We found 10 ideas under $25 without leaving town
By NICOLE S. COLSON
Sentinel Staff
Shopping on a budget is on everyone’s mind these days. But shopping locally is also a big consideration for many. We’ve put together a list of 10 gift ideas, all under $25, all of which can be purchased locally.
A bottle of wine from The Walpole Mountain View Winery at Barnett Hill Vineyard.
Several varieties of red and white wines, made right in Walpole, are available at both Hannah Grimes Marketplace at 42 Main St. and at Ingenuity Country Store/Mill Toy Works at 41 Central Square, both in downtown Keene. Cost: Most run between $19 and $23.
Hot chocolate mix made at L.A. Burdick Chocolate, also in Walpole.
A 12-ounce bag comes with
a miniature whisk for stirring.
It comes in dark or
white chocolate. Cost: $17.
For an extra $7 you can buy
an L.A. Burdick chocolate
bar to go with it. Available
at Hannah Grimes Marketplace
or at the company’s
retail store, 47 Main St. in
Walpole.
Brownie pan, made by Chicago Metallic.
Once
you bake your brownies and
take the insert out of the
pan, they are pre-cut. It’s
great because they are all
the same size. You can us it
for cornbread or other
treats. Cost: $19.99
Available at Your
Kitchen Store, 20 Main St.,
Keene.
Set of three bamboo cutting boards, made by Totally Bamboo.
They are
nice-looking and conveniently
sized for every job,
whether you’re cutting a
loaf of bread or a clove of
garlic. Cost: $14.99. Available
at Your Kitchen Store.
Nutty Squirrel Nutcracker
This cute and clever shiny metal nutcracker made by RSVP International would look great on a holiday table. You place the nut in the squirrel’s mouth and lift his tail to crack it. Cost: $17.99. Available at Your Kitchen Store.
Wine bottle holiday light display.
These locally-made decorations consist simply of a wine bottle with a string of lights inside. The lights go through a hole drilled in the bottom of each bottle so they can go on tabletops or anywhere you want to decorate. Cost: $22.50. Available at Pocketful of Rye, 43 Main St., Keene.
Scarves made from a recycled silk sari.
These colorful pieces are made by Nusantara, a wholesale clothing and accessory company based in Rutland, Vt., that makes products inspired by the owner’s decades of travels
throughout Asia. Cost: $13-$15. Available at Pocketful of Rye.
Hand-warmer mug.
These popular mugs fly off
the shelves. Ingenuitycan’t
keep these popular mugs on
the store shelves. Made by a
husband-and-wife team of potters in Oregon (clayinmotion.
com), these mugs are ergonomically-
designed to let
the heat from the liquid
warm your hand. They come
in a variety of glazes and designs,
and you can get one for
either the righty or lefty on
your list. Cost: $20.99. Available
at Ingenuity Country
Store/Mill Toy Works.
WoodWick candle by
Virginia Candle Company.
Because the wick on these
candles is wooden instead
of wax, it crackles like a fire
as it burns. The line the
store carries is called Trilogy;
each candle contains
three layers of different fragrances,
from vintage plumzinfandel-
wine berry to
vanilla bean-caramel-biscotti.
Cost: $17.99. Available
at Ingenuity Country
Store/Mill Toy Works.
Custom-made gift
baskets.
Ingenuity Country
Store/Mill Toy Works
makes its own gift baskets,
many of which are more
than $25, but there’s a section
of smaller versions that
consist of goodies — from
Godiva hot chocolate to
shortbread mix — inside a
coffee mug or holiday centerpiece
instead of a basket.
Each one is wrapped in cellophane
and tied with a
pretty holiday bow. For the
person that’s hard to shop
for, you can’t go wrong with
one of these. Cost: $12.99-
$19.99.
SENSE-ible dog harness.
For the dog lover on
your list, this harness,
made by Softouch Concepts,
is designed to train a pet
not to pull on the leash
while walking. The different
fit involves clipping it in
the front rather than the
back like a traditional harness,
so the dog uses it’s
natural instincts. They
come in a variety of colors
and all sizes, from extrasmall
to extra-large. Cost:
$18.95. Available at The
Monadnock Humane Society,
101 West Swanzey
Road (Route 10 South),
Swanzey.
