If you haven’t jumped on the “buy local” sleigh yet, what are you waiting for? Buying from local businesses supports the local economy, strengthens community and gives jobs to local people. And beyond all that do-gooder stuff, by virtue of their uniqueness, products from local stores are often cooler than what you’ll find elsewhere. Utah shop owners have their fingers on the pulse of what’s hot, hip and covet-worthy.

This guide showcases a sampling of Utah’s local shops, divided into three basic categories—universal crowd-pleasers for everyone on your list, and gifts for guys and girls. Feel free to shop outside the lines, and don’t stop here. There’s a local shop tucked somewhere on practically every city block in Utah. The business directory compiled by Local First Utah (LocalFirst.org) lists more than 700 locally owned retail stores. So, what are you waiting for? Go forth and shop!

FOR EVERYONE

Love Lights All-Natural Massage Candle $23 After burning this candle for 15 minutes, you'll have enough warm oil for one full-body massage. With 10 massages per candle and a variety of relaxing scents, it’s the gift that keeps on giving. Bubble & Bee, 297 N. 200 West, Bountiful, 801-560-7899, BubbleAndBee.com	Bottle Freakers $8.95 Dress up a gift bottle of wine, travel mug or PBR tallboy with these hip cozies, which insulate, stretch to fit bottles as large as 50 ounces and are washer/dryer safe. Hip & Humble, 1043 E. 900 South, 801-467-3130, HipAndHumble.com	Nirve MP3 Bike Speakers $25 With these bike speakers, a green commute doesn’t have to be a music-free commute. The speakers plug into the headphone jack of any mp3 player and make for safer riding than headphones, which can block traffic sounds and car honks. Olde Salt Bike Shoppe, 105 25th St., Ogden, 801-334-6500, OldeSaltBikes.com
Vintage Candy Plagued by visions of sugary snacks dancing in your head? Give in to the craving and share the wealth of rediscovering delicious vintage candies like Appleheads, candy cigarettes and Fun Dip. Raunch Records, 1119 E. 2100 South, 801-467-6077	Book Stash Box $14-$16 Help a friend keep his or her guilty pleasure—whether it’s trashy romance novels or, er, something else—hidden with an impressive-looking tome that’s actually a hollow box. War and Peace and other classic titles are available. The Library Store, 210 E. 400 South, 801-524-8238	Table Topics $25 Steer holiday conversations away from sticky subjects like jobs and future grandchildren. Each Table Topics card has a thought-provoking question that will keep family and friends harmoniously engaged. Different card sets are geared toward specific crowds, such as Family, Girls Night Out and Not Your Mom’s Dinner Party. Got Beauty, 900 E. 2100 South, 801-474-2090, GotBeauty.com
Harmonica Necklace $22.50 It really works! Give this necklace to your musically inclined friends and at your next party, the monotonous plunking of a bass guitar can be replaced by the sweet strains of a harmonica. Frosty Darling, 177 E. Broadway, 801-532-4790, FrostyDarling.com	Knitted and Crocheted Hats $20-$25 Put a silver lining on cold weather with a terrific hat. Made by local artists, you can find unique colorful headtopper in styles to suit everybody on your list. SLCitizen, Salt Lake City Main Library, 210 E. 400 South, 801-363-3619	Custom Framing $15 per linear square foot Rescue a favorite poster or photo from a life taped to the wall. Signed & Numbered uses lumber-store cutoffs to build sturdy frames in any size and color imaginable. Glass, backing and matting included. Signed & Numbered, 2105 E. 2100 South, 801-596-2093, Signed-Numbered.com
Keel’s Simple Diary $15 Someone without the time to scribble in a traditional diary can keep a record of the passing days with this structured journal. Quirky questions and prompts make even mundane experiences memoir-worthy. Tabula Rasa, Trolley Square, 602 E. 500 South, 801-575-5043, TabulaRasaStationers.com	Skull Decanter and Glass Set $150 For a lover of the unusual or extra-strong drinks, this striking 56-ounce decanter and 8-ounce glass set is hand-etched and made from a double layer of clear and black glass. Charlotte’s, 1085 E. 900 South, 801-333-3773, Charlottes.biz	Wine & Beer Equipment Kits $84.95-$120.95 For the wine or beer lovers longing to brew their own but afraid to start, these starter kits include all the hardware needed for making wine or beer, plus instructional materials. The Beer Nut, 1200 S. State, 801-531-8182, BeerNut.com
Gig Poster $20 Improve a loved one’s music credibility with a limited-edition poster from when his or her favorite band played in town. (Bonus points to the giver if the band has since broken up or stopped touring.) Signed & Numbered, 2105 E. 2100 South, 801-596-2093, Signed-Numbered.com	My Dough Girl Gourmet Cookies Gift Box $8.50-$36 Nope, they’re not just cookies. Rock the palates of anti-cookie grinches with these locally made concoctions, which carry pinup-girl names and come in sinful varieties like mangos & dark chocolate in a citrus dough. My Dough Girl, 770 S. 300 West, 801-834-6111, DoughGirl.com	MSR Evo Tour Snowshoes $179.95 Unless a person is gifted with the time, money and coordination to hit the slopes, winter can be a miserable season. But now you can turn someone’s winter frown upside down with snowshoes: glove-friendly pull-tabs and adjusters make getting outside and onto the snow comfortable and fun. Kirkham’s Outdoor Products, 3125 S. State, 801-486-4161, Kirkhams.com
Nikon D3100 DX Digital SLR Camera $699.95 Nikon’s compact DSLR is perfect for budding photographers who feel limited by point-and-shoot models. Auto- and semi-auto shooting modes allow beginners to take stunning photographs as they learn the mechanics of a manual camera. Pictureline, 305 W. 700 South, 801-364-1200; 177 W. 12300 South, 801-572-2200, Pictureline.com	LunchSkins Sandwich/Snack Bags $8.95-$10.95 Help your recession-minded friends carry their PB&Js in style with these reusable bags. Handmade with certified food-safe fabric, the bags can be cleaned in the dishwasher, are available in assorted patterns and sizes and, best of all, save hundreds of plastic baggies. Hip & Humble, 1043 E. 900 South, 801-467-3130, HipAndHumble.com	Recycled Motherboard Desk Accessories $4-$14 Who knew the inner workings of a computer were so beautiful? These pens and notebooks are made from recycled motherboards and will remind office jockeys frustrated by their slow machines to stop and smell the fiberglass. The Library Store, 210 E. 400 South, 801-524-8238