The holidays always mean gift-giving, which means shopping, which presents an opportunity for patriotic consumers to find and buy American-made products.
If you are still looking for unique American-made gifts for the holidays, then I would recommend that you check out the 2022 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide from The Alliance for American Manufacturing.
The challenge this time of year is a familiar one: how do you locate a suitable gift idea for a family member or loved one that is made in America?
The 2022 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide will definitely provide you with some great ideas, and likely from companies making products in the United States you may have never heard of before. It also makes it likely you’ll be adding a surprise element when your gift recipient realizes that he or she never knew the product or company even existed.
On the website, you’ll find gift ideas from all 50 states, plus Washington, DC and Puerto Rico, and usually more than one company is listed for each state.
In Arizona, family-owned Lifetime Leather Co. has offered handcrafted authentic American leather products since 2011 that are guaranteed for life.
Northwest Indiana-based Hoosier Bat Company, located in northwest Indiana has made quality baseball bats preferred by players in the Major Leagues for quite a while – three of which are in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Hoosier is the ‘Buy American’ alternative to Louisville Slugger, which is now owned by Chinese-based Anta Sports Products Ltd. as of 2018. Anta Sports also owns Wilson tennis rackets and Atomic skis.
MSmade (www.mymsmade.com) is a Mississippi-based, women-owned company that makes affordable and giftable jewelry, including handcrafted earrings made of 14-carat gold. Unique designs include Swarovski crystals or Swarovski pearls.
Missouri is home to American Toyworks, which makes wooden block sets of heirloom quality designed to encourage play and creativity. The company also makes kid-appropriate furniture and dollhouses. The brand is part of Traditions in Woodworking Inc., which makes custom cabinets and furniture. The Show Me State is also home to Henschel Hat Company, which offers a large selection of American-made bucket hats, cowboy hats, and more.
The Rocky Mountains of Northwest Montana are where family-run Alpine Baby Co. makes made-to-order organic clothing, knit winter hats, moccasins, toys, teethers, art prints, and more for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.
New Hampshire resident and founder of Leotard Boutique Melanie Isett used her 16 years of dance training and a career in merchandising to make quality and affordable 100% Made in America leotards. Prices range from $12.50 to $23 for leotards and skirts in 23 colors. All fabric, elastic, and thread are sourced from U.S. manufacturers, and the clothing is dyed, cut, and sewn right here in America.
New Jersey-based Cra-Z-Art makes several arts products including finger paint, pencils, and puzzles in the United States. It is especially difficult to find puzzles today that are not made in China.
Before Tom Murdough founded Ohio-based, veteran-owned toymaker Simplay3 in 2016, he had already created the famous Little Tikes toy brand. Four years later, Murdough was inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame. AllSimplay3 products like slides, playhouses, water tables, and booster chairs are designed in and made in the U.S.A.
Hometown, Pennsylvania, is home to outdoor furniture and home and garden products maker Highwood USA. The company’s Outdoor Living products are ultra-low maintenance and made with incredibly durable high-grade poly. Poly is a realistic alternative to natural wood and is designed to stay outside all year.
Emsco Group also makes poly furniture, including home & dorm essentials and ventilated rack systems. The company also makes winter products like sleds, snowboards, shovels, and scrapers.
Orange Cat Candle Co. hails from Rhode Island and gets its name from the feral cat that founder Samantha Lebeau adopted in 2015, right around the time she started making candles in her kitchen. Orange Cat offers several holiday-themed candles. Its popular Apple Harvest Candle is infused with essential oils like cinnamon, orange, cedarwood nutmeg, and clove. My wife just made an order of candles for the holidays.
Inspired by his German roots, South Dakota resident and master tinsmith Karl-Josef Schmidt of Dakota Tin Works creates stunning art and authentic tinware, including pierced tin lanterns, old-fashioned twisted tin icicles, and Christmas ornaments with a modern twist. The company sources high-quality tinplate made in Chicago and Pennsylvania.
Lastly is Utah-based jewelry maker Lashbrook Designs, which specializes in men’s rings and wedding bands. The wedding ring I wear daily was made in America by Lashbrook Designs in 2016. The company started 20 years ago in a Utah garage, and today it’s an award-winning brand. I’m not surprised. The company’s state-of-the-art facility specializes in using contemporary metals like titanium, Damascus steel, and carbon fiber. I am happy to recommend it personally.
An honorable mention not mentioned in the guide is Bollman Hat Company, the oldest hat maker in America. The company was founded on Main Street in Adamstown, PA, in a former whiskey distillery by George Bollman in 1868. Bollman also boasts that it still operates America’s oldest hat factory, which features wooden floors, catwalks joining buildings, an underground tunnel, and a barn built in 1809. Bollman’s skilled and dedicated employee-owners make the world’s best wool felt, straw, fur felt, and knit hats.
For custom hand-made gloves made in the heart of New York City’s Garment District, check out Lucrasia Gloves at www.winweftgloves.com. I have been in contact with the owner of this company for a couple of decades, and the dedication to quality is top-notch.
America is chock-full of American-made choices if you know where to look. It’s more important than ever to keep our money in America, especially not sending it to China or other foreign adversaries.