From t-shirts to toys, local shops have the best goods

Chicago has some of the best museums and local independent shops, filled with unique, artisan-made gifts. Whether you’re shopping for a girlfriend, mother, teacher or boss, it won’t be hard to find that special Chicago-specific gift.


Expressways Shirt

From the Edens to the Stevenson and Dan Ryan, the Expressways shirt from REP CHI is probably the only thing that won’t get caught in traffic.

Find Intelligentsia coffee mugs at Neighborly — Photo courtesy of Megy Karydes

The Chicago Homegrown Cookbook

Written by Chicago local Heather Lalley, The Chicago Homegrown Cookbook: Local Food, Local Restaurants, Local Recipes celebrates the best homegrown food in and around the windy city, profiling 30 chefs who work together with local farms to bring the freshest, locally grown, sustainable foods to their menus.

You can pick up a copy of the book at Women & Children First Bookstore.

Abbey Brown Handmade Soap Bars

Hardscrabble Gifts, located just blocks away from where the Chicago White Sox play, has a great selection of locally handmade soaps by Abbey Brown Soap Artisan, including their popular Bridgeport Soaps.

Intelligentsia Coffee Mugs

Best known for the artistically designed maps, the shop Neighborly features Intelligentsia coffee mugs, as well as a ton of cool USA-handmade (mostly) home décor gifts for both men and women.

Hardscrabble, just blocks away from where the Chicago White Sox play, has a great selection of locally handmade soaps by Abbey Brown Soap Artisan, including their popular Bridgeport Soaps — Photo courtesy of Hardscrabble Gifts

Baby Gifts from Foursided

The baby corner at Foursided is filled with cute onesies, books and puzzles for the newborn to toddler set.

Antique Silver

Antiques and new silver items can be found in the smartly-merchandised shop of P.O.S.H. in River North.

Coffee Cozies

The sassy Logan Square boutique Wolfbait & B-Girls only features locally made artisans. The coffee cozies, in particular, are a trip.

Frank Lloyd Wright Coasters

Get a set of four coasters featuring metal inserts with designs that were adapted from examples of the famed architect’s ornamentation. They're offered by the Chicago Architectural Foundation.

Jewelry from Art Institute of Chicago

Handmade and unique jewelry at all price points are available at the world-class museum that is the Art Institute of Chicago.

Daisy at Heritage Bikes

Okay, maybe a bike isn’t on the wish list. But if it is, Daisy is one sweet ride.