The 10 Best Colorado Gifts for Less Than $50

More than 99 percent of the businesses that make up Colorado’s economy have less than 50 employees, and small businesses are to thank for 48 percent of Colorado jobs. That’s why we combed the state for Colorado-made 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.

Black Lantern Stars & Night Whiskey Glasses

Estes Park’s Black Lantern is the place to go when you don’t know what to get. 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 Hair Care Gift Set

Daniela Honegger and her family have run Fort Collins–based Queen of the Meadow for 17 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 Floral Occasions & Décor Boutique, 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 hair gift set ($46) comes with a bottle of herbal shampoo, a shampoo bar, and a moisturizing hair cream. (Shoppers can choose to have their goodies scented with essential oils or fragrance free.) Plus, all of the packaging is eco-friendly, meaning you can have luscious locks without compromising your 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 create 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 for longer rides. 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 might vary, but rest assured that your pack will still have that fun, ’80s vibe. Available online

BlackTravelBox Carry-On Starter Box

When Denverite Orion Brown realized that Black travelers struggled to find hair products that fit their needs (no, those cheap minis in hotel bathrooms aren’t cutting it), she set out to create BlackTravelBox, a trusted source for skincare and hair care for people of color. All of Brown’s products are TSA-friendly because they’re in solid form, so you won’t have to worry about your lotion getting tossed. The cruelty-free and natural products in the Carry-On Starter Box ($35)—which includes a shampoo and conditioner bar, a lip balm, and a hair and body balm—means you’ll be able to travel stress-free this holiday season, so long as the DIA security line isn’t too long, that is. Available online

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 powder mix and paper cups to launching a Denver-based company solving skiers’ biggest problem: 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 latest design, launched this year, features two snowboard hooks, narrow slots for thin skis, and a sturdier base. Keep an eye on the duo’s channels because a recent $300,000 investment from Shark Tank billionaire Todd Graves might mean some new releases are in the pals’ future. 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 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 ($20) to pumpkin-flavored bones ($40), 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 live out the rest of her days pain-free. 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 of all sizes. 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. Instead of worrying about leaving a lasting impression on fragile ecosystems, the four-ounce kit comes with a shovel, wipes, and mycelium tabs that break down poop without harming wildlife. Pact Outdoors recently released results from a study done on Mt. Elbert, showing that 79 percent of hikers who tried the kit are likely to buy more in the future. That means that by gifting your backpacking brother just one kit, you might be saving Colorado’s mountains from future deposits. Available online and at various retailers

Festive Gal Cookie Stamps

Kevlyn Walsh started creating fun, 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 eight 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

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 writers in your life who struggle with the dreaded writer’s block, we recommend the writing dice ($20), which feature ideas that cover the five Ws (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