Check Out These Makers and Crafters in San Francisco This Holiday Season
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San Francisco is full of talented creators, which makes for an utterly unique shopping experience.
The City by the Bay has been a nexus for creative souls since the rowdy days of the Gold Rush. San Francisco's diversity and edgy vibe have always allowed creative efforts to flourish, and today's makers and crafters reflect that continuing heritage.
If you're looking for a hand-crafted original purchased directly from the person whose imagination and skill gave it life, San Francisco has some amazing shopping experiences waiting for you. Visit the establishments listed here to dive into the world of the city's maker culture.
The Aesthetic Union
The Aesthetic Union is a working letterpress print shop and storefront. Everything is printed by hand on vintage machinery, and it is one of the last studios of its kind in the Bay Area. You can often see the presses running while you browse art prints, greeting cards, and stationery. A hand-printed card or poster is easy to pack and makes a thoughtful gift for the person who has everything.
SHOP THE AESTHETIC UNIONDandelion Chocolate
At Dandelion's maker bar, you can watch the whole artisan chocolate process, from green cocoa beans to the silky finished product. You can tour the factory for free to get tasty samples. If you're shopping for a chocolate connoisseur, Dandelion offers an extraordinary tasting experience. Their selections include chocolate sourced from single locations, allowing customers to taste the differences between Madagascar, the Dominican Republic, Tanzania and Venezuela.
SHOP DANDELION CHOCOLATEGolden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory
Slip into Ross Alley in Chinatown and follow the sweet smell to a family-run bakery that has made fortune cookies by hand since 1962. Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory is a designated San Francisco Legacy Business. Peek inside to watch workers fold warm cookies, try a free sample, and buy a bag to take home. You can even write your own custom fortune to tuck inside. The shop is small and the alley gets busy, so a weekday visit is the easiest way to enjoy.
SHOP THE GOLDEN GATE FORTUNE COOKIE FACTORYGravel & Gold
This woman-owned Mission District shop has been championing local makers since 2008. Gravel & Gold pairs its own made-in-California line of clothing, bags, and everyday goods with handmade items from small, artist-run operations. It’s an easy stop for gifts that tell a story, from handmade bath products to hand-printed textiles, and it fits neatly into a day of exploring Valencia Street and the surrounding blocks.
SHOP GRAVEL & GOLDHeath Ceramics
Edith Heath founded this beloved California ceramics company in 1948. Today, its Mission District factory and showroom lets you watch the craft up close, with tile production visible from the showroom floor and factory tours you can book ahead. Heath Ceramics sells its signature dinnerware alongside work from the designers and artists who rent studios in the building. The Heath Newsstand and Tartine Manufactory are on site, so you can browse for gifts, then stay for coffee or a bite.
SHOP HEATH CERAMICSPaper Tree
If you're inspired by origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, Paper Tree in Japantown offers personalized classes led by award-winning origami expert Linda Mihara and her staff. Stop into the store on Japantown's Buchanan Mall to pick up your favorite origami paper designs and create animals, flowers, and other artistic creations.
SHOP PAPER TREEPublic Glass
Dedicated to introducing the public to the magical art of glass making, this nonprofit arts center offers you shopping, instruction and professional demonstrations. Public Glass has deep roots in the historic Bayview neighborhood, which is easy to reach via the Muni T-Third metro line. Buy extraordinary one-of-a-kind glass pieces from their on-site gallery, as well as online through their website.
SHOP PUBLIC GLASSRare Device
On the corner of Divisadero and Hayes, Rare Device is part gift shop, part gallery. The owners choose each item because it is handmade, well designed, useful, or beautiful, from stationery and home goods to jewelry and toys for kids. A gallery space hosts monthly shows by independent artists and designers, so there is often something new to see. Rare Device is a good stop for finding something distinctive that you won’t see at home.
RARE DEVICERedBrick Ceramic Studio
Want to get your hands dirty? RedBrick Ceramic Studio is a community-focused nonprofit studio on the third floor of a Mission District building. It offers hands-on clay workshops taught by working artist members, where no experience is needed. You’ll learn a technique, shape your own piece, and meet local makers along the way. Finished pieces are typically ready for pickup several weeks after the class, so ask the studio about timing before you book. It’s a great fit for visitors staying a while or locals looking for a creative gift experience.
SHOP REDBRICK CERAMIC STUDIOSFMOMA Holiday Makers Market
For one day only, SFMOMA’s free public space on the second floor becomes a festive marketplace. The SFMOMA Holiday Makers Market brings together about twenty Bay Area makers on Sunday, December 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Browse handmade jewelry, ceramics, sculptural soaps, art prints, candles, wooden kitchenware, and watercolor kits. Look for modular lamps from Maju and cat-themed designs celebrating San Francisco from Yanchako. Admission to the market is free, and you don’t need a museum ticket to shop. It’s a cashless event, so bring a card or phone.
SHOP THE SFMOMA HOLIDAY MAKERS MARKET
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Carol is a digital marketer creating media-rich content for global audiences covering travel, San Francisco and the Bay Area, food & drink, outdoor experiences, and cross-cultural storytelling. Her work is found in the San Mateo Daily Journal and The Skyline View (Skyline College). Before travel writing, her professional background included working internationally in business, nonprofits, and government. She lives in San Francisco with her family and regularly explores the parks in her city, especially untamed McLaren Park.
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