My daughter and I drove almost an hour to shop here. They have a great selection of crystals,…read morejewelry, unique household items, accessories, clothing, and much more to list! There's simply so much to see here that there is no way to actually look through everything! The prices are reasonable for the most part, and the woman working there was lovely. She was friendly, patient, and super helpful.

I popped in here at the last minute to buy a stick for my new Tibetan singing bowl. I had no idea…read morewhere to buy one individually as the bowl was a gift. The staff at Amadara was really helpful, and the prices were reasonable. I only paid $6 for my little instrument accessory :). There are so many beautiful stones and handmade goods here, I'll definitely be making a return trip!

The Northbrook Artisan Shop is located within the Northbrook Historical Society which is a…read moreworthwhile stop when in town, particularly if you have any fondness for Northbrook. I am so delighted that they have chosen to add the shop offering artisan gifts made by local artists. This includes paintings, jewelry, quilts, scarves, knits, serving pieces, and lots of other unique gifts. The prices range from about $5- $350, priced within reason. Part of the profits go back to the historical society..

Kit & Wrap's opening in Lakeview might just be the best thing about 2020! The owner, Ashley,…read morewrapped our gifts beautifully, and she even shipped them. (That's right, East Lakeview -- shipping!!) The turnaround time was very fast; all our gifts were shipped either the same or next day, complete with tracking. She has a nice variety of gift wrap to choose from (even Japanese furoshiki cloth) and fun gift tags. Ashley does gorgeous calligraphy, too. This shop is truly wonderful. I wish it were a permanent fixture in the neighborhood!

Cute shop with lots of Instagram worthy plants and stationary…read more They do update their Instagram as well with new arrivals and have been very responsive to any first aid question I had on my new babies.

This is place is a gem in Andersonville. I did most of my…read moreChristmas shopping here the last two years. Every gift from this shop is very special and well received! Wonderful selection of plants (and flowers when in season) and so many beautiful items. The staff is very welcoming and knowledgeable about your new plant baby. Also, I strongly advise you to follow their Instagram! It's hilarious and breath of fresh air!

HEADS UP, LOCALS: If you're shopping here to support independent artists and local businesses, take…read morea closer look at what you're buying--you might be buying TEMU. Living in Wicker Park, I intentionally spend more money at neighborhood businesses because I want to support the community behind them. That's why I purchased a ring here for $34. Later, I found what appears to be the identical ring on Temu for $3.20. The price difference isn't what bothered me. Local businesses need to make money. What bothered me was believing I was supporting a unique local boutique, only to discover what appears to be a mass-produced item readily available online. Maybe some items here are made by local artists. I hope they are. Too bad the owner wasn't there when I stopped in, because this is feedback I would have preferred to give directly. Whether the response to this review is that the ring isn't from Temu, that retail markups are normal, or that other products in the store are locally made, the underlying concern remains the same: customers who choose to shop local deserve transparency about what they're actually supporting. That's what makes this so disappointing.

Super cute little gift shop. I bought some little wooden cars for 2 year old's birthday AND was…read moreable to visit a mini art vending machine (my goal for going). Glad the mini art drew me in because the store is so fun and the staff was lovely.

I have never been to the store, although the pictures look like a great time. I order the monthly…read moresingle batch candle subscription -- you all, I'm almost afraid to leave this review because I don't want them to know how nice of a deal this is! A fun, limited run unique concept candle (old library books, salted pomelo, coffee), they have always thrown in a second sample candle (another typically unique scent with decent burn time, this time was birch black pepper - you could take like two baths on this bad boy), and a charming book of matches, and they write "thank you Amanda" by hand in cursive on the packing slip! How thoughtful, and it's $18 (free shipping). I sign up for it and the scent is a surprise so it really is like surprising yourself with something nice once a month. Support small businesses!

Located right next to the Bryn Mawr Red Line stop, Edgewater Candles is a cute little shop that…read moreoffers a variety of wonderful hand soaps and shower gels that are not only amazing aromatherapy scents, but high quality products too! I have very sensitive skin and this time of year, it matters what kind of soap I use-- this is good stuff! You can also get refill bags to cut down on plastic and glass bottle waste by recycling. And the candles are high quality as well, because I've only bought one so far and it's lasted for months burning for hours at a time. It's getting low though, so I'm going to treat myself to a new candle in 2026!

Ravensgoods is a unique boutique gift store with many products made by local artists…read more A definite go-to place for gift shopping for infants to grandparents.

I love a good punny name, this one based upon the name of the neighborhood (Ravenswood). I've…read moredriven by Ravensgoods so many times; if it wasn't here before I moved to the neighborhood, it opened shortly thereafter. This very tiny shop has a variety of items that would be perfect if you need to pick up a gift for someone. They have candles, greeting cards, jewelry, and several baby items. I ended up buying a cute little onesie that has is designed to look like the Chicago flag but with hearts in place of the stars. it's so cute and I can't wait to put it on my little ones. They had several other onesies that were cute. I mentioned to the shopkeeper that I wanted to get a little bean onesie, and she mentioned they carry them but they sell out so quickly and the woman who she gets them from is backed up in stock.It makes sense to me because they're adorable! I didn't realize they had them here so it's good I could pick it up from here if I can't find it elsewhere. Parking is on the street BUT you're in luck because the Brown Line station is half a block away. There's also street parking on Damen and possibly the surrounding streets (not sure, but because it's near a train station I'd suspect it might be permit parking on the side streets).

I love The Fig Tree! I always make a point to visit there when I'm in the West Loop. It is a great…read moreplace for gifts! I usually grab a few things to keep on hand because they have such great crowd pleasers. I think their card selection is great. There are so many beautiful cards available. The employees are always very nice and they kindly offer gift wrapping. It is also dog friendly, so I've brought in my dog a few times and he loves getting fussed over. I would highly recommend the Fig Tree! It is one of Chicago's best gift shops, in my opinion.

The Fig Tree is a cute shop in the West Loop that I've tried to get to for some time. It's not very…read morelarge but they have a wide variety of gifts and even souvenirs. They have some great Chicago-related merchandise: Glasses, coasters, kitchen towels, and so on. I was surprised to see an area with children's items like onesies and t-shirts and some small toys. They had a lot of cards, as well as a big section of socks. A lot of snarky and irreverent items too. This shop isn't easy for me to get to--I live on the north side and so it's nowhere near my neighborhood, and the couple other times I've attempted to visit here there was no parking around, so I'm not sure I'll be able to get back anytime soon. I would recommend it though and will be back if I'm around.