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Apr 20, 2023

20 Great Rhode Island

‘Tis the season to be creative with your gift-giving, finding the ideal item for

‘Tis the season to be creative with your gift-giving, finding the ideal item for each person on your list and waiting for that slow smile of excitement and glee when it's unwrapped.

If two years of online shopping have sapped your gifting inspiration, however, fear not. This curated list of special, one-of-a-kind ideas crafted right here in Rhode Island will take your exchanges large and small to a whole new level.

From glass blowers and resin artists to jewelry makers and woodworkers, a wealth of creators are working here, offering their wares in small shops, on the crafting website Etsy and through their own websites.

Consider options from these Rhode Islanders when making your list and checking it twice:

Brenda Harvey, half of the brilliance at South County-based Artists Fusion (artistsfusion.com), crafts stunning and durable pieces in resin and wood. From coaster sets in black or gold glitter resin to live-edge black walnut charcuterie boards with black metallic resin and cutting boards edged in green sparkle resin, she blends media beautifully.

More:Make yourself at home with our guide to RI furniture makers and artisans

The other half of Artists Fusion (artistsfusion.com) is Luisa DeLuca, whose stained glass skills evolved to include found items such as porcelain shards, sea glass, beach stones and bottle glass. She combines those materials in her nightlights, each a tiny piece of illuminated artwork. She uses similar materials in what she calls "window jewelry," long chains in blues, greens or browns.

Ideal for the relocated Rhode Islander on your list, these candles by Orla Soy Candle (orlasoycandle.com or orlasoycandle.etsy.com) are clean-burning, chemical-free and hand-poured in southern Rhode Island. They are available in original and watermelon, and the company has soaps and lip balms, too. Other scents are also available.

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Benjamin Giguere's pieces, featured in catalogs like Uncommon Goods, are made in his Federal Hill glass-blowing studio Gather Glass (gatherglass.com). The hummingbird captured in flight is gorgeous, as is the richly red cardinal. Both can hang on trees or in windows. There's also a stunning glassware line, and gift cards for classes in which participants can learn the art and take home a piece they’ve created

Craig Crawford, in her business Wanderlust Ceramics (wanderlustceramics.com), individually handcrafts ceramic dinnerware, tabletop pieces, lighting and tiles. Choose a large platter featuring a chinoiserie pattern, an octagonal platter featuring flying squirrels or a scalloped bowl with a single bee in the center of a honeycomb.

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Whether it says "Providence, Weird Since 1636" or "Small but Mighty" across the front of the Superman building in downtown, Jenna Goldberg of Providence's Milkcan Industries (milkcanindustries.com) has a wide assortment of graphic T's that poke fun at and embrace the pride of Rhode Island. "Three all the way?" Got it. Providence Grays World Series shirt? Yup. She also has posters, mugs and other items.

On an 8-inch square tile, a 3-mile square map of the neighborhood of your choice makes a personal yet useful gift. In addition to traditional 12-hour clocks with maps from any location in the world, Lincoln-based ScreenCraft Gifts (screencraftgifts.com) also makes tide clocks with nautical charts, which count the time left until the next high or low tide. Featured in Uncommon Goods and The Grommet, ScreenCraft Gifts' product line also includes standard and personalized maps on trays, coasters and glass serving boards.

Combing the beaches of Newport, Mary Beth Dugan of Mermaid Tears By MB (etsy.com/shop/MermaidTearsByMB), transforms her finds into ocean-inspired art in 5-by-7-inch and 8-by-10-inch frames. There are dazzling waves of sea glass, clown fish darting among air bubbles and starfish in various scenes. Frames come in different colors.

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Located in Pawtucket's Hope Artiste Village, MACS Boutique (macsboutique.shop) turns vegan, sustainable, water-resistant cork from the bark of oak trees into unique purses emblazoned with images of dogs, butterflies, mermaids and more. Others feature geometric patterns or daisy prints.

It's not the image of a skateboard but the repurposed boards themselves — in blues, browns, greens and other colors — that Steve Duque of Providence uses to make these cool, eco-friendly pieces. He transforms the old boards into keychains and other pieces as well in Duque Shop (etsy.com/shop/duqueshop).

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For centerpieces or serving, the box elder, maple and catalpa bowls by Falcon Wood and Laser Works (falconwoodandlaserworks.com) are food-safe and rich with wood patterns and colors. The Middletown company owned by veteran Chris Rowe offers an assortment of wood pens, branch boxes and covered journals as well.

Barry Rubenstein of Barry's Boxes (barrysboxes.com) turns domestic and exotic hardwoods into beautiful and functional pieces of art, able to store eyeglasses, jewelry or other valuables. The jewelry boxes are free-standing, with doors that open to reveal holders for earrings, necklaces and other pieces.

Inspired by the pieces sailors in the 19th century would craft into boxes and jewelry for their sweethearts from shells and pearls found in their travels, Melonie Massa of Mermaids Baubles (etsy.com/shop/mermaidsbaubles) in Bristol has an array of pendants, earrings, hair combs and bracelets featuring flowers and other unique pieces.

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The perfect piece for three-season wear is an open-weave wrap by Creations by Maris (creationsbymaris.wordpress.com). Measuring about 76 by 16 inches, they can serve as scarves or sit stylishly on the shoulders for an extra layer in the cold temperatures. Available in a variety of colors, they are a fashion essential.

On a bureau, it can catch rings or change. On a windowsill, the light will illuminate the pretty flower petals through three colored glass panels. Whatever the use, the soldered boxes by Designs Stained Glass (etsy.com/shop/designsstainedglass) would be a one-of-a-kind gift for any age. Shop owner Nancy Ratte of Chepachet also creates pressed-flower sun catchers as an everlasting reminder of a garden's glory.

Inspired by living walls and geometric art, Mallory Angell of Rare Revivals (etsy.com/shop/byrarerevivals) in Warren creates wall-mounted wood shelves that are then filled with preserved moss and realistic faux succulents for a colorful garden that can hang anywhere and needs no upkeep. Shapes, wood tones and garden colors vary.

Using rounded Kingman turquoise gemstones on hand-knotted silk thread, Exeter's LaDonna Studio (etsy.com/shop/LadonnaStudio) creates a conversation piece of a necklace in shimmering shades of greens and blues. Other necklaces, as well as earrings, are crafted in rose quartz, sea glass, Murano glass, moonstone and other materials.

DJ Michalik of Notched Designs in Warren (instagram.com/notched_designs) cuts, stains and polishes palm-sized chunks of wood into portable bottle openers. His handcrafted creations, available at Made in Warren Artist Co-operative at 476 Main St., also include sturdy grill brushes, cutting boards, charcuterie boards, coat racks and more in various wood species.

Bookbinder and papermaker Tina Egnoski (On Instagram: @booksbookspaper) turned her love of natural textures and tooled leather into Wordlily, a business making unique journals ideal for any age. She uses age-old techniques like French link stitching and six-needle Coptic to produce functional, classic pieces. Buy them at Made in Warren, 476 Main St., or order them through tinaegnoski.com.

Analiese Stinson of Feel Tufted (feeltufted.com) loves creating art for underfoot that incorporates her jewelry-making skills in a new way. She uses blues and grays for a diamond, greens for a pear-shaped emerald and pinks and reds for a garnet.