It’s crunch time, holiday shoppers, and we’re here to help.
We scoured the city for great gift ideas, from Broadway & Central to 50th & France.
You may not find exactly what you’re looking for on this list, but hopefully it will inspire you as we rush headlong into the heart of the holiday season.
Uptown
Gold pig snow globe
This golden porker is perfect for the mantel or holiday- decoration spread, according to the CB2 staff.
The store has a variety of holiday gifts and decorations, from ornamental trees to snowmen, including some for under $20.
Price: Pig snow globe $19.95, copper tree frame $21.95, gold tree frame $20.76, white tree $16.95
Where you can find it: CB2, 3045 Hennepin Ave. S.
Brompton Folding Bike
This British import is handmade outside of London and comes in a variety of colors, gearing options and handle bar heights.
The tires, handlebars and seat fold in toward the frame, making the bike portable for commuters.
Price: Green $1,755.97, blue $1,550.97
Where you can find it: Perennial Cycle, 3342 Hennepin Ave. S.
Art experience from Bottle & Bottega
Create your own canvas painting, decorative wineglass or ornament with guidance from a local artist, without the hassle of set up or clean up.
Bottle & Bottega offers painting sessions six nights a week and also does private parties.
The shop has holiday-related images for patrons to paint and sells pub-style food, beer and wine. Visit its website to preregister for a slot.
Price: $35 to paint a canvas, $40 to paint a wine glass
Where you can find it: Bottle & Bottega, 1216 W. Lake St.
Carradice Barley Herringbone saddlebag
Another British import, this tweed-finished saddlebag is larger than the typical saddlebag and is well suited for day rides and commutes to and from work.
Perennial sells multiple Carradice bags as well as dozens of bags from other companies.
The store also offers a variety of lights, accessories, bike- minded T-shirts and more.
Price: $169.97
Where you can find it: Perennial Cycle, 3342 Hennepin Ave. S.
Jewelry from Laurie Kottke Fine Jewelers
Kottke has a variety of diamonds and gemstones from every price point, including engagement rings, wedding bands, diamond fashion and gemstone jewelry.
Kottke hand selects her diamonds in Antwerp, Belgium, each year and offers custom-jewelry design as well as jewelry and watch repair.
Price: Pink and sapphire diamond ring (Yael Designs) $18,000, pink and sapphire diamond earnings (Yael Designs) $9,500, rubellite tourmaline and diamond necklace (Akiva Gil) $9,000.
Where you can find it: Laurie Kottke Fine Jewelers, 3204 W. Lake St.,
Kind Heart spices gift box
This nine-container box includes 1/4 cup jars of spices such as Turkish oregano and powdered ginger, plus a lapel pin, drying towel and refrigerator magnet.
Shoppers can also find mini spice-gift boxes at Penzeys. The store has special offers for people who sign up for its emails.
Price: Kind Heart gift box $34.95, mini gift box $15.95
Where you can find it: Penzeys Spices, 3028 Hennepin Ave. S.,
Mug gift pack
This gift pack includes a mug designed by local cartoonist Kevin Cannon plus a variety of literary gifts, from author playing cards to soaps and socks.
All gift packs comes with a $10 Magers & Quinn gift card.
The store also has the latest selection of literary offerings available, from Emily Dickinson’s “Envelope Poems” to the locally published book “How to be Perfect.”
Price: Mug $29.99, “Envelope Poems” $12.95, “How to be Perfect” $14.95
Where you can find it: Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S.,
Minnesota puzzle
Learn your Minnesota geography with this 1,000-piece puzzle designed by a local artist that is exclusive to Patina.
It features famous Minnesota landmarks and symbols such as the Jolly Green Giant of Blue Earth, the Honeycrisp apple, Babe the Blue Ox and more.
The puzzle is one of dozens of gifts Patina is selling this holiday season, with items ranging from home décor to jewelry and toys.
Price: $19.95
Where you can find it: Patina, W. 1009 Franklin Ave. (Uptown), 821 50th St. W. (50th & Bryant),
Frasier Fir limited edition candle
This candle smells like a Christmas tree and lights up with a pine-needle design.
The company behind it, Minneapolis-based Thymes, plants a tree with the purchase of every limited edition product, coordinating with the customer on where it plants the tree.
The company has planted more than 127,000 trees this year.
Price: $22 for smaller size, $29 for larger
Where you can find it: Francesca’s, 3001 Hennepin Ave. S., Suite 301A
Kånken backpack
This square backpack comes in 36 colors and is made with a durable fabric that repels moisture better than other synthetic fabrics, according to the company that sells it, Fjällräven.
The company created it for Swedish school children in 1978, and it has since become its most “well-loved and iconic” backpack.
Price: $75 for classic, $110 for laptop size
Where you can find it: Fjällräven Uptown, 2912 Hennepin Ave.
Holiday gift basket stuffers
Clancey’s Meats & Fish is always an option for last-minute gift basket assembly.
You’ll find pancetta by Red Table, bottles of Prohibition Kombucha, pepperoni from Olli Salumeria, and The Lone Grazer cheese curds from a Northeast creamery ($6).
Items that don’t need refrigeration include Beez Kneez clover-basswood honey ($15), B&E’s Trees Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup ($19), Minnesota popcorn from Fairview Farm ($5), and Gustola Granola, prepared by a local resident with flavors like hazelnut-walnut-blueberry- cranberry.
The shop also sells lots of Clancey’s T-shirts every season as gifts for the regulars ($15).
Price: Varies
Where you can find it: Clancey’s Meats & Fish, 4307 Upton Ave. S.
Southwest
Convertible mittens
Cashmere convertible mittens are among the gifts available at Bumbershute at 50th & France.
The mittens are made by Rag & Bone, an American brand out of New York. Mitten flaps flip over to reveal phone-friendly fingerless gloves.
All of the jewelry at Bumbershute has no base metals to avoid irritating skin.
The shop also carries high-quality modern and contemporary apparel from designers including Alexis Bittar and Joie.
Price: Mittens, $150
Where you can find it: Bumbershute, 5014 France Ave. S.
Star Wars: Destiny dice and card game
The hot game at Tower Games this season is Star Wars: Destiny, a collectible card game that’s comparable to Magic: The Gathering. The game debuts Dec. 1.
The shop recently hosted a prerelease event and sold out 10 minutes before it began. More games are headed to the shelves; Thursday nights are Star Wars game nights at the store.
Price: $14.99 starter pack, $2.99 booster packs
Where you can find it: Tower Games, 3920 Nicollet Ave.
Heartfelt crafts
Kids and adults can drop in to make gifts every day at Heartfelt.
Crafts this season include miniature holiday houses, winter lanterns frosted with glitter and stars, and painted wooden race cars.
Another shop favorite is the snow family, which are painted wooden peg dolls dressed in acorn hats and sweater scarves.
Owner Lisa MacMartin said busy families appreciate the chance to drop in without an advance appointment.
Gift-making is available year-round at Heartfelt, and the selection of crafts changes seasonally.
Price: Holiday houses $28; snow family prices range from $10-$18; winter lantern $15; race car $15
Where you can find it: Heartfelt, 4306 Upton Ave. S.
Sewing basket
Odds N Ends carries just about anything decorative, including a colorful “ultimate sewing basket.”
There are vintage-style watering cans, masks that cover a wall, pottery, antiques and hand- knotted wool rugs.
The shop isn’t locked in to any particular style or period. The store’s longtime clerk said people are increasingly attracted to unique one-off items.
“I buy things that someone would like to take home,” he said.
Price: Sewing basket, $39
Where you can find it: Odds N Ends, 4241 Nicollet Ave.
Reusable grocery bags
Scrappy Products bags are made entirely with post-consumer plastic bottle fabric, created to cut down on plastic pollution.
Available at b. Resale, they’re designed and made in Northeast, and they include a purple bag dedicated to Prince and a Minnesotan bag labeled “Passive Aggressive.”
b. Resale focuses on streetwear and offers gently-used apparel for men and women and pieces by local designers.
Price: $22-$24
Where you can find it: b. Resale, 2613 Nicollet Ave.
Body products
Gift boxes prepared by Lush are full of the shop’s handmade cosmetics and body products.
The Secret Garden gift box features Rose Jam shower gel, which is requested year-round but only available for a limited time around the holidays.
The box also includes the charity pot, a floral lotion where all proceeds support grassroots charities.
And there is a sea salt and citrus oil bar, argan oil body conditioner and lavender and chamomile soap.
All of the items are vegetarian and “self-preserving,” meaning they have no synthetic preservatives.
Price: Secret Garden gift box, $50
Where you can find it: Lush, 3915 W. 50th St.
Records by Low, Leonard Cohen
Treehouse Records’ recommendations of the moment include albums by Low.
The Duluth- based band has a Christmas record that Rolling Stone lists as one of 40 essential holiday albums. (They’re headed to First Avenue Dec. 17.)
Staff also suggest music by Leonard Cohen in honor of his passing in November.
Vinyl box sets are another popular gift choice, and Treehouse carries artists including Bob Dylan, The Replacements and My Morning Jacket.
Price: Low Christmas, $14.99; Leonard Cohen: My Radio Sweetheart BBC Recordings 1968, $19.99
Where you can find it: Treehouse Records, 2557 Lyndale Ave. S.
Ukulele
For those who haven’t stopped in a while, Twin Town Guitars has expanded into the neighboring storefront and offers a larger selection of drums and percussion instruments.
The shop also carries a selection of ukuleles at a range of price points, perhaps an easy entry point for children or adults to learn guitar.
Price: Ukuleles range from the $30 Mahalo to the $1,300 Martin
Where you can find it: Twin Town Guitars, 3400 Lyndale Ave. S.
Mystery novel
“Agatha Christie is always a good present,” says Manager Devin Abraham at Once Upon a Crime.
Mysteries set during the holidays include “The Mistletoe Murder” by P.D. James and “Christmas Caramel Murder” by Joanne Fluke, which is set in Minnesota.
“Cooked to Death: Tales of Crime and Cookery” is an anthology of food-related mysteries, complete with recipes. And reprints of classic Christmas ghost stories provide a unique stocking stuffer.
Price: Aforementioned books range from about $6-$20
Where you can find it: Once Upon a Crime, 604 W. 26th St.
Downtown
North Hat
For the past few years, Askov Finlayson has perfected the traditional winter stocking cap with its own North hats.
The minimal acrylic hats are made in Cloquet, Minn., and come in both adult and youth sizes and in nearly 10 colors, including a new line of blaze orange hats for hunters and the new blue- hued holiday edition.
And, depending on the color, there are also matching mittens ($24) so North fanatics can really rep their region.
Plus, for each North product purchased Askov Finlayson makes a donation to Climate Generation, a nonprofit supporting climate change education.
Price: $27-$29
Where you can find it: Askov Finlayson, 204 N. 1st St.
Sig Notebook
A creative mind sometimes needs a lot more than a paper napkin to flourish.
Wilson & Willy’s carries an exclusive line of notebooks that could fit snugly in a stocking or make for an easy add to a workplace gift-giving game.
The notebooks, which are letter- pressed and bound in Minneapolis at Studio on Fire, come in white, black and red and feature the last words from Midwestern writer-adventure Sig Olson: “A new adventure is coming up and I’m sure it will be a good one.”
Price: $14
Where you can find it: Wilson & Willy’s, 211 Washington Ave. N.
Recipes from the Woods
For the would-be foragers or hunters in your life, check out “Recipes from the Woods: The Book of Game and Forage,” a new cookbook from French chef and photographer Jean- François Mallet.
The collection of 100 recipes covers a wide range of foraging abilities, from a wild boar sausage recipe that could’ve been pulled from “The Revenant” to a wild mushroom pizza made with freshly picked fungi or — even tamer — a wild blackberry jelly with backyard gems.
With page after page of beautiful nature photography, the book also makes for a unique addition for a coffee table or office.
Price: $45
Where you can find it: Milkweed Books, 1011 Washington Ave. S.
Staub Cast Iron Cocotte
Giving a friend who cooks some cookware is a gift that keeps on giving, but you don’t have to tell them that.
Cooks of Crocus Hill is offering a deal through the end of the year on nearly indestructible enameled cast iron cocottes from Staub, which are pretty enough to go from the oven to the holiday dinner table.
These French-made French ovens will probably last longer than any gift your foodie friends will ever receive, so they’ll be serving roasts and stews for holiday gatherings for years to come.
Price: $99.99 (originally $321)
Where you can find it: Cooks Bellecour, 208 N. 1st St.
MiO Collection
For kids or families with young kids, Pacifier’s new North Loop boutique has you covered with a wide array of toys for children of all ages.
With all the things kids are playing with now — phones, apps and more — Minneapolis-based Manhattan Toy offers an alternative: A natural wood playset to inspire any young builder’s imagination.
This 12-piece MiO collection set offers simple, but durable wood pieces and beanbag dolls to get a child started.
Plus the set, recommend for ages three and up, can be added on to with the company’s other sets, from a full miniature town to collections of animals and more.
Price: $32
Where you can find it: Pacifier – North Loop, 219 N. 2nd St.
Essential Oils
Essential oils make for practical gifts, whether they’re used in the bath, in oil diffusers or for their wellness properties.
Jeromeo, a massage and wellness center in downtown Minneapolis, offers its own collection of essential oils, dubbed PurëomEO, from owner Scott Johnson.
The shop carries a wide array of oils, from popular scents like lavender and peppermint to cedarwood and frankincense, in several sizes.
A one-third-ounce bottle generally runs about $4-8, a half-ounce bottle goes for around $10-$25 and many 1-ounce bottles cost $20-$40, so you can mix and match to make your own set or help a friend stock up with their favorite kind.
Price: $4-$40
Where you can find it: Jeromeo In The Loop, 250 3rd Ave. N.
Leather leash
MartinPatrick3 carries just about anything a guy could want — but what about man’s best friend?
While browsing around the ever-expanding North Loop men’s boutique, be sure to check out a new dog display in the back next to the barware.
The store offers leather leashes from Hartman & Rose, which will make walking the dog all the more stylish with the added benefits of durability and the natural give of leather.
Price: $32
Where you can find it: MartinPatrick3, 212 3rd Ave. N., suite 106
Mortar & pestle
The Foundry Home Goods offers all things neutral and timeless in its North Loop store, and a ceramic flat mortar and pestle from John Julian is no different.
The elegant kitchen tool, which comes in two styles, spear and ball, is enough to turn a kitchen into a contemporary art gallery while also being useful for making spice mixes or putting together sauces from scratch.
The unique flat mortar design is ideal for home cooks to grind down tough spices.
Price: $148
Where you can find it: The Foundry Home Goods, 125 N. 1st St.
Awamaki baby knitwear
Inspire, Smile Network International’s new retail store in Loring Park, offers all kinds of goods produced around the world, including some unique baby booties, mittens and hats from the Awamaki sewing nonprofit in Peru.
The Minneapolis-based nonprofit, which provides surgeries and healthcare services for children born with cleft lips and palates in developing countries, works with artisans in the regions it operates.
The sewing collective, named for the Quechua word for “empowerment,” produces extremely soft knitwear from alpaca fibers, including baby booties ($25), mittens ($20) and hats ($40).
Price: $20-$40
Where you can find it: Inspire, 108 W. 14th St.
Office binder
Giving the gift of organization may not warrant squeals of excitement, but come spring, you’re bound to hear some appreciation from uncluttered friends and family.
Now in the North Loop, stylish stationary store russell+hazel offers a simple and elegant mini binder, which you can then customize to a loved one’s needs, whether it be with an array of calendar tabs ($6-$12), contact pages ($6) or pockets for business cards ($8).
If a complete organizational overhaul is necessary, you can opt for an acrylic desk organizer ($24) or a gold-toned stapler ($18) to round out a gift.
Price: $10
Where you can find it: russell+hazel, 219 N. 2nd St.
Tattersall aquavit
The holiday season puts one in mind of family traditions, and if your family hails from Scandinavia there’s a chance you’ve had a nip or two of aquavit, the flavored spirit that puts a Northern European spin on gin.
Caraway steps out in front of the blend of botanicals used in Tattersall Distilling’s aquavit, which also includes citrus and fennel. Sip it neat or sub it in for vodka in cocktails.
Tattersall sells half-sized, 375-ml bottles at its Northeast distillery and cocktail room ($20 plus tax; limit one per person per day), but full-sized bottles are available at liquor stores across town, including South Lyndale Liquors, Zipps Liquors and France 44.
Price: About $30
Where you can find it: Various locations, including Tattersall Distilling, 1620 Central Ave. NE
The Dylan Tee
Urban Violet is restocking one of its most popular items from the past year, The Dylan Tee from an Etsy designer who goes by skylinefever.
Jess Elkington, who runs the boutique with her mother, Laura, came across the blended-cotton T-shirt while searching the online marketplace and ordered some for their shops in Minneapolis and Stillwater.
The evocative combination of words printed on the gray tee — “CAMPFIRE/MOONLIGHT/WHISKEY/DYLAN” — must have struck a chord with their Minnesota customers, because that original shipment quickly sold out.
Price: $28
Where you can find it: Urban Violet, 512 Central Ave. NE
Minnesota Nice Spice seasoning blends
Minnesota Nice Spice hand-mixed organic seasoning blends are available in more than a dozen varieties, from Lake Superior Instant Salsa Spice Mix to St. Croix Curry to Twin Cities Grub Rub.
It’s not just the flavor that makes them a great holiday gift, it’s Minnesota Nice Spice’s story.
Sisters Debb Masterson and Lucy Johnson founded the company and donate a portion of their proceeds to Interact Center, a St. Paul-based nonprofit dedicated to working with performing and visual artists with disabilities, including Johnson, who also designed the company’s logo.
Price: $7.95
Where you can find it: Various locations, including local Target and Whole Foods stores and I Like You, 501 1st Ave. NE
Black Spoke Leather Co. leather goods
Alongside its well-curated selection of 20th-century clothing and accessories for men and women, The Golden Pearl Vintage at Broadway & Hennepin stocks stylish new items like the spiked leather bracelets, key chains and purses from Black Spoke Leather Co.
The line of accessories, produced by local fashion designer Sarah M. Holm, is produced with vegetable-tanned leather, which means they have a lighter environmental impact and should age gracefully.
They’re blackened with vinegaroon instead of dye, hand-sewn and finished with olive oil in a traditional multi-step process described on Black Spoke Leather Co.’s website.
Price: $30–$125
Where you can find it: The Golden Pearl Vintage, 507 E. Hennepin Ave.
Amy Rice Art 2017 Coloring Calendar
Amy Rice isn’t just cashing in on the adult coloring book craze with her 2017 coloring calendar, a kind of “greatest hits” collection of the local artist’s distinctive (and typically colorful) work translated into black-and- white line art.
Rice makes a calendar almost every year, and when she doesn’t she hears from disappointed fans — like her grandmother, who, it turns out, “is really into the coloring craze,” she said.
Springtime and flowers come easily to Rice, but every calendar challenges her to come up with “something December-y,” she said.
Most of the images in the 2017 calendar are drawn from her 15-year career, but she came up with something new for the 12th month.
In addition to various stores around the Twin Cities, you can find Rice’s coloring calendar in her Etsy shop. Or purchase it in-person at Rice’s workspace in the California Building, which is hosting an open studio event Dec. 10.
Price: $30
Where you can find it: etsy.com/shop/anicenestpress, plus various real-world locations, including I Like You, 501 1st Ave. NE
Spyhouse Coffee insulated Klean Kanteen
The coffee lover in your life already knows about Spyhouse Coffee, the local roaster and café mini-chain with four locations around town (and a growing national reputation for its beans).
Spotted on the shelves of the always- bustling Central & Broadway location: an insulated Klean Kanteen emblazoned with the Spyhouse Coffee logo.
That logo gets the canteen’s owner 50 cents off any prepared beverage at Spyhouse, so it’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Pair it with a pound of Spyhouse beans, and you’ll make any coffee connoisseur very, very happy.
Price: $32
Where you can find it: Spyhouse Coffee, 945 Broadway St. NE
Food Building Gift Blocks
Northeast’s multi-faceted Food Building hosts a miller-slash-baker, a salumieri and a creamery (not to mention a restaurant, The Draft Horse, and several event spaces).
Now there’s a way to bring those Food Building flavors home for the holidays. Three holiday “gift blocks” package treats from Red Table Meat Co., The Lone Grazer Creamery and Baker’s Field Flour & Bread.
The Whole Acre gift block includes a full pound of Red Table salami, a wheel of The Lone Grazer’s Hansom Cab cheese and a loaf of holiday bread and a half-dozen cookies from Baker’s Field.
Those with more modest appetites can opt for either the Quarter Acre or Half Acre gift blocks.
Price: $30, $40 or $75
Where you can find it: foodbuilding.com