The Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to life in Colorado. For locals, by locals.
More than 99 percent of the businesses that make up Colorado’s economy have fewer than 50 employees, and small businesses are to thank for more than one million jobs in the Centennial State. That’s why we combed Colorado for products from the small businesses keeping our economy alive. This year, consider skipping big-box retailers and checking out our list of locally made goods that won’t stretch your budget.
Below, our 10 favorite Colorado gifts for less than $50 a pop.
Black Lantern Stars & Night Whiskey Glasses
Longmont’s Black Lantern is the place to turn when you don’t know what to get your secret Santa. Co-owners and husband-and-wife duo Kevin and Ginny Davis both hold college degrees in graphic design and have artfully screen-printed everything from T-shirts to mugs to coasters with classically cool Colorado imagery. This set of two 11-ounce whiskey glasses ($32) features a beautifully detailed night sky design that reveals itself when the glass is full and won’t flake off in the dishwasher (although the owners recommend washing by hand to prevent the glass from getting cloudy). Even better: The Davises etch, embroider, and print all of their designs by hand in their studio with environmentally friendly processes, ensuring that those Colorado landscapes stay pretty enough to put on T-shirts for years to come. Available online
Queen of the Meadow Lotion Bar and Dish Gift Set
Daniela Honegger and her family have run Fort Collins–based Queen of the Meadow for 18 years, but you don’t have to take I-25 north to try her body care products, thanks to Denver retailers like Sol Shine and VaVaBloom, which carry Honegger’s products. And there’s more than one reason to feel good about the company’s self-care lineup: Queen of the Meadow’s main suppliers are certified organic, and 10 percent of its ingredients are gathered in the rural Rocky Mountains. The lotion bar and dish gift set ($38) comes with a colorful, handmade ceramic holder that cradles a soap bar in one of six scents (an unscented option is available too). Plus, all of the packaging is eco-friendly, meaning your recipient can enjoy a luxurious bath without compromising their conscience. Available online and at various retailers
Green Guru Hipster Hip Pack
Boulder-based Green Guru was born after founder Davidson Lewis realized that most outdoor gear companies make items that actually lead to environmental degradation. In 2005, he decided to open Green Guru, which creates outdoor and cycling products that reuse discarded materials, such as bike tubes and wetsuits. This colorful hip pack ($50) not only fits around your waist but can also be attached to your bike’s handlebars. It features a zippered pocket with enough room inside for your glasses, keys, and a protein bar. The pack is made from tent fabrics and climbing rope, so the exact colors vary, but all of them maintain a retro ’80s vibe. Available online
Colorado-opoly Board Game
Playing a board game is a go-to way to gather the fam for some quality time. This year, trade in your top hat for a ski boot and battle to buy Centennial State landmarks—like Red Rocks, the Maroon Bells, and Mile High Stadium—in Colorado-opoly ($30). It’s guaranteed to be hours (and hours) of fun for the whole family–or at least the one person who reigns victorious. Available online and at Peak-a-Boo Toys (1991 Wazee St., Suite 100, Denver; 117 S. Main St., Breckenridge)
SnoStrip
Longtime friends Steven Graf and Zhach Pham knew they’d make great business partners since the success of their second-grade lemonade stand. They’ve since graduated from putting powder mix in paper cups to launching a Denver-based company solving one of skiers’ biggest problems: slippery skis scratching the paint off their cars. Enter SnoStrips ($50), the flagship product of RigStrips, which the duo launched in 2020. The magnetic strip sticks to your car and boasts deep slots where you can safely notch your board or planks—without risking your Subaru’s new paint job. The product—which was featured on Shark Tank and earned a $300,000 investment from guest shark Todd Graves—features two snowboard hooks and narrow slots for thin skis. Rigstrips also just launched a sturdier version that suction cups to your car and is secured with a lock to prevent theft. Available online and at various retailers
Fettle & Fire Handcrafted Ceramic Chimes
Lindsey Bricker turned her pottery hobby into a business when she opened Longmont’s Fettle & Fire in 2016. There, she crafts soap and ring dishes, ornaments, and even takes custom orders. We’re particularly drawn to her handcrafted wind chimes ($48), which are made of stoneware clay and fired to a toasty 2,000 degrees. Her minimalist ceramic chimes come in a variety of colors, and, when placed amongst greenery, are a pleasant reminder that warmer weather is (hopefully) right around the corner. Available online
Suzie’s CBD Bones for Dogs
Is it even the holidays if you don’t have a gift for Fido to tear open? This family business out of Fort Collins makes tasty T-R-E-A-T-S, from peanut butter hearts ($21) to pumpkin-flavored bones ($42), all infused with CBD. Richard Squire was inspired to launch the Front Range company after his senior dog, Suzie, was suffering from pain and impaired mobility. Squire’s treats, which are made with ingredients sourced from the company’s Colorado farm, allowed Suzie to more comfortably live out the rest of her days. While both Squire and his beloved pal have since passed, his business partners have grown Suzie’s to manufacture products for dogs, cats, and even horses. Available online
Pact Lite Bathroom Kit
Nothing says “season’s greetings” quite like the gift of…relief. With the lite bathroom kit ($35) from Crested Butte’s Pact Outdoors, your favorite adventurer can leave Colorado’s wilderness just as pristine as they found it. The four-ounce kit comes with a shovel, wipes, and mycelium tabs that break down poop without harming wildlife. Last year, Pact Outdoors released results from a study conducted on Mt. Elbert that showed 79 percent of hikers who tried the kit are likely to buy more in the future. So, by gifting your backpacking brother just one, you might also be saving Colorado’s mountains from future deposits. Available online and at various retailers
Festive Gal Cookie Stamps
Kevlyn Walsh started creating custom party crowns as a side hustle while working as an art teacher. The public loved them, which led her to make her Denver-based shop a full-time endeavor. Although we think her tiaras are great, Walsh’s customizable cookie stamps ($26) cater to a broader audience and are the ideal gift for those who love baking holiday treats. Choose from 16 designs, then customize yours further by including your friend’s name. Your beloved baker can press the stamps into the dough before baking to let everyone know who brought the best cookies to the party. Available online
Two Tumbleweeds Writing Dice
Denver sisters Liz and Sarah Downey went viral for their original foodie dice—a collection of nine dice festooned with words like “green beans,” “chicken,” and “pan fry”—that make the process of picking a weeknight dinner fun by creating more than 180,000 combinations of meal ideas. But for the aspiring novelists in your life who struggle with dreaded writer’s block, we recommend the writing dice ($20), which feature ideas that cover the five W’s (who, what, when, where, and why). Roll the dice and receive creative writing prompts like “greedy,” “minor character,” “insecure,” and “in the future.” The dice come with instructions and can even be used by teachers in the classroom. Available online
