Last year, I curated a BC Gift Guide featuring artisans across the province. This year, I’m focussing solely on local makers. Use the 2021 Vancouver Island gift guide to shop local from the comfort of your own home!
This year’s guide is organized alphabetically and by location and includes a variety of favourite Etsy shops across Vancouver Island. If you are ordering from a shop near you, make sure to contact the seller to see if you can pick the item up to forgo the shipping cost.
Before creating this year’s list, I researched each shop for value, a good variety of products, star reviews, and exceptional customer service. When purchasing something from one of the shops listed below, you know the product will be of superior quality and made by a reputable artisan. I also tried to introduce you to shops I haven’t listed before (in previous gift guides).
The Vancouver Island Gift Guide
Greater Victoria Shops
Big Red Beard Combs
With close to 8,000 sales, it’s easy to say Big Red Beard Combs is a top Victoria Etsy shop. These beautifully designed combs are the original wooden beard combs and are more than strong enough to get the job done.
This shop also sells much-loved beard balm and oil and shampoo and soap tailored to men.
Cutouts Canada
Cutouts Canada specializes in peel and stick vinyl decals and labels. Choose among the many designs to give every room in your home personality and style. The decals are made of quality vinyl and easy to apply and remove, and won’t damage walls or leave residue behind.
Emburr
Emburr creates functional art from stoneware clay. Using botanic elements and swirling natural clays together, each piece is unique. These beautiful pottery pieces range from dishes to home accessories and would make an excellent gift for anybody on your list.
Far Sky Map Works
Pursuing a passion for making maps and continuing the long-standing tradition of family map making, Far Sky Map Works was born. Using maps, they help capture memories – of your hometown, your adventure; and, everything in between. And as geographers, they ensure each map is geographically accurate, precise and as detailed as possible.
Field and Vine Gift Co.
Can’t decide on a gift? Choose from the many curated gift boxes by Field and Vine to help you out! These gift boxes feature amazing local products arranged in beautiful packaging. With 38 to choose from, the tricky part will be deciding which one to buy! Custom orders are accepted.
Heart & Home Designs
Heart & Home Designs Inc is a creative brand offering beautifully handcrafted, laser-cut decor for the modern family. This shop specializes in birth announcements and baby milestone signs but also creates personalized stocking and gift tags too.
Jody’s Naturals
You can purchase products from Jody’s Naturals in brick and mortar stores all over Vancouver Island. However, if you want to buy these handcrafted bath and body products right from the source, this Victoria Etsy shop is the place to do so. Jody specializes in eco soy candles.
Moth and Flame Jewelry
Etsy considers Moth and Flame one of their star sellers, and with over 11,000 sales, it’s easy to see why. This shop specializes in raw personalized birthstone jewelry. And their beautiful rings and necklaces are top sellers. Orders are currently taking 1 – 2 weeks, not including shipping times, so if this one-of-a-kind gift catches your eye, don’t delay in placing your order.
Moon Raven Designs
Michael Doyle is an independent artisan professionally practicing since 1974 and the owner of Moon Raven Designs. His unique jewelry is inspired by nature but with an edge to it. This popular shop is favourited by over 74,000 shoppers and has over 66,000 sales!
Strong N Free
Strong N Free is another much-loved and five-star reviewed shop on Etsy. They create wooden signs cut, sanded, stained, and painted by hand in their woodshop (aka garage). Each piece of wood is hand-selected to find unique knots and grain, so no final creation is ever the same. Select a piece among the many funny and heartwarming sayings to add character to your home.
The Love Cluster
For personalized gifts, prints and mugs, head to the Love Cluster. You’ll find “Love Art” prints and posters for the home; Personalized wedding keepsakes; Modern wall art; Engagement and anniversary gifts, and so much more. Customization is also available.
Tree Fort Toys
Tree Fort Toys creates natural wood toys, games, and learning materials. This five-star reviewed shop has over 7000 sales, and you can find products in a few local brick and motor stores. Amy designs and creates open-ended and purposeful toys that encourage imagination and foster a lifelong love of learning.
Mid-Vancouver Island Shops
Amanda Key Design
Amanda Key Design creates stickers, artwork and gifts perfect for stocking stuffers. Each product is influenced by the island’s scenery, nature, and community. Use the beautiful waterproof stickers to individualize your laptop, backpack, gym bag, etc.
Barefoot and Braids
This 5-star reviewed shop creates sea glass jewelry and sea-inspired art. Every piece is one of a kind, and the sea glass used is ocean tumbled along the coast of Vancouver Island. Choose from among the many beautiful earrings and rings or perhaps liven up your wall with unique artwork.
Black Cat Stitches
Black Cat Stitches creates stylish accessories for people and pets. Leanne’s coveted pet accessories are always a hit at local markets. But with over 17,000 online sales, her Etsy shop is popular too! She believes in spreading joy one cute bow tie at a time, as well as the power of a good belly laugh, and her product line does just that.
Everything Driftwood
The artisans behind this shop create decor items made with driftwood from Vancouver Island. Whether you are looking for holiday-inspired gift ideas or something you can display year-round, you will find something unique and beautiful at this Nanaimo shop.
Fae Garten Clay
This star-seller on Etsy creates organic earth designs for your home and garden. Each piece is hand-built without a potter’s wheel and made to be both decorative and functional. The result is unique and organic one-of-a-kind pieces where no two are exactly alike.
Glimpse Glass Folk
This Parksville shop gets rave reviews and creates stained glass ornaments inspired by the outdoors. If someone on your list loves stained glass, one of their many suncatchers will make an incredible gift. They also create garden stakes and terrarium containers.
Island Engravers
This Nanaimo shop specializes in affordable personalized Pet ID Tags. With over 15,000 sales and an over-abundance of 5-star reviews, these products are much-loved. Whether you are shopping for your pet or someone else’s, one of these tags would make a great stocking stuffer.
Kindred Coast
This much-loved Ladsymith shop creates West Coast adventure clothing. Each item is handmade in a home studio, using recycled or sustainable materials as much as possible. Hannah’s motto is to try to use up materials already in the world rather than create a demand for new.
Paper Soap Co.
This North Cowichan shop creates handcrafted single-use paper style soaps. They are made using in-house organic herb and flower cold-pressed oils, and with as many eco-friendly and fair trade ingredients as possible. These little paper soaps are perfect for daily use, favours, travel, guests and gifts.
Rusted Nail Designs
Located in Qualicum Beach, Rusted Nail Designs creates home decorations and furniture from recycled and reclaimed wood products. They pride themselves on quality workmanship with a strong focus on locally sourced materials. A popular choice is their guitar creations.
The MacInnis Honey Co.
This local honey company gets rave reviews! They produce fresh, raw, unpasteurized and delicious local honey. Plus, there is FREE delivery between Victoria and Courtenay, including Port Alberni. Choose among the many flavours, or if you can’t decide, choose the trio set to sample three varieties.
You Rock My Socks Co.
Funny socks for everyone! With over 370 different sayings, you’ll surely find one that suits your giftee. Every product is made with loads of love and a lot of ‘sole.’ They are dedicated to providing the best quality, value and service out there.
Comox Valley & Campbell River Shops
Aviologie
Any bird lover will appreciate a handcrafted ornament from Aviologie. Each piece is beautifully hand-painted and finished with a light wax to produce a subtle sheen that says “well made and well finished.” You can feel good about promoting Fair Trade by buying one of these stylish, high-quality pieces.
By Kauri
By Kauri creates wire-based home décor and accessories. Choose from a large variety of bookmarks and ornaments for that perfect stocking stuffer. This popular Campbell River shop has many happy customers and 5-star reviews to boot.
CC Laser Designs
CC Laser Designs creates unique hardwood one-of-a-kind gifts. Their bathtub caddies are a popular choice and would make any giftee squeal with delight. And due to their exceptional customer service and history of 5-star reviews, they are considered a star-seller on Etsy.
Ellow Dee Prints
At this much-loved Campbell River shop, you will find a mix of Nursery Prints, Watercolours, Original Digital Art and Photography. And with over 1,000 5-star reviews, you can be sure you will get great value here! Her woodland animal prints are so cute and would be an asset to any child’s room.
Luxe Lumber
For clever, custom and quality doormats and home goods, check out Luxe Lumber. I can personally attest their doormats are of exceptional quality. And the many wise sayings make for a wonderful gift. The hardest part will be choosing which one to buy!
Maddie M Designs
For the perfect personalized handmade gifts, check out Maddie M Designs. These wooden signs are laser cut for precision, yet their custom work makes each design unique. And the many 5-star reviews should give you confidence in their work.
My Island Craft Boutique
All items at this Campbell River shop are handmade with love and receive excellent reviews. The variety of items available at this shop is also exceptional. Whether you are looking for a sweatshirt with a clever saying or wine tumblers, mugs or decals, you can find it all here.
Secret Storage Books
These hollow books are made from gently used real books to store secret items. Once placed on your bookshelf, only you will know something important is hidden inside. With over 18 years in business, they have upcycled more than 50,000 books!
Tender Love Card Stock
This much-loved Campbell River shop specializes in cake and cupcake toppers, as well as party banners. These creations would make perfect stocking stuffers for all home bakers and those on your list who love party planning. With over 40,000 sales and thousands of 5-star reviews, this shop is a Star-Seller on Etsy.
The Dish and Spoon
The Dish and Spoon makes handcrafted vintage and antique spoon jewelry. This Courtenay shop combines the love of vintage, history, thrift, recycling, re-purposing and creativity. It’s a piece of history, turned into a piece of wearable art!
West Coast Karma Art
West Coast Karma Art creates unique lifestyle clothing and art with hand-drawn designs. Whether you are looking for hoodies, shirts, decals, stickers, magnets, or prints, this shop has it all. Their many sales and fantastic reviews tell me this shop creates unique designs not found anywhere else.
Woven Beauty
For high-quality handwoven scarves, shawls and home decor items, check out Woven Beauty. This Comox shop creates beautiful and unique fashion accessories and table linens that tip a hat to tradition yet fit a contemporary lifestyle.
I hope this Vancouver Island gift guide helps you with your holiday shopping this year. If nothing else, introduces you to a local artisan you may not have come across before.
To save this article for future use, please pin this image on Pinterest:
*This article contains affiliate links, which means that if you happen to make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
