Beautiful array of coastal home decor, linens, houseware/kitchen and jewelry from local artists and…read moresources. Special unique items for your home or to buy as gifts. The staff was attentive and so friendly. If you are visiting the Outer Banks plan a stop at the store. You are guaranteed to find something special.

Bottom Line: A beautiful display of quality and tasteful housewares and gifts…read more The Cottage Shop in the Outer Banks Mall is definitely one of my favorite stores in the area! The Cottage Shop is a fairly large store consisting of tasteful home decor and gifts. Many items are beach themed but there is plenty of cool and cute stuff for (in)land lovers too. Here are the types of things you can expect to find at The Cottage Shop: - linens like tea towels, hook rugs and bedspreads - home decor like candles, artwork and Fiestaware - scarves, flip flops and jewelry - drinkware like Tervis, Yeti and decorative wine glasses - Christmas ornaments - stuffed animals and toys for little ones - greeting cards You can also expect a friendly staff! This is a great place to get a gift for someone else or yourself!

I always shop here on my annual OBX vacation. There is such a vast selection and I never leave…read morewithout a bagful.

Bottom Line: Cotton linens, clothing, home decor, women's accessories and other goodies fill this…read morelocation to the gills. Funny enough my husband wanted to go to The Cotton Gin to shop for Vineyard Vines clothing. I had planned to sit the shopping trip out but next thing I know I'm checking out at Cotton Gin with a new puzzle, bracelet, Christmas ornament, candy and bag. Just when I didn't think I needed anything I managed to find a variety of things at Cotton Gin. As indicated by this anecdote, The Cotton Gin sells a variety of stuff and it's fun to wander through the various rooms of the two level store. Although I most commonly come away with beachy souvenirs it is worth noting that they have high end cotton products like towels, quilts, and such. The Cotton Gin has various locations and the Nags Head store is located at the 14 Mile Post across from the Outer Banks Mall.

Bottom Line: Lots of home decor and stuff for the home at reasonable prices…read more This Home Goods store is located at MP 14.5 in the Outer Banks Mall. It has a large selection of all sorts of stuff for the home like decor, pans, lamps, gadgets, pillows, blankets and bath soaps. They also sell some furniture and rugs. On my most recent visit I was on a quest to walk off my dinner and find a cozy blanket. The store is bright, reasonably clean and has lots of inventory. Shopping here is a bit of a treasure hunt and overall a good time.

I went here multiple times during my vacation and was always able to find new things each time!…read moreThis place is great!

Bottom Line: A beautiful home furnishings store with a large showroom…read more I went in here to check out patio furniture but I was immediately mesmerized by the beautiful vignettes of furniture throughout the large showroom. All of the furniture was displayed really well and even if you are not in the market for big pieces, this store has some nice art and home decor. As one can expect, many of the pieces on display are beachy but based on the large room or fabric swatches, I am sure there is plenty of opportunity here for more neutral selections. Also, there were so many wonderful rugs throughout the store as well as a few racks of rug swatches. I really enjoyed looking around this store and the kind staff made my visit even better.

Lynn Riggelman was great to work with. Super friendly and helpful. Very knowledgeable supplied…read moreinformation to make sure our purchase would work well in our room. Thanks Lynn

This was such a cute fun place to look around at. I found so much stuff I loved, and the staff were…read moresuper sweet and helpful.

A treasure on the island. They have so many unique items. Staff is helpful and friendly. There is…read moresomething for everyone if you are looking for a little reminder of your time in OBX!

Bottom Line: Shells, driftwood and beach inspired decor and jewelry…read more What I really like about Shipwreck is the scenic causeway location overlooking the sound and the very friendly employees. I also think the name is very cute. Shipwreck is an Outer Banks staple that has been in business for decades. They have tons of sea shells and driftwood. They also have jewelry, ornaments, home decor and toys all inspired by the Outer Banks. For those looking for hermit crabs, they have those too! For vacationers wanting a great beach souvenir shopping experience, Shipwreck is a good place to check out!

Sweet ladies, great artful finds. Some large coral and shells are pricey, but good and rare finds!read more

Bottom Line: A strip mall located at MP 14.5 with some good options for shopping and dining…read more When I think of a mall I think of an enclosed collection of shops but this mall is of the strip mall variety. The Nags Head Mall is not fancy but I do tend to find myself there nearly once a day during my summer vacations. Here are some of my common pit stops: Woo Casa - One of my favorite restaurants on the Outer Banks serving Mexican and Asian fusion. Grits Grill - A reliable stop for an early morning diner-style breakfast Duck Donuts - Always a sweet treat. The Cottage Shop - One of my favorite stores on the Outer Banks featuring high quality beachy decor Ulta - A chain store but I appreciate the convenience of being able to grab some extra pampering products while on vacation Food Lion and the Dollar Tree - Not exciting stops but reliable and practical There is plenty of parking in the mall and stores in addition to those listed above.

Bottom Line: A huge variety of Christmas ornaments arranged by theme but very few local or unique…read moreornaments. My husband and I enjoyed browsing the two storied Christmas Mouse. There is a ton of inventory and the ornaments are arranged by theme, as shown in some of my pictures. The ornaments are largely the mass produced type that are made in China but I did see a small selection of ornaments which I think are (somewhat) locally made. This store is a great place to shop for ornaments for my "fun" Christmas tree that I string colored lights on and display in my basement rec room. But as far as my "classy" tree with white lights and silver and gold ornaments, I didn't see anything that suited that tree. In addition to ornaments, they have Christmas cards, nutcrackers and other seasonal decor. I left with an avocado ornament that is a great homage to my time in SoCal and perfect for my "fun" tree. The Christmas Mouse is a fun place to browse and to stay cool on a hot summer day.

It's a great place to just browse through. They have so many good choices that you are bound to…read morefind something that you didn't know you needed.

Pros: Great vintage shop with many nooks and crannies…read moreHelpful staff and lots of variety of items If you are looing for something in particular, the staff is helpful in guiding you Cons: Some items are pricier than what you'd normally expect at a vintage shop Pro tip: A great place to spend some time if you are looking for an indoor activity. Lots of treasures to be found here!

Large vintage shop in OBX filled with a variety of items. We enjoyed walking around the shop and…read morefound several reasonably priced items we wanted. I purchased a swim suit that looks new and some stickers. I look forward to returning next time we are in the area.

Bottom Line: Unique and quality toys and friendly service…read more OBX Toys and Engraving, formerly Monkey Business/Make it Personal, opened around June 2020 on the bypass/Hwy 158 at MP 13.5 in the same shopping center with Sound Feet Shoes and Radio Shack (maybe in Yellowhouse Gallery's old spot?). I enjoyed wandering around this toy store. I was looking for a family friendly game but I wasn't able to make a decision so I moved on to checking out the plethora of Melissa and Doug toys and the Create-a-Critter machine. I've always been a Melissa and Doug fan because I feel like they make quality, timeless toys. I like their wooden puzzles in particular but they offer offer lots of great toys. Anyone who likes Melissa and Doug will probably appreciate the diverse selection at OBX Toys. Create-a-Critter was new to me. Lucky for me there was a little boy making a bear so I got to witness a little bit of the creation process. Basically, Create-a-Critter is like Build-a-Bear. You pick the critter you want to make yours and then the staff help you use this big gumball-machine-looking-thing that fills the critter to make it a plush toy. Critters start at about $20 and then you can pick out outfits and such. In addition to selling toys, including hosting Create-a-Critter birthday parties, OBX Toys also has an engraving business. I saw some of their samples but didn't get a very close look. Also, I saw an advertisement that says they do gender reveal boxes which seems like a neat idea. I didn't interact with the staff while I was at the store but I saw them helping other customers and could see how kind, patient and helpful they are. I definitely plan to return the next time I am in the area.

From the owner: Welcome to OBX Toys and Engraving. Party event fun! We cater to birthday and children's parties…read more Take a look at our photos and book your party or pick up to go kits. Paint parties are also available. Layered art ornaments We also offer custom engraving services. Get your products in as little as 1 week. We offer some day service for an additional rush fee. If you can imagine it we can create it. Call or message me for availability and pricing!