If you’re looking for the perfect present to buy a special someone or want to treat yourself (because you deserve it), look no further, as we have carefully hand-picked our favorites from Upworthy Market! At our shop, you can feel good about your shopping because every dollar you spend directly supports artisans who create their own products. In this gift guide, you’ll find products that range from jewelry to games, accessories and more—all items that we personally love at team Upworthy.
$23.99
Waraporn Khamsuk creates a challenging tic tac toe from Thailand. Handcrafted from rain tree wood, the game features a square board with nine standing pegs for the addition of complementary X and O shapes. Just like traditional tic tac toe, the goal is for one of two players to arrange their shapes three-in-a-row. With this game, however, the rules of the old pastime are brought into a three-dimensional space—fun for the whole family.
$23.99
Celinda Jaco selects a cozy blend of Andean alpaca for this handsome men’s scarf. Classic in style, it features fine stripes of white and gunmetal grey woven through the midnight-black textile. Hand-tied fringe completes a distinguished design.
3. Puzzle Set
$39.95
Keep everyone entertained with our handcrafted set of 6 or 12 wooden logic puzzle games. Games include falling star, snake cube, ball in jail and more. Thai artisan Waraporn Khamsuk handcrafts each of the puzzles that come in a handy storage box.
4. Unique Recycled Shoulder Bag
$39.99
Fiesta colors alternate with silver in a charming shoulder bag. From Maria Isabel Ramos, the purse is woven from recycled candy and cookie wrappers and lined with cotton fabric.
5. Handmade Ceramic Tree Ornaments
$39.99
Made of shaped terracotta and hand painted in bright tropical colors, these festive ornaments depict colorful Christmas trees. Jose Arriola creates a set of six, each one different. Poinsettias with distinct stylizations adorn them, and the set arrives in a pouch of hand-loomed cotton.
6. Set of Six Guatemalan Worry Doll Ornaments
$25.99
Traditional Guatemalan worry dolls share the love as festive ornaments by the Lopez Garcia Family. Each doll in the set of six is crafted by hand and wears a handwoven skirt and head dress. “The idea is to trust each doll with whatever troubles you. It is said that during the night, while we sleep, the dolls will whisper the solution to our troubles,” says Ana from the Lopez Garcia Family. The set arrives in a hand-loomed cotton pouch.
7. Stylish Elephant Elephant Charm Anklet
$19.99
Tiraphan Hasub crafts a stylish anklet, centering bright brass beads with colorful agate. A symbol of old Siam, an elephant graces this original design. Jingling bells form the clasp, and the anklet is adjustable in length.
8. Twirling Sterling Silver Dangle Earrings
$39.99
Pichaya designs modern earrings that appear to dance and twirl. The earrings are expertly crafted by hand with the luminous elegance of sterling silver.
9. Handmade Rain Tree Wood Bottle Puzzle
$23.99
Demonstrating her creativity and love for games, Thai artisan Waraporn Khamsuk creates this ingenious puzzle that is perfect for entertaining friends and guests. The goal is to figure out how to free a wine bottle using four pieces of interlocking rain tree wood, a task that will prove to be an enjoyable and motivating challenge. The puzzle is reusable and fits a 12-inch by 3-inch wine bottle.
10. Fair Trade Men’s Brown Leather and Brass Adjustable Bracelet
$25.99
“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step,” according to Chinese poet and philosopher Lao Tzu. Show your adventurous spirit with this subtly rugged brown leather wristband bracelet. Thailand’s Chaloemphon crafts the bracelet by hand, weaving a narrow belt of leather along the wider cuff. Brass snaps secure the bracelet at one of three lengths for a comfortable fit.
11. Apple Green Jade Solitaire Ring
$39.99
Evoking the ancient Maya, this beautiful and simple solitaire ring is crowned by an oval of apple green Guatemalan jade. This stunning accessory is designed by Zandra Lorena Sajbin, who crafts the ring with a band of sterling silver.
12. All Cotton Multicolored Cosmetic Bag
$14.99
Working with a traditional loom, the House of Antigua Artisans creates beautiful accessories like this cosmetic bag. The all-cotton fabric is a jaspe weave in navy, crimson and avocado. The bag is trimmed with light brown faux suede, and fully lined in polyester. It’s just the right size for cosmetics or travel-sized toiletries.
13. Happiness Mug
$23.95
Painted onto the surface of this ceramic mug is a colorful and vibrant sun in the tradition of Mexican folk art with the message of “Happiness” on the reverse. Eufrosia Pantaleon creates this simple and classic mug.
$39.99
A cheerful little turtle comes to life in terracotta. Handcrafted by ceramists from the House of El Salvador Artisans, this versatile design is perfect to hold a potted plant. Geometric patterns in pale brown adorn the ornate shell
15. Wood Three-Sided Domino Set
$29.99
By Thai artisan Waraporn Khamsuk, this domino set offers a unique twist on the traditional tabletop game. Handmade from rain tree wood, 56 triangular dominoes or “trionimoes” come in a handy wooden box. The corners of each domino are hand-painted with colorful dots. This 2-6 player set offers fun for the whole family.
16. Sterling Silver Cat Stud Earrings
$29.99
For the cat lover in your life, these stud earrings are designed by Thai artisan Sarote Lochotinunt. He crafts each one from sterling silver, forming the cat’s face with geometric shapes that are accentuated by a brushed-satin finish that gleams in the light.
17. Owl Trio Statues
$39.99
Three petite green ceramic owls recommend that we “see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil.” Believed to have originated in ancient Japan, these charming statuettes are crafted by hand and given the crackled glaze that is characteristic of celadon ceramic.
18. Lotus Flower Sterling Silver Band Ring
$25.99
Realized in darkly oxidized relief, the image of a single lotus flower is featured on this band ring from Bali. Asmara Putra designs the ring, crafted of sterling silver.
$49.99
The colors of the firmament, when the sun finally bids day farewell, inspire the vibrant design of this alpaca hat. Fernando Cano creates vibrant patterns as he knits the hat in shades of plum, orange, green and brown. Alpaca has been prized in the Andean region for centuries thanks to its warm and lightweight fleece.
20. Protective Tranquility bracelet
$16.99
Rituu Agarwal honors Buddhist meditation practices with the design of this Shambhala-style bracelet. Meaning “bliss” in Sanskrit, the Shambhala-style bracelet symbolizes tranquility, peace and happiness—the oneness of all. Rituu expertly knots the cotton bracelet by hand with macramé techniques and crowns it with black and enhanced onyx, believed to protect against negativity.
