Welcome to the 2024 Yinzer Holiday Gift Guide, the 15th year of the guide! Wow! I’m so old! Exclamation mark!!
You know the drill. Nearly all locally made. Check to see who offers free local pickup to save yourself some money. Order sooner rather than later because items sell out. If that happens, reach out to sellers; they’ll do what they can to take your money! Be sure to read the text because I hide links to other great items in their shops there. Now listen to me … don’t gate-keep this list because you’re afraid stuff will sell out; grab what you want from it and then share it far and wide so we can get as many dollars as possible into as many local businesses as possible. Spread the love.
It’s super long, so here’s a link if you’re a subscriber and your email cuts this off.
As a reminder: NOTHING is an ad and I do not accept free products in exchange for inclusion on the list. It’s just stuff I love and I think you’ll love too. Most of these makers/business owners have zero clue they are appearing on the list. Email me if links get broken. Away we go!
1. Umber Chocolates 9-piece Holiday Box, $30
Look. How. Pretty. This is my favorite kind of chocolate for gift-givingreceiving because each piece is a beautiful work of art. This 9-piece holiday collection from the local Umber Chocolates (started in 2022 by Veronica Alvarado) is the perfect hostess gift or gift for the chocolate addict in your life. It’s pretty; it’s delicious, and you don’t even need to wrap it! Just smack a bow on that sucker and you’re set. Laziness, the true meaning of the season.
2. Lucky Sign Spirits, $21 to $60 per bottle
The other true meaning of the season is alcohol and have I got a good one for you! Do you know of award-winning Lucky Sign Spirits distillery in Gibsonia? Now you do! This distillery, which also has a bar and retail store you can visit if you prefer to shop in person, has a lovely lineup of spirits to bestow upon the cocktail maker or bourbon drinker in your life. I’m particularly in love with the idea of gifting the Girty’s Run Gin to double up on the local goodness. They don’t have pictures of it up yet, but their new prohibition-themed Honest Hillbilly line sounds like a nostalgic delight!
3. SASHA and Jenna Vanden Brink Fiber + Porcelain Gold Bracelets, $44 each
I AM SCREAMING AND POSSIBLY CRYING. I can’t I can’t I can’t. Look at these locally made fiber and porcelain bracelets combining the talents of local fabric jewelry company SASHA with Pittsburgh’s Jenna Vanden Brink Ceramics. I want them all. But mostly I want to stack the latte, mint and sage and wear them everywhere. For those in your life who are more colorful, go with something like pine green, teal and sage, or mint and sage. For those who are understated, combine the metallic gold and fog. Or just grab one in their favorite color. Or if you’ve got the bank, buy like six of them and let your person mix and match. You can get the porcelain in horizontal or vertical stripe. I personally prefer vertical, but you do you!
4. Daggerfish handcrafted wilderness essentials, starting at $30
If you have a hunter, fisher, forager, camper or hiker in your life, allow me to introduce you to Daggerfish, offering handcrafted essentials for connecting to the wilderness, all crafted by hand right here in Pittsburgh from domestic hardwoods, carbon-negative cork, and vegetable-tanned leather. They have belt boxes for pet treats or lures, knife sheaths, complete field kits for fishing or foraging, fishing accessories, foraging/provisions bags of canvas and leather, made to withstand the weather. The best part is that they guarantee everything they make for life. LIFE! They just posted their rugged weather-resistant waxed canvas and leather Medium Roll Top Bag in hunter orange ($33). What a great idea to gift to your hunter!
5. 1,000-piece Pittsburgh Puzzle featuring the art of Mario Zucca, $32
Do you guys remember the artist Mario Zucca? I featured this print of his a few years ago on this list because I love it so much even if he is based in [shudder] Philadelphia. Well, Birdie Puzzles is now offering the print (and others of his) as sturdy, fun, made-in -the-USA puzzles! This is the perfect gift for the puzzler in your life, or for the whole family to work on together over the holiday break. Just don’t lose one piece like my mom and dad did over the pandemic lockdown, driving themselves crazy looking for it only to discover it in the pocket of my mom’s bathrobe weeks later. Good times!
6. Official Freedom House Ambulance t-shirt by Commonwealth Press, $25
If you weren’t aware, Pittsburgh is the birthplace of the whole idea of mobilizing trained medical professionals with skills beyond basic first aid to be first responders on ambulances. The pilot program, started in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh back in 1967, involved training a crew of Black residents of the Hill, and then sending them throughout the city to respond to calls and save lives. By 1970, they’d already transported 10,000 patients. This groundbreaking and field-changing service, which was named the Freedom House Ambulance Service, is being commemorated with an official locally printed City of Pittsburgh shirt now available via their merch collaborator and designer Commonwealth Press. I love this so much. It’s giving me feelings in my history parts.
7. Stone and Sparrow ceramic salt cellar, $28 each
I am my fanciest when I eschew the salt shaker and reach into my salt cellar to offer my culinary creations a BAM! of salt. For the equally fancy chef in your life, consider giving them this locally made ceramic salt cellar into which they can pour their kosher salt or flaked salt or coarse salt or … guys, have we gone overboard on salt types? Anyway, this perfectly tilted salt cellar from Stone and Sparrow ceramics studio will rest prettily next to the stove for easy access to season all the delicious things. The Stone and Sparrow offerings are VAST and every one gorgeous, so you’ll definitely want to poke around the whole site. I’m particularly freaking out over the espresso tumblers and the K-mugs and the constellation mugs and the and the and …
8. Commonplace Coffee’s 91.3 WYEP Mixtape Blend and Bamboo Tumbler, starting at $18.75
If you’re looking for a gift to pair with perhaps a new mug or espresso cup from Stone and Sparrow, considering giving the coffee drinker in your life (me, it’s me. I’m the coffee drinker in your life) some whole beans or freshly ground Mixtape Blend from Commonplace Coffee which benefits 91.3 WYEP, Pittsburgh’s independent music station. How cool is that? I bet you already have someone in mind for this gift, don’t you? Consider pairing it with the Commonplace Coffee 16 oz. sustainable bamboo tumbler for a complete gift and then let me know if you need my address for shipping.
9. Winter-themed candles from Wicksburgh, starting at $9
Here is a local Etsy shop chock full of affordable hostess gifts or gifts for your person who loves to warm their home with the light of candles. Wicksburgh has plenty of seasonal items, but for the winter holiday season, I particularly love these three:
The mitten candles are only $9 each and they are adorable!
Or grab a gift box duo featuring one shaped candle and one candle tin for only $26. You can choose Christmas Tree, Gingerbread, or Croissant.
There are several winter holiday themed taper options, of which I’ve featured the adorable gingerbread and holly candle (only $9!). But check out the nutcracker option too.
I also love the affordable gift-boxed twisted taper candle duo in a color of your choosing for only $17 ($14 without the box). For that person who has a kickier side, the asparagus candles would be swell. I guess I am now a person who says swell. Neato!
10. Stocking Stuffers, Part I
Here is roundup of some smaller things I found that I just adore. Stickers, pins, golf tees, bookmarks and more! I just made a poem. Send money.
Mrs. Claus Cookie Co. gift box by Sweet By Natalie, $8 (These will sell out. Only $8 and you get an adorable box of four mini cookies from a local baker in a cute themed box. There are two shipping dates still available as I type this.)
‘Tis the season to get pickled’ ceramic ornament by local Bizarro cartoonist Wayno, $20 (he has a whole great shop for you to poke around in)
Whimsical paper art Night Time Lantern luminary craft by Go CARR Go, $5 (kids would love to make this and then light them up next to Santa’s cookies on Christmas Eve or on the first night of Hanukkah.)
Garbella’s Dear Pittsburgh, I Love You enamel pin, $10 (her classic design in pin form!)
Pittsburgh hockey and football stickers by Stark and Stanley (not local but wait until you see them all), $4 and up
Yinz Means All Yinz sticker by Happy Lil Canvases, $5.50
11. Garbella Pittsburgh, Bridges, or Pierogi gift box sets, $50 each
I mean. Just. It’s like. I don’t. HOW DO YOU EVEN CHOOSE? Good luck, best wishes, thoughts, prayers and cookies to you who have to figure out which of these perfect gift boxes to hand to your love or to ship to the ex-pat in your life who could use a little care package of yinzerness from home. Each box includes four items and I’m particularly in love with the coffee set because you know how much I love that kitchen towel which I featured a year or so ago. But that Pittsburgh pennant mug is a delight too. Anyway, to sum up … good luck.
12. August Wilson House shop items
I’m going to update this item very soon with photos, links and prices because I really want the August Wilson House on the list. I’ve been all up in the Hill quite a bit over the last month doing research and work for the forthcoming Remains to be Seen app and a curated Hill District Black History Walking Tour. I love walking by the August Wilson House and his mother’s old house just down the block and intentionally appreciating the history of what remains and what we lost in the lower Hill redevelopment so long ago. I’ve been in contact with the House regarding their new online shop, which is just not quite yet live but will be in the next few days. Watch this space or come back here soon to check it out!
13. Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Lionel Aquarium Car, $129.99 (currently on sale for $109)
I KNOW. It’s so expensive. But look at it! And it’s from Lionel. And get this, it has an internal light and THE FISH MOVE THROUGH THE CAR WHEN IT IS POWERED ON I MAY CRY. I need to go and get a whole train set just so I can put this car on it. And if I don’t see this car bustling about the Heinz History Center’s Miniature Railroad Village very soon, I’m going to write some nasty emails with the subject line “All you jagoffs.” Watch the video of the car in action and tell me you don’t just feel an internal burst of joy. Buy this for the special person in your life who has a train set that could use a little dose of joy.
14. Crocheted Fingerless Gloves, Pom Hats and Cowls from Busy Hook Happy Heart, $25 and up
This local maker has got a shop full of the coziest crocheted apparel you ever did see. You can snag one of her “ready-to-ship” items which will ship when you order, or you can plan ahead and hit the “made-to-order” section to select exactly what you want and in which colors and she will make those for you in one to two weeks, which is HECKIN’ SPEEDY for handmade items! This shop will get busy during the holiday season so if you’re wanting to gift some of her creations, jump on that ASAP. Just looking through her shop made me want to go stand around a bonfire with some boozy hot chocolate. The true meaning of the season.
15. Yetter’s Candies chocolates and boxes, starting at $15.50
You! Stop scrolling and listen to me. Yetter’s Candies in Millvale has been around for 75 years and I really want to see that tradition survive another 75, so if you’re looking for some hostess gifts or chocolate gifts that are affordable, local and delicious, AND that will help a small business survive in the world of the big box, here is where I want you to go. You can visit them in Millvale for the whole old-fashioned candy shop experience complete with vintage red stools, or shop their online catalog here. Grab some chocolate Santas, bells, coins or presents, and then buy me the chocolate-covered potato chips because those are my favorite, and then share the love all around! Toss in stockings; give bags or boxes of chocolates to your boss or co-workers, or throw them in a bowl for the holiday party! Their cute chocolate cell phone ($3.50) would be swell to toss in a stocking. Neato.
16. Noire 74 Gin by Lawrenceville’s Noire Distillery, $35, with Color Rush Rocks Glass by the Steelers, $17.95
Don’t these look great together? This is the gift for the Steelers fan in your life who is impossible to shop for. Created in collaboration with the Steelers to celebrate the 1974 team and World Series, Noire 74 Gin is distilled in Lawrenceville at the Noire distillery, Pittsburgh’s first Black-owned distillery. I love the black and white Pittsburgh map in the background of the label. For a more substantial gift, pair this with other spirits in their collection (I know labels don’t matter, but the Noire Blanc, $44, is so pretty!) or with the cool Color Rush Rocks Glasses from the Steelers official shop ($17.95 each) that looks like it was made to be given with this bottle.
17. Waku Waku Baby Stay-on Shoes and accessories, $8 and up
I need someone to come and hold me. My whole body is squealing at how perfect these little baby shoes are. Waku Waku Baby is the handiwork of Seiko, a maker in the North Hills. She began creating stylish bibs and soft shoes for her own child and that flourished into this remarkable collection of adorable baby gear. Bows, bibs, burp cloths, soft stay-on shoes in tons of cute patterns from dinosaurs to rainbows to the moon and stars, and even loveys with sensory tags! You can grab sets, or singles, you can splurge with bib/shoe sets at $60 or you can go a bit more affordable with the $22 burp cloth set or a cute little $8 hair bow. I’m not even going to link to those individually because you need to go check out the whole shop. Grandmas are about to get calls from their banks making sure they indeed just purchase $400 worth of baby gear. Psst … also look at this and give it as a hostess gift or to whoever in your life has a sunny kitchen. It is fantastic.
18. Burghy t-shirts from PGHPrinted, starting at $16.50
Fahk ahrnd n fine daht. Hahahaha. Why is that so funny?? I showed that shirt to my son (22) and he was like, “Yeah. I need to buy that for my friends.” Which means that YOU need to buy this for the friends in your life who are not taking shit from anyone anymore. These shirts are designed by a Pittsburgher (and longtime reader) and are printed on demand, so you’ve got color options and size options and they’re priced so affordably starting at $16.50. I like the shirt showing the history of Pittsburgh’s spelling as well as the What the Frick shirt. Also check out the selection of shirts that spell out four-one-two in lots of different languages like Polish, Irish, Spanish, Welsh and more!
19. Bracelets by Paula Nettleship of Designs2C, starting at $45
Local maker Paula Nettleship uses her line of jewelry to pay tribute to her Mexican American heritage and the results are simply gorgeous. Check out her whole shop, but I’m particularly drawn to her bracelets. The three I’ve featured here are my favorites. The Floating Bracelet in Mixed Pearls ($69), Flores Bracelet with Golem beads ($150), and the The Alisa Bracelet in Matte Mix ($75). Not only are these suitable for wearing whenever, but I can particularly see any of these paired with a flowy cream-colored linen beach dress and strappy sandals worn for an evening dinner near the beach. I’m so good at this. Send me thank you cookies. Thumbprints specifically. I feel like these will sell out. If they do, email her and see what she can do to help you out.
20. Heinz Field and PPG Paints Arena coasters and trays from Wendell August Forge, starting at $50
Oooooh. These are great, right? From our very own Wendell August Forge comes these perfect gifts for the sports fan in your life who appreciates classy understated yet undeniably Burghy vibes. The arena and stadium trays come in rectangular or oval shape and can be used as a nightstand/door-side table valet or catch-all to catch loose change (what is that even?), keys, ear buds and whatnot, or they’d make great game day platters to display small bites or a cheese wedge with crackers. The trays at $50 for the smaller butler size and $60 for the Horizon size tray are the more affordable, while the Steelers Stadium Coaster Set that together make Heinz Field are pricier at $95. One thing I love about the arena trays is that the section numbers are on there, so your person can see exactly where they most love to sit to watch the Penguins take the ice. For the non-sports fan in your life, check out the Amalfi pattern in the Horizon tray for $55.
21. Baby Onesie Roundup!
Babies need onesies and babies need cute onesies so they can have major diaper blowouts in style. Here’s a roundup of some of the best I’ve found that have a Burghy connection:
Oxytocin Factory onesie from Sorcery Science, $15.00 in a range of colors
Welcome to the Neighborhood onesie by Heinz History Center, $19.95 (available for local pickup. I hope they get their Heinz Ketchup branded Worth the Wait onesie back in stock soon. It’s so awesome.)
Little Pierogi by Steel City, $24 (available for local pickup)
Dippy Onesie by Carnegie Museums, $16 (available for local pickup probably)
Hey Yinz onesie by Rally House (not a small business but it’s so cute), $20.99
Nebby Newbie by love, Pittsburgh, $24 (available for local pickup probably)
Only Yinz onesie by Commonwealth Press, $20 (possibly available for local pick up at their Mt. Lebanon retail store—call them!)
22. FDP Ceramic Loose-Leaf Tea Infuser, $24 and love, Pittsburgh Yinzer Tea Set, $36
I love these two products together, so I put them together because I’m the boss around here. For the tea-drinker in your life, go local with the handmade ceramic tea infuser from FDP Studio and pair it with the sample set of 9 yinzer-themed teas from Abeille Voyante Tea Co. for love, Pittsburgh. They’ll get Black and Gold, AARRRGH-Nold, Jagoff, Nebby Chai, Bridges, love, Pittsburgh, Cultural District, Mount Washington, and Strip District blends. I do feel like $36 is a bit high for this tea sampler, but maybe you’re made of money and want to spend that much! To make this pairing more affordable, you can always just head over to Abeille Voyante and grab a few samples or an ounce of the one you think they’d like the most.
23. Three local shops for the nerds!
I adore nerds. Geeks. Dorks. These are my people. I am them. They are me. There is nothing I love more than the brain. So here are three particularly nerdy local online shops you should visit if you’re hunting for a gift for my people.
First up are the extremely cool multi-use boxes made from vintage (sob) 3.5 inch computer disks. Kids, computer disks were these things onto which we stored stuff before the cloud. Made in Pittsburgh by the CowboyGoods Etsy shop, boxes are priced affordably at $14.49 and the best part is they come in a huge range of colors. You can even email the maker if you’ve got a specific color combo in mind. I’m thinking retro NASA colors.
Second, hilarious nerdy holiday cards from local Etsy shop The Bird and the Bear. There are BASIC, binary, html, periodic element cards and more! When you open the computer-themed cards up, it reveals what was coded on the front, in case your nerd didn’t figure it out for themselves, but they will. Trust me.
And finally, some truly geeked out nerd jewelry from Sorcery Science. From rocket fuel compounds to the exact molecules that make up the old book smell to the molecular structure of estrogen or caffeine or dopamine, the geek in your life can wear their love of science right on their persons, and since the prices start at only $18, this is a gift that won’t make your bank account throw tomatoes at you.
24. Amelia Kieras Handmade Accordion and Mix-Up Books, starting at $15
Here’s one for the kids! Do not be fooled. These are not ordinary books; these are works of art that will delight children as they discover all there is find inside the pages. My daughter (17 and autistic) purchased The House at the Three Rivers Arts Festival this year and loved it. These books are made by hand right here in Pittsburgh by local artist Amelia Kieras. The accordion books, such as The House and the Alphabet Book, are printed on one long sheet of paper that folds up or stretches out to reveal the big picture. It is a particularly fun journey to take through The House and then open it up to see the whole house at once. The Monsters and Marvels Mix-Up and Mix-Up at the Zoo flip books would be a sure favorite for any child as they explore all the fun combinations they can make within the pages. Add any of Amelia’s books to the treasured home library that the children in your life return to.
25. The Beanie Roundup!
Beanies are great gifts for anyone who lives where winter happens. Here are five local options that I love.
I.C. Light Embroidered Beanie by Pittsburgh Brewing Co., $25
Pittsburgh Golf Waffle Embroidered Beanie by Pittsburgh Clothing Co., $22.50
26. Soap trays, catch-all trays and coaster sets by Reimagined Recycling, $18 and up
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Look at this! You know how I feel about litter, so I’m delighted to tell you that there is a local org, Reimagined Recycling, making some incredibly cool products using recycled plastics. These are like a Monet, as Cher Horowitz would say (“Way harsh, Tai”)—from far away, gorgeous, but when you get up close, you might find recognizable product logo remnants or tiny pieces of barcodes. The org collects #5 plastics, shreds them, and then turns them into useful products! They have other items, including earrings!, but these three are in the perfect price range for you to give an affordable gift with a very cool local Earth-loving story behind it. The soap trays come with or without drainage holes, and the catch-all trays come in two sizes and four colors. The coasters are also available in multiple color options, but I really really like the confetti look in all of these. If you’re local, you can pick your order up to save the shipping cost!
27. Four perfect gift sets you can pick up locally, starting at $20.95
Speaking of, no need to pay shipping if you don’t want to with these four perfect-for-anyone ready-to-gift sets that are available for local pickup:
Tea candle scent sampler set from Fjord & Fable. This very cool shop has developed so many great scents for the home. Such a variety of choices can make it difficult to figure out what scent to buy as a gift. Problem solved with their three Discovery Sets ($38) which come with TWELVE sample candles in their Autumn, standard or Yule scent themes. That will allow whomever you gift the set to to figure out which scents they want to purchase in full size at their new favorite shop.
Pittsburgh Honey offers a very nice and substantial gift pack for $50 that includes three of their honey mustards, three of their local honeys, and 25(!) honey sticks. My dad is a huge fan of local honey, so he is probably getting this for Christmas this year. Dad, if you just read that, no you didn’t.
Grab a sampler of locally bottled award-winning oils and vinegars at Olive & Marlowe ($36). What’s great is you can choose any four of their olive oils or balsamic vinegars and they’ll package them up in a locally made wood box from BANDY Woodworks. All for $36! That’s the perfect gift for the cook or foodie in your life.
Finally, the 5 O’Clock Somewhere set from Steel City Salt ($20.95) is a truly awesome gift. I featured this exact set once on this list, but it sold out pretty quickly, so I’m giving you the heads up that it’s in stock. It’s a great price for a fun local gift featuring a pink Himalayan salt shot glass paired with their Sriracha Salt and Lemon-Lime Sea Salt. Gift this set with a nice bottle of tequila and you’ve got an even better gift.
28. The Roberto Clemente Museum’s 3,000th hit fundraiser shirt, $35 or $30.80 with code BlackFriday12
How gorgeous is this shirt featuring Roberto smacking his 3,000th and final hit before his tragic death in service to a greater cause? It is meant to raise funds for the annual fundraising campaign for the Roberto Clemente Museum, which as you know is an independent museum built from the personal collection of Duane Rieder. If you haven’t ever visited, I cannot strongly enough encourage you to take a tour. Perhaps gift tour tickets along with this shirt to the person in your life who remains in awe of the story of Roberto and wants to see his legacy properly preserved through his museum.
29. Plants for Skin hair and skincare goods and BYOB workshops, starting at $10
Here’s a locally made personal care line that is good for all hair and skin, but it notably has a set of products specially formulated for Black hair/skin and many of their products are currently on sale! Their extremely popular Herbal Hair/Beard Growth Oil ($10) has tons of good reviews, and their body butters and lip balms make great affordable gifts to throw in a cute basket for the person in your life who needs a bit of pampering. Check out their Lavender Lip Balm, $10; Healing Body Butter, $10 or their fun BYOB workshops you can sign you and a friend up for as a gift! Drinking and making your own bath and body care items sounds like great fun.
30. Iconic moments in Pittsburgh sports 8x8 prints by Mario Zucca, $25 each
Why are these so awesome?? I can’t put my finger on it, but I love this “Spo-Mo” series by Philadelphia-based artist Mario Zucca (already featured above), illustrating eight iconic moments in PIttsburgh sports history. Shown here are Franco’s Immaculate Reception, Mario’s first goal, James Harrison’s 100-yard pick-6, Lynn Swann’s Super Bowl X catch, Maz’s walk-off World Series home run, and Troy just being Troy and doing Troy things (I believe this is supposed to be his 2008 AFC Championship 40-yard interception). Not shown are TJ Watt tying the sack record and Honus Wagner’s 3000th hit. You can grab one of these and frame it for the sports lover in your life, or grab two or three to create a series for them to hang in their office or sports-watching cave. The great thing about these is they really would work in both a professional setting or a chipped-chopped ham and Ahrn City basement setting.
31. Made-to-order Sourdough loaves and rolls from The Risen Bread Co, starting at $7
Here’s one for you WestMoCo-ers that I added to the list just this morning because my nephew brought some to Thanksgiving dinner and it was a hit. You can order fresh sourdough bread loaves and rolls made locally by The Risen Bread Co. that you then pick up each Saturday at Morris Organic Farm in Westmoreland County, a local favorite. Here’s the deal—I will do anything for jalapeño-cheddar sourdough bread. It is manna from heaven infused with the nectar of the gods. This baker’s version is seasonal and made with organic jalapeños and Somerset County’s Van Grouw Family Farm Ernajean cheddar. Order the sandwich loaf and gift it with a local shop’s tea towel and nice bottle of pure syrup as a Christmas-morning french toast-themed gift. Or order a few sets of the dinner rolls to bring to Christmas/Hanukkah dinner, or grab me 50 loaves of jalapeño-cheddar sourdough bread and just leave them at my doorstep. Contactless delivery. The true meaning of the season.
32. Collarbone Jewelry gold-toned earrings and necklaces, starting at $28
HOW. PRETTY! Local jewelry maker Collarbone has an extensive product line ranging from the understated to the funky to the adorable to the badass, and so many of them are very affordable. I love the look of these four items in particular: (Small open triangle earrings ($28), Floating Circle Necklace on Gold Chain ($45), Brass Square Necklace on Black Chain ($34), Large open drop earrings ($34). Of these, my favorite are the triangle earrings. They really would look good on anyone. For a gift that’s a bit pricier but very cool, check out their Tough as Nails and Ignite necklaces. Be sure to look at necklace length options and earring post metal options when you’re ordering!
33. Limited edition Max Wesoloski Art Prints, $30 each
I need you to go to the online store to get a better look at this Dreamer print and zoom in on the girl on the roof and whoo boy. Stunning work! Or the Pittsburgh Starry Night N@ print. It’s just magical with the soothing color palette and the swirls and the sky and the tiny buildings and bridges. Max Wesoloski is an illustrator/designer/print-maker based out of Pittsburgh whose work is truly stellar and unique. In addition to his art prints, he has a set of limited-edition gig poster prints absolutely worth checking out for the person in your life who loves live shows. His Elton John Farewell Tour Pittsburgh poster rightfully sold out because it’s bonkers, but check out the rest of his shop and gift a print to the dreamer in your life.
34. More stocking stuffers!
Here’s another set of the perfect little affordable small things to toss into a stocking.
Heinz History Center Flavored Lip Balm singles, $4.95 or in a 3-pack, $12.95 (I mean, Heinz 57 flavored lips? YUM.)
Handmade fabric key fobs by KGandThat, 21 available patterns, $9.56 each
Pittsburgh Cats sticker sheet by EmilyM, $5.20 (I swear I featured these before but I can’t find it anywhere in my previous gift guides, so on it goes! They’re perfect! Check out her Pittsburgh Pals sticker too.)
Candy cane socks by Steel City, $10 (plus a 20% discount!) and available for local pickup. They have lots of great socks.
35. Kerf wood wireless chargers, starting at $30
Chargers are ugly. They’re stupid and boring and plastic and did I say ugly? Well look at these gorgeous locally made wood wireless chargers! When I featured Kerf on this list a bunch of years ago, they were just starting out making wood iPhone cases. These days, they’ve expanded their product line to include other phones as well as things like wood AirTag holders, luxury cases that cost a small fortune, wallets, pencil cases, Apple Card cases and more. Their line of 9 wood wireless charging blocks and charging stands range in price from $30 to $130, so you can hopefully find something in your desired price range. These are truly perfect gifts for anyone, but especially those people who like their nightstand or desk to be soothing and bespoke, not full of stupid ugly boring plastic chargers. Did I say ugly?
36. Bags made from IC Light and Iron City Mt. Washington billboards, starting at $8.99
I generally eschew overtly black and gold rah-rah STILL CITY items on this gift list. They’re a dime-a-dozen in the Strip, n’at. But boy do I love this. Did you know that Pittsburgh Brewing turned old I.C. Light and Iron City billboards from Mt. Washington into limited edition bags in four sizes? I did not! Now, obviously supplies are limited and only a certain number were made, and you will not get the exact design in the picture. These are a great gift for that person in your life who is a yinzer but who also doesn’t want to walk around looking like Steely McBeam puked black and gold on them. In the Iron City red/white billboard, you can go big and grab the Billboard tote bag for $39.99. For a bag that can be used as a travel toiletries bag, go with the Iron City Billboard Medium Pouch for $24.99 or the smaller black and gold IC Light Pouch for $13.99. If you want something affordable for a stocking, snag the IC Light Billboard Penny Pouch for only $8.99. There’s even a duffle bag perfect for travel or the gym ($49.99)! Okay, brace yourselves, I’m about to put ANOTHER Pittsburgh Brewing item on the list this year …
37. University-themed Pittsburgh Brewing shirts and hats, starting at $24
Okay, so you can see why these are on this list. First, I can see Pitt students and alums wearing the shirt and/or hat around campus or on game days. As for the Tech Beer. Did you know that when Tech Beer was introduced in 1906 by Pittsburgh Brewing, students at Carnegie Tech (the future CMU) were none too happy? In fact, some were so mad they defaced a Tech Beer advertising billboard and started a letter-writing campaign that went nowhere, with only 7 letters written. The treasurer of Pittsburgh Brewing told the Press on April 14, 1906, “I expected to hire two men to open the thousands of letters it was said we would receive … and to throw them into the waste basket.” BURN! The beer stayed and become popular. For that awesome history alone, you really need to snag this gear for a CMU grad or student and then sit them down and explain the hilarious history. Email me if you want me to send you the newspaper clipping from 1906 to include in the card! (“I.C. Light Pitt Banner t-shirt, $28; Tech Beer t-shirt, $24; I.C. Light Pitt Rope hat, $29.99; Tech Beer hat, $24.99.)
38. Handmade wool felt pierogi ornaments and tree toppers by Cute as a Dumpling, starting at $12.95
I know I say this a lot but eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Look at the little mama and baby and the Polish flag and the Italian flag with the ravioli and the tree topper and the plate of pierogies and the baseball and the … These wool felt pierogi ornaments and tree toppers come in a wide variety of themes around ethnicity and even profession. They’re handmade locally here in Pittsburgh and are the perfect gift for the yinzer in your life whose tree could use a little dose of adorable huggable dumpling joy. Just go nuts.
39. Six local calendars I love for 2025, starting at $22
Calendars to tack to the wall make perfect office or kitchen gifts and are a great way to make people think about you literally every day when they look at it and remember who gave it to them. First up, the funny and arty …
Happy Lil Canvases; 2025 Pittsburgh Calendar, $28, perfectly and adorably illustrated with tons of Pittsburgh goodies, Strawberry Luna’s Limited Edition 2025 Calendar, $26, with clean illustrations in soothing palates, and Alternate Histories’ National Park Monsters Calendar, $30, with 12 bonkers hilarious fantastic nostalgic illustrations of monsters and aliens invading our national parks. And here are the Burghy photog calendars …
These are the 2025 calendars from local photographers Dustin McGrew, $29.99 (on sale for $24.89); Brad Berkstresser, $22; and Dave DiCello, $25. All fantastic, all worthy of hanging in any home or office near or far from the 412.
40. Season’s Greetings n’at!
Stop giving out boring holiday cards and grab one of these much more fun and way more yinzer options:
Pittsburgh Jesus greeting card by Roger That!, $5 (not local but it’s so good)
Yinzer Elf on a Shelf card by Yinzer Cards, $4.99 (check out their whole shop!)
Pittsburgh on Ice greeting card by Go CARR Go, $5
Channing Tatum Hanukkah card by Sapling Press, $6
12 Days of Yinzer Christmas holiday card by Commonwealth Press, $4.50
41. The irreverent and the just-a-little-sweary
And finally, it’s been a rough month or two for many people, and for those people, these are the gifts:
Wicksburgh Large Middle Finger beeswax candle, $25 (small ones are only $8)
“It is what it is and it is not great” Western Raccoon Tote by Pop of Ink, $9.75 on sale. I love it so much.
The Last of All My Fucks coin pouch by Sapling Press, $8. Check out all the cool coin pouches in the shop!
I’ve Been a Nebby Girl Tote by Pittsburgh Personified, $16.99
What the Fucculent car air freshener by KGandThat, $4.79 (also in a sticker)
And that’s a wrap on this year’s Yinzer Holiday Gift Guide. Shop it; share it; buy me things from it.
Also, I’d appreciate you all sharing it on Twitter/X if you’re still over there. I abandoned my account in the Land of Hellish Blue Checkmarks last month.
Happy shopping, loves!