From hot sauce in Queens to flatware in Sherrill, these New York makers turn holiday shopping into a story worth giving.
The holidays have arrived, and for many, that means stress shopping to find the perfect gift for loved ones and friends. Shopping for gifts made in New York puts your money behind the makers, farmers, and manufacturers who keep local communities thriving.
Across New York State, small businesses count on the holiday season. From slow fashion to sweet treats, New York-made gifts celebrate the season with thoughtful giving.
Here are 12 brands with stories as unique as the products they make.
Home and accessories
Fountain House + Body
Fountain House + Body is an extension of Fountain House, a national mental health nonprofit working to improve health, increase opportunity, and end social and economic isolation for people impacted by mental illness.
Its retail shop launched in 2019 and recently moved to a larger space in Hell’s Kitchen, just west of New York City’s Theater District. The inviting space includes a retail store and a fair-trade café. Fountain House members (people living with serious mental illness) hand-make the candles and soaps in the store, where they also host candle-making workshops. These low-barrier transitional jobs help participants transform their lives through purpose, dignity, and community.
But even if you’re not in New York City, you can support Fountain House by shopping its collection online. Popular soy candle scents include rosemary sage, spiced pumpkin, and Fraser fir ($22).
Liberty Tabletop
If you like entertaining, look no further than Liberty Tabletop, the only flatware manufacturer producing stainless steel flatware solely in the United States. Every piece is created in its Sherrill, New York, factory, preserving the skill and craftsmanship that have defined the community for over a century.
A typical 65-piece set includes place settings for 12 plus a five-piece service set. Go classic, like the Annapolis, available in mirror or satin finish, or show some personality with American Garden, featuring hand-tooled floral motifs including lilies, roses, daisies, daffodils, and clematis. (prices vary)
Franca
Franca co-founders Jazmin de la Guardia and Sierra Yip-Bannicq bring their multicultural perspectives and a commitment to craftsmanship, design, and artistry to their ceramic collections.
Their signature willow pattern nods to the botanical with free-flowing curves and is available in a range of colors. Color-block and outline patterns evoke a Picasso-like boldness, and they also offer pet bowls for your furry loved ones. (prices vary)
Graphic Image
What’s old is new again at Graphic Image, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2027. What began as leather-bound diaries has expanded to books, handbags, and items for home and travel. A longtime supplier to Tiffany & Co. and Williams Sonoma, Graphic Image makes products you’ve likely seen without even realizing it.
For those who love a to-do list, the leather desk diary, available in seven colors ($120), adds some flair to the daily routine. Travelers will appreciate the passport holder ($64), available in a variety of leathers and colors.
Beauty and fashion
Saipua
In the mid-1990s, Susan Ryhanen stumbled upon soapmaking at a craft fair. After retiring, she took to her basement to experiment, laying the foundation for a business her daughter, Sarah, would help reshape. In 2006, the two renamed it Saipua, from saippua, the Finnish word for soap.
Over the years, Sarah incorporated her passion for floral design, got married, and bought a farm 40 miles west of Albany, naming it Worlds End. It’s here that the interdisciplinary elements took shape, eventually leading to a soap factory and an intergenerational community of craftspeople, educators, and farmers.
Bar soaps ($24) are available in unique scents and ingredient combinations, such as lavender oatmeal and charcoal patchouli. Hand and body liquid soaps ($50) come in a refillable amber bottle that makes a statement before the first pump.
Aurora Shoe Co.
Aurora Shoe Company continues the tradition of shoemaking at its King Ferry, New York, factory, using American-made materials. And there’s nothing more American than its signature style, the Mary Jane.
Illustrator Richard F. Outcault created the comic strip “Buster Brown” in 1902, outfitting the title character and his sister, Mary Jane, in strap shoes. He sold the advertising rights to Brown Shoe Company, and the rest is history. By the 1930s, “Mary Janes” had become a go-to style.
Over the years, the style has evolved to include open-toe and other variations, but the classic Mary Jane ($198) remains a best-seller. The North Pacific ($260) is a collaboration with the brand’s Japanese distributor and features large cuts of leather, a heavy-tread Vibram sole, and a broad toe box for a minimalist design.
Hudson Made
Founded in 2012, Hudson Made lives up to its name. The small-production grooming brand checks all the boxes for environmentally and socially conscious consumers. The vegan line features fully recyclable packaging and partners with small manufacturing plants and makers to produce an exquisite line of products.
For the Strapping Gent—a collection of three of the brand’s best-selling items—includes the worker exfoliating body bar, conditioning beard oil, and roll-on cologne, featuring notes of cedar, smoke, and patchouli ($108).
Upstate Stock
A factory in Gowanus, Brooklyn, cuts and sews nearly every product of Upstate Stock’s cozy knitted accessories and apparel. Its original retail store, now owned and operated by a local family, continues to feature Upstate Stock products and has expanded to include dozens of New York State-made items, from pantry items to bath and apothecary.
Knit caps ($34.50-$49) come in nearly every color imaginable. At the same time, the Amagansett Beach upcycled terry cotton sweater ($125) marks the brand’s first item entirely cut, sewn, and finished at its Brooklyn studio, using an upcycled cotton from knitting partner Recover Textiles.
Eat, drink, and be merry
Raaka
Chocolatiers Ryan Cheney and Nate Hodge founded Raaka in 2010. Over the years, the bean-to-bar company has earned a reputation for its single-origin cacao, a range of flavor combinations, and one-of-a-kind branding.
The fall collection includes pumpkin hojicha (green tea roasted over charcoal) and maple date oat, among others. Gift bundles offer plenty of price points, from a mini medley ($14) to a 12-month gift subscription ($299) for a year of chocolate indulgence.
Sfoglini
While New York City may be known for its pizza, the Italian American community has deep roots beyond pie. Sfoglini (derived from sfoglina, the Italian word for women known for pasta making) harnesses traditional techniques to create a line of pastas that would make nonna proud.
From a 37,000-square-foot factory in Coxsackie, New York, Sfoglini produces semolina, whole grain, and limited-edition varieties perfect for Sunday supper or a midweek meal. Standouts include porcini trumpets ($7.99), whole grain einkorn ziti ($7.99), and a four-pack Best of Sfoglini pasta sampler ($26.99).
Queen Majesty Hot Sauce
Founded in 2013, now bottled in Queens, Queen Majesty Hot Sauce will bring the heat to your holiday season. Founder Erica Diehl moved to New York City, studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology, then worked as a graphic designer before bottling her passion. Diehl’s sauces have appeared several times on “Hot Ones,” the viral YouTube interview series where celebrities test their Scoville tolerance.
Popular flavors from the TV series include scotch bonnet and ginger ($16) and Sicilian scorpion ($16). A four-bottle gift set ($40) includes a range of sauces from citrusy to smoky with varying heat levels.
North Fork Potato Chips
Long Island potato farmers Martin and Carol Sidor have been farming the land, which has been in the family since 1910. Using North Fork, Long Island potatoes has proven to be a winning recipe for North Fork Potato Chips (at least according to taste testers from Every Day with Rachael Ray). The thick-cut chips, fried in sunflower oil, deliver a craveable, salty crunch without additives or preservatives.
Single-flavor boxes ($29.99) come in either 2 oz. or 6 oz. bags. Or gift a sampler case ($18), which includes all seven flavors.
