Pull out your holiday wish lists. Charleston boasts a prolific creative community — from clothing and jewelry designers to fine artists to leatherworkers. This means you can find exactly what you’re looking for — and then some — this giving season by checking out the wide range of artists and artisans right here in the Lowcountry. Need inspiration? Here are a few of our favorite handmade and artisanal gifts this holiday season.
Acrylic earrings offer bright, bold designs
In 2020, needing a creative outlet aside from her day job in graphic design, Rae Sumlin began designing jewelry using resin. Now she also works with acrylic to make unique, wearable art through her brand The Design Demon.
“I like working with acrylic, especially coming from resin, [because of] the durability … and customization I get to do,” said Sumlin, who also owns North Charleston’s Feminist Magic Market.
Sumlin creates all of her own designs in Adobe Illustrator before sending the files to a Glowforge, which cuts the acrylic into pieces.
“I like to describe it like Legos. You have your base Lego piece, and that’s what I’m attaching [the other pieces] to. I hand assemble from there, and a lot of my work has hand-painted details, so I use the engraving setting on my Glowforge and then paint in those engravings.”
Sumlin finds inspiration for her wearable art in movies, pop culture iconography, “good patterns” and bright pops of color. Some of her most popular designs include character portraits of iconic figures like Velma from Scooby-Doo and Wednesday Addams.
She also makes artsy compact mirrors, as well as custom charm necklaces, the newest addition to her product line, which offer a variety of horror-themed enamel charms in either gold or silver.
- Shop The Design Demon in-person at pop-up markets in the Charleston area or online at shopdesigndemon.com.
Simple, yet elegant leather wallets
Veteran Marcus Vause, owner of Harland Handmade and a Garden & Gun Made in the South Awards Style Runner-Up, is not trying to change the world with his handmade leather wallets — but there’s no denying his practical, built-to-last designs are the opposite of fast fashion.
Vause, who lives in Hanahan, first started leatherwork after buying an inexpensive kit and scrap leather. His skill progressed and he purchased Harland Handmade from a friend in 2023. Since then, he has been perfecting his minimalist designs with a utility mindset.
“Is it something you’re going to use every day? If it is, that’s exactly what I want to be pumping out,” Vause said.
He aims to use the best materials available to him and has a personal relationship with a tannery in Tuscany, Italy. As Vause has improved his craftsmanship, he has also come up with more intricate designs that spotlight his skill without sacrificing timelessness or quality. His best-selling wallet, the Emerson, is a stitchless number with space for four to six cards and quarterfolded cash. Recently, he added The Cistern Passport wallet, inspired by a need he saw during his travels in Italy, and the Grove wallet, a unisex design.
Regardless of the item, Vause prioritizes functionality, durability and elegance. “[The wallets] are meant to be a product you keep forever, and I want people to be able to experience that at a relatively low price point,” he said. “We’re using materials that have been around for thousands of years, and the processes to make them have been around for thousands of years. For me, it’s three words: simple, practical, elegant.”
- Visit harlandhandmade.com to order a bespoke leather wallet.
Functional art for home, plus creative workshops
Daisy McClellan thinks about art in all parts of her life. The fiber and textile artist makes functional punch needle art and also employs sewing and natural dyeing techniques in her work.
“I have a very whimsical, fun style. I have three young kids that are five, seven, and nine, so everything I do is inspired by them and how they look at the world,” McClellan said.
She also finds inspiration in giving old objects new life. Many of her ice-dyed and indigo garments, for example, are made with thrifted clothing, making each piece unique.
In addition to creating her own art, McClellan helps others grow in their creativity and artistic ability through a wide range of crafting kits and in-person workshops. She offers kits on hand-weaving and candle-making, as well as workshops on those same topics and indigo- and ice-dyeing.
“I think people have really lost touch with the importance of handmade and valuing that,” she said. “If someone’s receiving something handmade, they [know you] put a little bit more thought into it. They saw the [gift] and it made them think of you.”
- Find Daisy McClellan’s work at daisymcclellan.com/shop.
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.