New England Travel

New England gift ideas

By Boston.com Staff

November 29, 2012

9 minutes to read

When you’ve run out of gift ideas from the local super store or national retailer, finding a unique present can be difficult. This year, give locally. Here are some New-England specific gifts that will support the local econcomy and make the New Englanders in your life smile with joy this holiday season.
Rhode Island ornaments

MyLittleTown.com
 
 They are images distinctly Rhode Island – headed to a tree near you. Rhode Island artist Duke Marcoccio (also a 2007 alumnus of CBS’ “Amazing Race’’) said he has been floored by the reception his landmark ornaments – including Del’s Lemonade, the Big Blue Bug, and the entrance to Rocky Point – have received in season’s past. You can place your order online, where memories of Rhode Island landmarks go well with cyber shopping.
Handmade Hawaii

East Coast Tropics
 
 Born and raised in Hawaii, Lovena Harwood has managed to bring a bit of the islands to the East Coast with her. Established eight years after her move to the continental United States, East Coast Tropics, based in Haverhill, sells handmade soaps and other bath products in an effort to promote the Hawaiian culture. Orders like the Take Out Gift Box Set (pictured) allow customers to choose the scent of soap and lotion they will receive, as well as the packaging. Aloha!
Live lobsters

Lobster Gram
 
 Got a New England native on the Christmas list this season who finds himself or herself landlocked with a new address? Certainly they’ll appreciate the delectable taste of home that a Lobster Gram can deliver. Surprise them with live lobsters shipped from Biddeford, Maine. The crustaceans will arrive via overnight delivery, along with any variety of other items including cheesecake, steaks, and chowders.
A Vermont original

Burton Snowboards
 
 Every alpine company nowadays has some semblance of a snowboard in their line of equipment. But Burton offers the opportunity not only to buy locally, but from the original. Burton was the first snowboard factory in the world and is still the leading manufacturer of snowboards. The Burlington, Vt., giant also offers a wide array of clothing and other signature gear on its website great for any snow sport fanatic.
Custom coffee

Dean’s Beans
 
 Coffee lovers certainly appreciate finding roasted beans in their stocking. And there are plenty of New England coffee companies to choose from, but Dean’s Beans, in Orange, offers you the opportunity to design your own custom blend and packaging in order to give a truly original gift. Simply choose your roast, then name your creation. Perhaps the “Holiday Grind’’ or “Boxing Day Blend’’ will warm their palettes.
Cambridge company slogan

Mayflower Poultry Co.
 
 Cambridge residents fully understand that you’re talking about Mayflower Poultry when you utter the phrase, “Live Poultry, Fresh Killed,’’ the company’s slogan for decades. Now, fans of the shop can show off their local pride with merchandise bearing those famous words, from T-shirts, to coaster sets, to… yes, ladies’ thongs. Items can be purchased online or at Mayflower’s Cambridge Street headquarters.
Locally grown wine

Boyden Valley Winery
 
 Satisfy the wine connoisseur in your family with a bottle from family-run Boyden Valley, which crafts wines from 8,000 grapevines on their Vermont farm. They have robust offerings, and the website offers additional information on food pairings.
Earth-made bowls

Peterman’s boards and bowls
 
 For an original addition to one’s kitchen or other living space, look no further than Spencer Peterman, of Turners Falls, who creates handmade, wooden bowls, utensils, and cutting boards out of fallen wood from trees in the Western Massachusetts forests. Each bowl is hand carved by Peterman, and sold on his web site. From the earth to your table. It’s hard to get a much more local product that that.
Wiffle ball merchandise

Wiffle Ball Inc.
 
 Ah, the Wiffle Ball. It has made backyard heroes out of millions who have mastered its precise handling. Master a curve ball, and you’re on your way to Wiffle immortality. For the fan that can’t get enough, the Shelton, Conn., company offers a variety of Wiffle Ball hats, ties, and other assorted merchandise. The official bat and ball sets are, of course, also available for purchase, as if you couldn’t find those at the local apothecary.
Artisian glassware

Simon Pearce
 
 It’s not just a gift in glassware they boast at Simon Pearce in Quechee, Vt., but an investment in American artisans. From ornaments and pottery to lighting fixtures, Simon Pearce’s signature name and designs are available at stores across the country, as well as online and in catalogs. The artist himself is traveling around the region as we approach the holiday season, and signing some of his works. See website for dates.
Kielbasa

Chicopee Provisions
 
 Yes, you could run down to the supermarket, wrap some meat, and call it a day. But you’d still be hard-pressed to give the quality that Chicopee Provisions provides with its famous line of kielbasa. Guaranteed to arrive fresh, the Chicopee company offers a wide array of Polish sausages, gift packs, and other meats and cheeses certain to make for an authentic holiday meal. There’s a reason this place has remained at the forefront of the kielbasa market for 88 years.
Massachusetts furniture

Saloom New England
 
 If someone on your list is in the market for some new furniture, be sure to look out for Saloom products. Started in 1982 by Peter Saloom, who began making dining room furniture in his father’s basement, the company, based in Winchendon, has two factories in Massachusetts, where high-quality tables, chairs, and hutches are created for the “heart of your home.’’ Check the website for products.
Jams, sauces, mustards

Mother’s Mountain
 
 Mother’s Mountain has grown from a single recipe for mustard to more than 30 different products. The Falmouth, Maine, company offers a variety of mustards, jams, and pepper sauces on its website, in addition to gift baskets and other appetizing condiments including salt free and gluten free options. Every jar is personally packed and labeled, and the phone number on the label? That’s the home line for founders Carol Tanner and Dennis Proctor. Can’t get better customer service than that.
Chocolate

There are two acceptable options for giving chocolate as a gift: You can go Whitman’s, or you can go local. If you choose to go the latter, good luck picking from the hundreds of quality chocolatiers that New England has to offer, but a few of note are Harbor Sweets in Salem, Boston’s Serenade Chocolatier (who will create a chocolate cornucopia for your holidays), Laughing Moon in Stowe, Vt., and Safe Harbor Confections in Waldoboro, Maine. Safe Harbor is environmentally conscious, donates part of its profits to animal welfare charities, volunteers and gives blood on a regular basis, so its slogan of “Better Chocolate, Better World’’ holds true. Its chocolate is sold across New England. The Sampler doesn’t stand a chance against that quartet.
Cheese

Formaggio Kitchen
 
 Like chocolate, cheese is a no-brainer. At Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge, choose from: (counterclock-wise from top) North Stone cheese from Vermont, Lake’s Edge cheese from Vtermont, Chabichou cheese (top) from Carlisle, Alys’s Eclipse cheese (bottom) from Carlisle, and Twig Farm goat tome from Vermont. In addition to cheeses, the shop also offers coffee, oils, and pastas. Its gift guide has options perfect for the foodie with a fondue bundle, a grilled cheese kit, and mac and cheese accoutrements.
Master crafts

North Bennet Street School Gallery and Store
 
 
The North Bennet Street School in the North End of Boston teaches students a variety of craftmanship techniques. Its gallery and store features remarkable offerings from students, faculty and alumni. From assorted jewelry to furniture and journals, the artistry and care is evident. The store also sells specialized hand tools like the ones used by the students of the school. Mix in an Italian dinner after your visit to the gallery, and that’s a shopping trip most anyone can handle.
A ship’s clock

Chelsea Clock
 
 Time isn’t cheap, and Chelsea Clock promises it has been making the finest clocks in America since 1897. The company name went from Harvard to Boston to Eastman Clock before settling on Chelsea Clock Company showing its true Massachusetts roots. Today they offer a wide variety of ships clocks each one made by master clock makers. These timepieces have been the choice of several presidents, the US Army and Navy for decades. Available at fine jewelry shops in Massachusetts, and online, these timekeeping masterpieces are certain to strike a chord.
New Hampshire made pottery

Great Bay Pottery
 
 Hand-thrown, hand-glazed, and hand-decorated, Great Bay Pottery offers pieces that not only look pretty, but are functional as well. Each piece made in North Hampton, N.H., comes oven, microwave, and dishwasher safe. Mix and match designs for a baking, storage, or serving dish that will make a nice gift. Great Bay will also customize any piece for any occasion.
Wooden toys

Maple Landmark Woodcraft
 
 Think Santa’s workshop of yesteryear. That’s the sort of feeling you’re apt to get browsing the collection of wooden toys created by Maple Landmark, a woodcraft company in Middlebury, Vt. Choose from wooden rattles, cars, jigsaw puzzles, and train whistles. Personalized gifts like the “Name Train’’ (pictured) make a fine addition to a child’s room. Available at retailers throughout the state, including some area toy stores, and online.
One stop shop

Zeb’s General Store
 
 If you’re finding it difficult to decide on the perfect New England-based gift, it’s Zeb’s to the rescue. The North Conway, N.H., store offers the opportunity to create a basket online, featuring a variety of local products, from candy and hot sauce to furnishings and soaps. Choose the type of basket you want to send, pick the ingredients, and check out. Zeb’s offers around 5,000 items in their inventory. So, good luck. If you just can’t choose, try one of Zeb’s ready made baskets, like ’’Zeb’s A New England-ah’’ or the “New England Harvest’’ baskets.
Pancakes and waffles

Cook-In-The-Kitchen
 
 What started as a pancake and waffle mix business has now expanded into a whole line of dips, soups and breakfast food mixes. The White River Junction, Vt., based company boasts all-natural, no-preservative ingredients. Cook-In-The-Kitchen also offers gift baskets with mixes and syrups to get anyone who loves breakfast a good sampling of the products.
Eco-friendly art

Blackberry Hill Designs
 
 This Saco, Maine, small business all began with a Scrabble tile. Monica Foley founder of Blackberry Hill Designs transformed the tile into a piece of artisan jewelry. Blackberry Hill now sells art that is made from used products, such as this record wall hanging. A great gift for the person who has everything, these gifts are, as the website says, “whimsical recycled creations.’’
Homemade staples

Northwoods Gourmet Girl
 
 Inspired to live and promote a healthy lifestyle, Northwoods Gourmet Girl, out of Moosehead Lake region Maine, created pantry staples from scratch to sell on the website. Products include jams, relish, country ketchup, caramel and more.