pieces that would make great presents. Ahem, if you’re buying for me, I am eyeing that olive oil dispenser. You’ll find her pieces on her website or at Slowdown Dry Goods on Marshall Avenue. — Kelsey Bowen 

An antique store treasure:

Find something unique — and antique — at A Moment in Time. (Nick Lingerfelt/The Daily Memphian)

If you’re seeking a gift for that special someone but don’t know what to get them, why not wander around an antique store and let it decide what to get for you? As any self-avowed thrifter or antiquer knows, if you’re looking too hard for something, you won’t find it. But if you go in with an open mind (and open eyes), you’ll find something special that you never knew you wanted or needed. Head to one of our local antique hot spots, like A Moment in Time or Summer Avenue Antiques (both on Summer Avenue); Sheffield Antiques Mall in Collierville; Southern Vintage in Bartlett; or Abandoned Antiques Mall in Millington. — Nick Lingerfelt 

Floral-arranging workshop:

Midtown Bramble & Bloom co-owners Marisa Mender Franklin (left) and husband Corey Franklin offer floral-arranging workshops around the holidays and throuhgout the year. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

If you, like me, cannot believe it is Christmas time, you may, like me, be lacking in holiday decorations. Last year, a friend gave me a wreath-making class as a gift, which solved my problem and made for a truly wonderful Sunday afternoon. Midtown Bramble & Bloom hosts a variety of flower-arranging, centerpiece- and wreath-making workshops both around the holidays and throughout the year. For friends who need to look forward to warmer, sunnier days, consider an IOU for a spring arranging workshop in March or April. — Testino

Dinstuhl’s chocolate:

Dinstuhl’s chocolate makes a sweet gift. (The Daily Memphian file)

Make sure you stay on the sweet list this year with a little help from Dinstuhl’s Fine Candy Co. From assorted chocolates to cashew crunch, every bite sleighs. While you’re at it, get yourself something too. You deserve it. — Natalie Pilgrim

Bookends from Archd: 

Archd makes wooden bookends with quotes from powerful women. (Courtesy Archd)

We’re living in the age of Kindles, sure. But some of us (raises hand) still prefer to read real, old-fashioned books. And our bookshelves are overflowing. Help us get organized and make our spaces look a little cuter with a set of Memphis-made bookends. Archd, a local company run by sisters Kristen and Lindsey Archer, sells handcrafted, wooden bookends with inspirational quotes from powerful women (think Angela Davis, Harriett Tubman and Kamela Harris). Or, you can opt for my personal fave set: Childless Dog Lady. — Phillips

Membership to a Memphis museum or attraction:

Consider a membership to a local museum, like the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, as a holiday gift. (The Daily Memphian file)

The perfect gift for anyone living in Memphis is a membership to any of our amazing attractions. There are so many to choose from, but one of my favorite gifts was a Memphis Zoo membership for me and my fiancé. It gave us an easy excuse to go support our city at the drop of a hat. Think places like the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Children’s Museum of Memphis, Memphis Botanic Garden, the Pink Palace Museum and probably so many others I am forgetting. — Lizzie Hornor

Art classes: 

ShapeShifter Art School will open in East Memphis. Pictured are its five founders and instructors, from left to right: Lisa Williamson, Elizabeth Alley, Nikii Richey, Melissa Dunn, Pam McDonnell. (Leslie Navarrete/Courtesy ShapeShifter Art School)

The incoming ShapeShifter Art School & Gallery and Five in One Social Club both offer gift cards for classes and workshops. ShapeShifter, which opens this week, offers multi-week writing, painting, weaving, collage and sculpting classes. The multi-hour workshops at Five in One Social Club vary each month, but they have included mending, darning, making activity books, marbling, block-printing cards or creating stained-glass ornaments and wine-bottle glasses. If you know a person’s particular art-or-craft interest, you can also spring for a workshop at a museum, like knitting at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens, figure-drawing at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, or metalsmithing at the Metal Museum. — Elle Perry

‘I Like Memphis’ tote bag from Slowdown Dry Goods:

These Slowdown Dry Goods bags tell people how you feel about Memphis. (Submitted)

The one thing I like more than Memphis is telling people I like Memphis. The obvious next step is needing a bag that says it, so that I can tell people without using my voice. My “I like Memphis” tote bag lets me reach those people at the yoga studio, grocery store, park and the office, and it’s a great carry-on for the plane. (And, hey, everyone knows which gate you’re headed to!) Available at Slowdown Dry Goods on Marshall Avenue and their website. — Bowen

Playhouse on the Square ticket package:

Playhouse on the Square offers a five-pack of tickets good for any show. December shows include “Junie B. Jones: The Musical,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “A Tuna Christmas,” but you can use these tickets all season long. The five-packs can be purchased here. — Alys Drake

A field trip to the C.H. Nash Museum of Chucalissa:

Take your loved one on a trip to Chucalissa for the holidays. (Patrick/LantripThe Daily Memphian file)

The southwest Memphis archaeological site, owned by the University of Memphis, has come to life again after decades of dormancy in terms of its programming. Treat your loved one to stop at the museum, where you can ponder what was here before the City of Memphis was founded more than 200 years ago. The museum also explores the land’s past as a plantation and the site’s discovery by Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps workers. 

If you want to treat your giftee to further evidence of the city’s Native American past, seek out Chickasaw Heritage Park, a few miles north of Chucalissa. There you will find two mounds of what was once a complex of several mounds in the area. — Bill Dries

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