Coastal North Carolina Gift Guide

We love to collaborate with other coastal artists and the Candle of the Month subscription boxes have been a great opportunity to do so by including a special gift from a variety of talented artists!

After several years of these monthly collaborations, we’ve compiled the ultimate coastal North Carolina Gift Guide for nearly any occasion including Christmas!

Coastal North Carolina Gift Guide with candle car kit, outer banks watercolor print, and stamped necklaces

16 North Carolina-Made Gifts For Everyone

You can give North Carolina-made gifts to everyone this year with this gift guide. Made in small batches by hand, each artist featured on this blog lives and crafts in the great state of North Carolina. 

Here are 15 of our favorite recommendations from our website and beyond!

#1: For the Artist

Shopping for the artist in your family? The Artist Collection features prints from Saltwater Collections, Meg Rubino, Printed Hues, and Amanda Hedgepeth. At The Outer Banks Candle Company, we love collaborating with other local artists to create exclusive Outer Banks-inspired candles.

The Artist Collection Candles include both an Outer Banks Candle Company candle with the featured artist’s artwork AND a print of the artwork itself! By purchasing one of these collections you are supporting TWO NC artists at a time! 

#2: For the Beach Lover

For the beach lover, the candle lover, and the fall or holiday lovers: most thoughtful and delightful-smelling package they receive this season is the Beachy Gift Basket.

Our ​​F​​All baskets come beautifully wrapped and with a personalized note. Each basket is uniquely crafted and includes a variety of The Outer Banks Candle Company tropical collection.

Your basket will include any combination of the following fragrances: Pineapple Mint, Beachy Peachy, Coconut Cove, Vanilla Vacation, Island Gardenia, Seagrass & more!

#3: For the Constant Candle Burner

Our Candle Care Gift Set is the perfect gift for the constant candle burner in your life! This Gift Set includes a Mason Jar candle of your choice, plus a style matchbox featuring Lighthouse artwork and a wick trimmer to ensure the best possible burn from your candle!

#4: For the Cartophile

What is a CARTOPHILE you might be wondering? They are a lover of maps!

These prints cover a wide variety of coastlines including Outer Banks, Hawaii, Key West, Charleston & more! Based in Wilmington, NC, Printed Hues by artist Laura Lobdell. Laura creates beautiful paintings for all the cataphiles of the world!

Available in both originals, prints & on tea towels, Laura’s map paintings make the perfect gift for anyone who loves to study a globe.

#5: For the Jewelry Lover

Looking for original handmade jewelry with a personalized touch? All Washed Up Jewelry is a classic in North Eastern North Carolina’s fashion culture has been all the rage on Pinterest since the early 2010s.

One of their most popular choices is the Personalized Name Necklace with a faceted glass gem and a 14k gold-filled chain. Be sure to check out the rest of their website which features original coastal-inspired necklaces, rings, bracelets, and earrings. 

#6: For the Driftwood Obsessed

If you are shopping for a driftwood-obsessed person, our driftwood candle holder accessory makes the perfect gift and a great way to add a touch of the beach to your decor!

Votive Candles tend to be shoved aside because of their need for a container to be burned in. This cute votive holder is easily cleaned for each replacement votive. 

And DON’T FORGET: you get a FREE VOTIVE candle with every Outer Banks Candle Company order!

#7: For the Sunbather

Tired of the same old bathing suit colors and designs? Then you should check out Carolina Coto Arts swimsuit line printed in her original artwork!

Sunbathers are sure to love these printed bathing suits in stunning designs and bright colors, You are sure not to be wearing the same swimsuit as anyone else at the beach. Her artwork is also printed on t-shirts if you are more on the market for a good beach cover-up. 

#8: For the Master Gardener

Looking for a fun stocking stuffer gift that also serves a practical purpose? We highly recommend the Kinnakeet Clay Frogs in the old fishing village of Avon, NC.

No, it’s not how it sounds. These frogs are Mason Jar covers with small holes that transform your jar into a vase.  What a great way to repurpose all of your Outer Banks Mason Jar candles!

#9: For the Person With Good Handwriting

Notecard Packs – 8 packs of frameable watercolor notecards with envelopes packed in a gift box.

 Do you have someone in your life who still likes to send handwritten letters by snail mail? These Frameable Outer Banks Watercolor Notecards are the perfect gift for a person with good handwriting.

Once you have written and mailed the notecard, the recipient receives more than just a nice letter; they also receive a piece of art that can be framed to decorate their house. This 2-in-1 gift features commissioned artwork by popular Outer Banks artist Meg Rubino that can only be found here! 

#10: For the Ocean Lover

Ocean lovers will adore this Sea Spray Resin Artwork by Mark Slagle, owner of the online store Borders Beach Shop. This spectacularly blue ocean design is available on 8×10 rectangles, jewelry, ornaments, and magnets.

Also featured on the website are beach glass jewelry, macrame jewelry, and very interesting surf glass jewelry. 

#11: For the Bubble Bath Fanatic

If you are looking for an environmentally friendly, earth-conscious North Carolina-made product then you have to check out Milk Street Soap Co.

Featuring fragrances like lavender, mints & citrus, this soap company also presents options for those with sensitive skin and specific skin types. They also make unscented laundry soap for sensitive skin! 

#12: For the Antique Collector

Our collection of Antique & Vintage Glass Candles was created out of a deep love for old treasures and a desire to give them a new life! These candles are poured into vintage Milk Glass containers, colorful Depression Glass, antique Mason Jars & more all in a variety of candy dishes, tea cups, sugar and creamers, chalices, Hen on Nest dishes and so much more! A unique, one-of-a-kind gift for sure!

You can learn more about how we create our Antique Candle Collections here.

#13: For the Unique Art Lover

Local professional surfer, Noah Snyder, has something wonderful to offer the unique art lovers in your circle. Using fractile wood-burning and acrylic paint, Noah creates one-of-a-kind Outer Banks coastal images that include waves, piers, sea life, and more.

Looking for a more budget-friendly option? Noah also sells prints of his originals! 

#14: For Those Who Can Never Decide

Some people have a really hard time making up their minds when it comes to choices (like which candle fragrance to try). We offer several Candle Sampler Box combinations that include four 4oz jelly jar candles in four different fragrances.

The boxes come in Fall, Holiday, Beach & Earth, and Sea fragrance combinations. These 4 oz jars make great stocking stuffers or small gifts for coworkers or family members. 

#15: For the Person Who Collects Hats

Jackie Koenig is an oil painter in Kitty Hawk. Her Red Drum hats are fun for anyone who loves fishing and likes to collect hats!

#16: For the Hard-to-Buy For

Our Holiday Gift Boxes are filled with a great variety of treasures from a sampling of NC artists!

Each box includes two Mason Jar candles, a Christmas Ornament, a 4×6 map print of North Carolina’s coast, a matchbox featuring Lighthouses of the Outer Banks, and two nautical coasters, making it a sweet gift full of treasures!

Locally Made Outer Banks Gifts

We realize that shopping small and locally requires intentional time and attention. As an Outer Banks artist who has been on this creative business journey for many years now, I do not take giving locally-made gifts lightly!

Thoughtful intentionality has enabled me to pursue my dream in this creative small business. And I have also seen first-hand the difference it makes in the lives of all the other talented artists that we had the privilege to collaborate with. So, THANK YOU for shopping small and buying locally, hand-crafted gifts this holiday season.

We are so grateful and we hope that the recipients feel ALL THE LOVED that was poured into the gifts you give! 

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