The best independent shops for buying handmade this year

Christmas is around the corner once more – instead of packing your trolley with mass-produced items, why not treat friends and family to a unique handcrafted gift instead?

We've picked out some of our favourite online and offline stores filled with fabulous objects by independent makers.

Roseur, London

Aiming to alleviate the supply demands put on the floristry industry, Roseur offers beautiful dried blooms. The store has a selection of traditional bouquets, as well as hanging sculptures, wreaths, pressed-flower frames, and making kits so that your loved one can try putting together their own arrangement.

Potters, Ramsgate

Located just a short stroll from the shores of Ramsgate beach is Potters, an independent store selling Scandi-inspired ceramics. Among the pots and plates you’ll also find a tempting selection of art books, candles, soaps, plants and other items for the home.

Gloucester Guild Shop, Cheltenham

Professional makers from all disciplines are part of the Gloucestershire Guild of Craftsmen, which has been running since 1933. You can peruse and purchase their work in the guild’s store, situated in Cheltenham’s trendy Montpellier district that’s renowned for its specialist boutiques.

Maud & Mabel, London

London’s quaint Hampstead neighbourhood is a fitting setting for the Maud & Mabel store, which prides itself on selling 'beautiful everyday objects'. Expect to find a wealth of ceramics, as well as pieces made from wood, metal, glass and textiles.

Prior Shop, Bristol

Recycled wool blankets and ethically sourced silver jewellery are some of the items that can be found in eco-conscious store Prior. A number of the pieces are made in the on-site workshop, or produced by makers local to its Bristol location.

Glassette, online

From paint-splattered ceramic mugs to spotted glass vases, Glassette sells an array of handcrafted homeware – perfect for any friends or family who are mad for interiors. If you prefer to shop in-person, the brand has opened a pop-up in London’s Selfridges for the duration of the festive season.

Brass Monkeys, Hove

Jewellery store Brass Monkeys is home to pieces from over 40 emerging and established designers. If you’re after something truly unique, there’s an on-site workshop where owners Jenifer Wall and Samantha Maund can create bespoke commissions.

Form Lifestyle Store, Manchester

Nestled in a grade II-listed building in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, Form Lifestyle Store celebrates slow living through craft. Set the mood with Sussex-based Forge Creative’s handmade wooden trees or local artisan Cedar’s yule candles.

Momosan Shop, London

Momoko Mizutani established Momosan Shop as a haven for independent craft makers, much in the same spirit as the pottery shops of her native Japan. Snap up one-off delights such as glass tableware by Jochen Holz, or wool bags by knitter and felt maker Cecilie Telle.

Opah Store, online

Form and function go hand in hand at online store Opah, which stocks the likes of Danish weaver Karin Carlander, Scottish potter Samuel Sparrow, and The Atlas Works, a modern glassware collaboration between a London design duo and a traditional factory in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco.

Bluecoat Display Centre, Liverpool

A Liverpudlian mainstay since 1959, the Bluecoat Display Centre supports, exhibits and sells the work of over 350 craftspeople across the UK and is a member of the Own Art scheme – a national initiative that makes it easier and affordable for everyone to buy contemporary craft by providing interest-free loans.

Ruthin Craft Centre, Denbighshire

Offering both an exciting exhibition programme, on-site studios, a retail gallery and a café, we think Ruthin Craft Centre is a must-see. If you can't make it to the Welsh market town of Ruthin, explore their online store to discover handmade works – many made by makers based in Wales.

We are Hoos, Glasgow

Karen Harvey MBE opened We are Hoos in 2016 – her first venture into retail after a successful career in charity work. Located in Glasgow’s West End, the store stocks a heady mix of Scandinavian design favourites and work by British makers, including Edinburgh-based ceramicist Tokes Sharif of Studio Brae and southeast London textile designer Sophie Home.

Contemporary Applied Arts, London

A fixture of the British craft scene since 1948, CAA offers handmade one-off objects by craft makers working across ceramics, jewellery, metal, paper, furniture, glass and textiles. While new works are frequently added to its London gallery and online shop, you can also commission a craftsperson through the CAA to create a truly unique piece.

Bircham Gallery, Norfolk

Between its space on the north Norfolk coast and its online store, there's a wealth of riches to be found at the Bircham Gallery, which specialises in British craft. Look out for ceramics by some of studio pottery's leading lights, such as Walter Keeler, Lisa Hammond and Kyra Cane.

A New Tribe, London

Specialists in Moroccan rugs and textiles, A New Tribe also offers an eclectic array of homewares by small designers and brands from local and international names at its Instagram-worthy Hackney Road store.

New Brewery Arts, Cirencester

There’ll be plenty of reasons to make a trip to this converted Victorian brewery in the heart of the Cotswolds (New Brewery Arts houses a gallery, café and on-site maker studios). You can also peruse and purchase an array of textiles, jewellery, ceramics and other home accessories from its online store.

The Biscuit Factory, Newcastle

Housed in a former Victorian biscuit manufacturing warehouse in Newcastle’s cultural quarter Ouseburn Valley, The Biscuit Factory is the largest independent art, craft and design gallery in the UK. It stocks a smorgasbord of artists and makers, among them Durham potter Laura Hancock and Wiltshire-based jeweller Kirsty Adams.

Yew Tree Gallery, Cornwall

Set among fields on the wild west coast of Cornwall, Yew Tree Gallery is an unexpected haven for craft. Look out for work by slipware potter Nigel Lambert and metal artist Guy Royle. We particularly like their new gift-wrapping paper, featuring patterns taken from glazed platters by ceramic artist John Maltby.

The Home of Sustainable Things, London

Pegged as the UK’s first exclusively-sustainable design shop, The Home of Sustainable Things champions all things ethical and circular – in keeping with our green spirit this season. Think recycled paper pulp repurposed into furniture (Tim Seven Studio) or planter vases made from tea waste (Dust London). Crafts members can enjoy 10% off online. You're welcome!

Stròm, Kyle of Lochalsh

Contemporary jeweller Tina MacLeod and textile designer Jennifer Carr founded Stròm in 2019, paying homage to their Gaelic and Norse heritages in both the shop’s name and its ethos. Located in the Kyle of Lochalsh, the store carries jewellery, ceramics, textiles and stationery sourced from Scotland and beyond.

Lovedazzle, online

For devotees of contemporary jewellery, Lovedazzle is a virtual mecca that plays host to unique works by over 60 designers. Pegged as more than just an online extension of the annual Dazzle jewellery exhibition, the site also has a very handy (and regularly updated) directory so you can get to know their talented makers.

Goldmark Gallery, Uppingham

This family-run gallery in Rutland has been delighting craft-lovers for the last 40 years, thanks to Goldmark's ever-changing showcase of studio pottery.

Farfield Mill, Cumbria

Originally a Victorian wool-spinning mill, today Farfield Mill is home to a textile heritage centre, artist studios and a gallery run by a craft cooperative. It's not only about textiles, however – head to the atmospheric shop in Sedbergh, Cumbria, to browse gifts spanning mediums from metalwork and ceramics to glass and wood.

Contemporary Ceramics Centre, London

If ceramics are your jam then Contemporary Ceramics Centre is essential viewing. There’s over 90 artists to choose from in its shop alongside regularly rotating exhibitions curated by longtime gallery manager and head curator Marta Donaghey.