Shop Small: 5 gifts for the Christmas lovers on your list

Editor’s note: This feature is the fifth in Startland News’ five-part holiday gift guide — presented in 2023 by nbkc bank — showcasing Kansas City makers and their products. Check out the featured maker below, then keep reading for five gift ideas to get started.

As a Kansas City native, Morgan Georgie finds creative and seasonal inspiration in one of her favorite holiday traditions: the Plaza lighting ceremony.

“It’s such a special tradition to be out in the crowd shouting out the countdown,” said Georgie, co-founder of Ampersand Design Studio, describing the scene on Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza as thousands of residents come together in the iconic shopping district to flip the switch on the season. “Then, throughout the following month in the evenings, we love driving through the city to see the various holiday lights displays.”

Now those Christmas lights and the Plaza are reflected in a few holiday products crafted by Georgie for Ampersand — a T-shirt and home goods studio she launched with design school friend Carrie Kiefer in 2010 — including the Kansas City holidays lights cocktail glass and the Plaza lights art print and ceramic ornament.

Supporting small businesses is important all year round, Georgie noted, but especially critical during the holiday season because many local businesses count on this season for a big percentage of their profit for the year. 

Carrie Kiefer and Morgan Georgie, Ampersand Design Studio

“We truly believe that the independent shops and restaurants in each city are what defines its character and uniqueness,” she continued. “No city, including our own, would be the same without our favorite local establishments. Let’s all support the makers and the dreamers and support local this year.”

Keep reading for a selection of Christmas-themed gift ideas from Kansas City makers.

Click here to check out more local gift options.

5 gifts for the Christmas lovers on your list

Ampersand Design Studio Kansas City holiday lights cocktail glass — $14

This festive glass is perfect for the Christmas lover who also loves whiskey, lives to host or lights up your life.

Available at Ampersand Design Studio. Click here to stop Ampersand online.

Collective Ex Chiefs Christmas yard signs — $100 (set); $40 (single)

Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce as elfs. Andy Reid as a snowman. These yard signs will make your house the most popular in the neighborhood.

Click here to order online.

Heartland Cookie Co. advent calendar — $72 (24 days) and $45 (12 days)

Delicious and festive, these decorated cookies are available in vanilla bean, almond vanilla bean, and combo (almond vanilla bean, dark chocolate, snickerdoodle, gingersnap), plus in three themes: Christmas, winter, and x-rated.

Click here to pre-order.

RELATED: Why this KC baker’s cookies are flying with the Chiefs to Arizona

LouFelts Kansas City ornaments — $38-40

These shuttlecock and Chiefs gnome ornaments — which are eco-friendly, biodegradable and made using ethically sourced wool — are adorable and perfect to brighten up any tree.

Available at Made In KC. Click here to shop LouFelts on Etsy.

FarmDog Studios Merry & Bright sign — $50

It isn’t Christmas in Kansas City without the Plaza lights and this hand-painted wood sign brings the iconic tradition right to your home or office.

Available at Made In KC. Click here to shop FarmDog Studios online.

Bonus stocking stuffers

Untamed Supply fraser fir candle — $25

Most Christmas lovers probably relish the smell of a real Christmas tree. This soy wax candle — with top notes of fir, lemon peel, and cedar; middle notes of evergreen and amber; and base note of moss and cypress — evokes the nostalgia of a Christmas tree farm even if they only have an artificial tree.

Available at 12th Street Post. Click here to shop Untamed Supply online.

RELATED: ‘Newbie’ maker collective adds gifts, plants and untamed flair with new West Bottoms shop

Stellar Gifts and Goods Christmas earrings — $13-22

Nothing brightens up an outfit like a festive pair of Christmas earrings and Stellar has a pair for any occasion: coffee date with friends, tree lighting, trip to the dog park, or a visit to Santa.

Available at Stellar Gifts and Goods, Made In KC, and Shop Local KC. Click here to shop Stellar online.

Made In KC retired Plaza light bulb ornament — $16

The Plaza lights never get old and this ornament allows you to have a piece of Kansas City Christmas history hanging right on your tree.

Available at Made In KC. Click here to shop Made In KC online.

About nbkc bank

At nbkc, we’re making banking what it should be: simple, transparent, and efficient. And we’re doing it across all of our services — checking, savings, business accounts, loans, and more. Simply said, what you see is what you get. Great customer service, awesome rates, and smart technology backed by smarter people. Named the strongest large bank in the Kansas City area¹ and voted a Kansas City Business Journal Best Place to Work for six consecutive years. Member FDIC | Equal Housing Lender | NMLS# 409631

¹ From an analysis published on April 17, 2023, by the Kansas City Business Journal, comparing all banks with a presence in Kansas City and assets of $1 billion or more. The study used 2022 year-end data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to evaluate banks on eight metrics which, together, reflect banks’ financial wherewithal.