The holiday season is here, and it’s the perfect time to get a head start on shopping. Finding the right presents for friends and family can be tricky, but San Diego’s local shops, artisans, and makers offer something special for everyone. Whether you’re looking for kitchen upgrades for your family, a unique piece of décor for your friends, or the perfect toy for your pet, these local San Diego gifts are sure to spread holiday cheer.
What’s better than a single surprise? One every week. With a subscription to Yasukochi Family Farm’s CSA box, a ridiculously generous (and reasonably priced) bounty of seasonal, local fruits and veggies will land at your recipient’s door four times a month. They won’t get to choose what comes, but figuring out a menu based on the latest cornucopia is half the fun.
Courtesy of Apollo Emporium
San Diego Etched Whiskey Glasses, $40
Apollo Emporium
Give them the world—or at least the city. With these glasses from Little Italy home goods shop Apollo Emporium, one can trace all of San Diego across a single old fashioned. Neat! (No pun intended.)
Courtesy of Figure 1 Publishing
San Diego Cooks: Recipes from the Region’s Favorite Eateries, Bakeries, and Bars, $34.95
Figure 1 Publishing
Really, this new book from SDM contributors Ligaya Malones and Deanna Sandoval is just as much a gift for you—as long as your recipient is willing to share when they try their hand at homemade versions of iconic San Diego dishes like JRDN’s steamed mussels, Smokin J’s brisket chili, and Extraordinary Desserts’ lemon meringue cake.
Courtesy of Bees & Teas
Bourbon Vanilla Extract, $20
Bees & Teas Herbal Apothecary
Bourbon infused with real Madagascar vanilla adds complexity to holiday baked goods—as well as coffee, french toast, horchata, and other treats. The bottle comes full of whole vanilla pods, so your giftee can simply pour in more bourbon when things run low.
Courtesy of Casa y Cocina
Puebla Talavera Mantequilla, $37
Casa y Cocina
Handmade in Puebla, Mexico and sold at dangerously-easy-to-get-lost-in North Park home goods shop Casa y Cocina, this gorgeous ceramic dish keeps butter soft, safe, and close at hand.
Courtesy of Home Ec
Chili Crisps, $18
Karanchi
Karanchi founder Nguyen Le’s favorite way to eat his addictive, garlic-studded chili crisp is atop avocado toast—but, really, there’s no going wrong here (one NYT Cooking recipe even suggests adding the ingredient to fettuccine alfredo). You can pick it up online or at local shops like Home Ec (Little Italy), Bica (Normal Heights), Tablespoon (North Park), and Wildwood Flour Bakery (Pacific Beach).
Courtesy of Apostrophe Home
Hand-Painted Stoneware Platter, $45
Apostrophe Home
Charcuterie boards just got even more photogenic, thanks to this weighty, 16-inch stoneware serving dish from downtown’s Apostrophe Home. (Looking to shop for a set? The store sells a pretty serving bowl in the same pattern.)
Local Mavis Herrera works with artisans in Mexico to produce this stylish bag made from recycled plastic. It’s sized just right to hold a phone, wallet, key, and a hand cream or lip balm (without being so big it becomes a receipt graveyard).
Courtesy of Ordoñez Le
Lucia Strand, $557 & Saltwater Strand, $123
Ordoñez Le
Handmade in SD, Ordoñez Le’s beaded necklaces add a delicate pop of color and the alleged energy-balancing powers of gemstones. They’re all cute, but we’re partial to the Lucia (with two hands to rep your friendship) and the Saltwater (featuring a shell charm for beach-loving besties).
Courtesy of Aloisia Beauty
Restore Mini Set, $70
Aloisia Beauty
This set from Latina-owned, cruelty-free skincare company Aloisia Beauty is intended to provide everything your recipient needs for healthy skin—two cleansers, a gently exfoliating peel, and a moisturizing gel—in travel-ready packages.
Courtesy of J.Crew
Mahiri Lip + Cheek Tint, $38
Dehiya Beauty
Available in seven shades with names like “The Queen,” “Warrior,” and “Siren,” this oil- and shea butter–based tint from Moroccan-inspired beauty brand Dehiya adds a buildable flush of color to cheeks and lips.
Paired with a cotton-covered, Marrakech-made, terra cotta exfoliating tool called a mihakka, this argan oil cleanser is designed to clean skin without stripping it. Plus, the packaging is so pretty they’ll want to leave it out on the counter.
Courtesy of Gavin Luxe
I Smell Like Money Eau de Parfum, $65
Gavin Luxe
What’s the aroma of wealth? According to fragrance company Gavin Luxe, it’s vanilla and jasmine with touches of brown sugar, tonka bean, patchouli, amber, and musk.
Courtesy of June Handmade
Ring Sueño 2, $175
June Handmade
Alongside its broad collection of adorably twee leather shoes, June Handmade makes conversation-starting ceramic pieces, including statement rings that would look equally elegant strung on a necklace chain as they do on a finger.
Courtesy of Storyhouse Spirits
Tortuga Gin, $100
Storyhouse Spirits
The product of a collab between East Village distiller Storyhouse Spirits and the new Omni San Diego hotel in downtown, this citrus-forward gin has notes of lemon and orange peel and lemongrass.
Photo Credit: Erica Joan
San Diego Gifts for the Homebody
They’ll change careers before they return to office, and they refer to their patio as “the sanctuary.”
Send natty wine straight to their door with this subscription. San Diegan Erin Callahan curates four organic, biodynamic, and small-batch bottles every month—along with a playlist that matches the vibes.
Tijuana-born artist Socrates Medina Ahearn produces playful, functional, and gorgeous ceramic pieces like a mini chimenea that directs plumes of incense smoke upward and a coyote-head box for storing small objects (and secrets). You can find his work at outposts in SD and TJ, including the Mingei International Museum’s onsite shop.
Courtesy of Euflora
Moss Art DIY Kit, $45
Euflora
There are few things a homebody loves more than a plant… except maybe a project. This kit is both in one. Recipients can spend a happy afternoon or two arranging and gluing preserved moss and lichen in a wood frame to create evergreen art.
Courtesy of Club Time Warp
Club Time Warp Sun Catcher, $60
Apollo Home
Available at Apollo Home, this sun catcher from California artist Club Time Warp adds funky hippie sensibilities to any space with poured resin, crystals, and stones on a macrame rope.
Photo Credit: Erica Joan
San Diego Gifts for the Adventurer
They show up to work with wet hair and a too-big-for-a-Monday smile from a morning surf sesh.
Courtesy of Todd Glaser Photography
Kelly Slater: A Life of Waves, $55
Rizzoli
San Diego–born surf photographer Todd Glaser has spent more than 15 years capturing 11-time World Surf League champion Kelly Slater in and out of the water. The duo explore that archive in this new coffee table tome sure to inspire any grom.
Courtesy of Amazon
The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean, $19
Ludvik Handcrafted’s one-of-a-kind mugs are functional works of art depicting marine critters like green sea turtles, bat rays, and leopard sharks—La Jolla’s most beloved annual visitors.
Courtesy of Amazon
Rainbow Turkish Cotton Towel, $18–80
Citizens of the Beach
Upgrade their ragged beach towels with a soft, Turkish cotton variety in a fun print. Local company Citizens of the Beach sells these linens on Amazon, on Etsy, and at pop-up markets around town.
Courtesy of The Shop at MCASD
Roy Lichtenstein MCASD x Slowtide Beach Blanket, $80
The Shop at MCASD
The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego partnered with San Diego towel brand Slowtide to produce this eye-catching beach blanket (with a water-repellent lining) based on legendary pop artist Roy Lichtenstein’s Mirror #4, a piece on display at the La Jolla arts institution.
Courtesy of Horny Toads Surf Wax
Original Surf Wax, $3
Horny Toads Surf Wax
A Pacific Beach native launched this surf wax company in 2020, naming it after his father’s surf club (members Hank Warner and Mike Lovell went on to craft sought-after boards and fins). The watermelon-scented wax makes a great stocking stuffer.
Courtesy of All That Apparel
Cozy Reversible Jacket, $222
All That Apparel
Local entrepreneur Jody White turns deadstock fabrics into sustainable clothing like this reversible jacket. Giftees can wear the playful print on the outside and the cozy fleece inside for foggy coastal mornings and then flip for a subtler look while running errands.
Photo Credit: Erica Joan
San Diego Gifts for the New Parents
They somehow manage to wrangle twin newborns and three rescue pets into matching sweaters for a holiday card photo that’s not leaving your fridge… ever.
Courtesy of Cookies & Co.
Insulated Dog Water Bottle, $28 & Persimmon Classic Leash, $37
Cookies & Co.
Make hikes on San Diego’s many dog-friendly trails safer and more stylish with goodies from local pet company Cookies & Co.: a sturdy leash in an eye-catching hue and a metal water bottle that pups and their people can both drink from.
Courtesy of Nooee Pet
Nooee Pet Cave, $86.99 & Speckle & Spot California Dog Toy, $18.99
Decker’s Dog & Cat
The hardest part about shopping for pet-centric presents at Decker’s Dog & Cat’s La Jolla and Clairemont outposts? Deciding what to choose from their massive inventory. For kitties, may we suggest a sleek, easily cleanable bed? Puppies, on the other hand, will dig a squeaky toy paying homage to the Golden State.
Courtesy of Palomita
Maison Rue City Blocks & Gems Set, $80
Palomita
SD–based kids’ company Palomita curates stuff for children that’s sustainable, artist-driven, and—maybe best of all—so pretty that parents won’t mind when it ends up scattered all over the living room. Case in point: Maison Rue’s cute wooden houses, which help toddlers develop fine motor skills as they slide pretty lucite blocks into window-like cutouts.
Vintage Youth Sweater, $40
Timshel
Charming University Heights shop Timshel vends new and antique homewares, locally made jewelry and accessories, and vintage fashion, including retro knitwear for little ones in a range of kid-friendly colors.
Portraits of kids and pets are the most common subject on mom-owned jewelry company Raiz’s delicate, customizable charms, but the founders say customers get creative, requesting signatures, old photos of their ancestors, and more.
Courtesy of Cozy Made Designs
Red Cozy Things Print, $24
Cozy Made Designs
In addition to jewelry and custom invitations, menus, temporary tattoos, and more, San Diegan Kara Gil vends cute art prints, like this nursery-ready compilation of comforting doodles, on her site Cozy Made Designs.
Courtesy of WTF Mary
Gifts for Any San Diegan on Your List
Neighborhood Ornaments, $15–25
WTF Mary
Local designer WTF Mary laser-cuts mini versions of San Diego’s iconic neighborhood signs and transforms them into holiday ornaments. Sure, a star on the top of the tree is classic, but repping your ’hood amid the Santas and sparkly baubles? Way cooler.
San Diego Magazine Subscription, $9
San Diego Magazine
A subscription to San Diego Magazine is the perfect present for any local who loves our fine city. Each month, they’ll enjoy insight into San Diego’s food, drink, neighborhoods, and people shaping our community. Plus, they’ll receive our iconic Best Restaurants and Best of San Diego issues, packed with the year’s top picks.
Amelia Rodriguez is a writer and journalist and winner of the San Diego Press Club's 2023 Rising Star Award and 2024 Best of Show Award, she’s also covered music, food, arts and culture, fashion, and design for Rolling Stone, Palm Springs Life, and other national and regional publications. After work, you can find her hunting down San Diego’s best pastries and maintaining her five-year Duolingo streak.
