Guest Picks: Handmade in the USA
This unique, modern candle holder is made in California using cedar wood and a shellac finish. Fit with a few taper candles and you instantly have a romantic dinner setting.
The American chickadee is hand-painted on this wheel-thrown porcelain mug — so lovely. What a way to make an average cup of Joe look like an extra special treat.
I'm always on the lookout for maps (one of my most searched items on eBay). While vintage maps are on my perpetual wishlist, I think this modern American Flags map is super cool. It's silk-screened with sorbet colored flags to mark each state.
I love any homemade fruit pie (a summer cherry pie is especially delicious). These oven-to-table pie dishes by Simon Pearce are crafted in Vermont using the same traditional methods of Early American pottery. I heart their scalloped edge design.
I'd love a set of these custom hand-embroidered tea towels in the classic ticking stripe pattern. They make a perfect housewarming gift, too. Made in Pennsylvania, these sweet tea towels have that distinctly modern handmade feel.
New York textile company Coral & Tusk is one of my favorite designers. This embroidered tugboat pillow is just one of their designs that I'd love to bring home.
This gray barnwood frame is just one of the many reclaimed wood frames available from the New Mexico-based Etsy shop Barnwood4u. I love the look of the salvaged barnwood — turning something old into something new. And the quality woodworking shows.
While so much of our furniture manufacturing has moved overseas to far-away places like India and China, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams are one of the few that have kept it close to home in North Carolina. I'm a sucker for any furniture on little wheels, and I love how this turquoise chair is just the right mix of classic lines in an unexpected color.
These spring and summer plates would be sweet to have on hand for summer entertaining. The summer plate features illustrations of zucchini, cherries, raspberries and corn.
Designer Angela Adams draws inspiration for her handcrafted rugs from nature in her home state of Maine. This flatweave wool rug is called Nectar, as it's inspired by the busy birds during the summer. I love the rug's gray and yellow color palette.
I totally geek out on great organizing finds that are practical and smartly stylish. This water repellent waxed canvas tool roll is crafted in Seattle. It's an easy way to keep your must-have tools handy. The tool roll also makes a portable carry-all solution for bike riders — it simply secures on your bicycle.
These cozy striped linen blankets are made in the USA. And they only get softer with age. I'd love to curl up with one on the sofa.
The Windsor chair is an American design classic, and these chairs are crafted up in central Maine. I personally love the look of mixing styles of chairs around the table — a couple trad chairs like these Windsors paired with a few modern chairs.
The description for this table lamp spells out exactly what I hope to bring into my home with each new piece: something simple, stylish, American made, and handcrafted. I love the shape of this lamp's black walnut base.
We received a couple of these pasta bowls as a wedding gift, and they are our most used dishes. The design is a cross between a bowl and a plate — perfect for any saucy meal. These bowls are made in California by Heath Ceramics, one of the last remaining mid-century modern potteries.
I'd love to get this cozy wool Pendleton crib blanket for my baby girl's nursery. Pendleton is truly an iconic American company — the woolen mills have been weaving Indian blankets for the last century (and the quality shows its amazing heritage).
I'd have a hard time putting this cute cutting board away in a drawer — its tugboat design begs to be out on display. J.K Adams has been making wooden cutting boards and kitchen tools like these up in Vermont since 1944.
I love using chalkboards as a way to keep track of to-do lists and exchange notes. These are special chalk tablets made using reclaimed oak from an old steel mill in Philadelphia, vintage black leather, and chalkboard paint. Truly unique and so awesome!
I use one of these handmade wooden apple boxes as a special place to stash my rings. If you're giving one of these storage boxes as a gift, it'd be sweet to write a little note and roll it up inside the apple as a secret message. Next: More products made in the USA
In thrift shops and flea markets across the nation, you'll always spot vintage milk bottles and mason jars. Brooklyn artist Alyssa Ettinger hand casts porcelain replicas of these antique bottles. Such a pretty way to display summer blooms.
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