Make the merriest memories yet this holiday season with a visit to the South Carolina coast. A stay in Kiawah Island, Isle of Palms or Seabrook Island is sure to get you in the holiday spirit. During your vacation, browse local markets that showcase area artisans and products for true one-of-a-kind Christmas gifts.
Sweetgrass Basket Makers Highway
Nothing says the South Carolina Lowcountry like a sweetgrass basket. For more than 300 years, people of the region wove these baskets from natural grasses in a tradition that goes back to West Africa. They were practical staples on farms but after slavery became a craft that earned artists an income. Baskets are sold at roadside stands along Highway 17 North.
These exquisitely woven baskets make beautiful Christmas gifts, with the bonus of being able to talk with the craftsman who created them. To learn more about local vendors, visit the Sweetgrass Basket Pavilion at Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park, open daily from 9-5.
Rewined
Any vino lovers on your list? Rewined is a Charleston company that uses old wine bottles to create candles with scents that mimic wine flavors. Check out scents like Syrah, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Rose and even Spiked Cider.
They’ve expanded their products to include bar soaps, cocktail-scented candles, matchstick bottles, gorgeous aged barrel holders and more. Find Rewined products at the GDC home store at Freshfields Village in Kiawah Island and Southern Accents in the Moutrie Plaza Shopping Center in Mt. Pleasant.
Buy Local on Sullivan’s Island
Another place to buy Rewined products is the Co-Op, a gourmet market, cafe and deli on Sullivan’s Island. The Co-Op is the perfect one-stop-shop for picking up locally-made products as they have several on their shelves, including Charleston Tea Plantation, Charleston Coffee Roasters, Westbrook Brewing Co., Bulls Bay Sea Salt, Callie’s Biscuits and others.
Bohicket Marina & Market
If you’re looking for a perfect gift, why not shop in a spot where you can also catch a spectacular Lowcountry sunset? The Bohicket Marina & Market on Johns Island has merchants like Doin’ the Charleston gourmet gift shop that offers locally-made products, Blue Water Tackle Shop for the angler on your list, and the Todd & Huff Art Center for those in the market for an original work that depicts island life.
Surf Gear
Have a surfer in the family? Head to the Isle of Palms Surf Co. or Odyssey Board Shop in Mt. Pleasant. Surf shops are ideal for picking up Tees, decals, caps, and Koozies. Or, you could get someone truly stoked with a custom-made surfboard or skateboard.
Those are just a few places to get you started. Truth is, you’ll find an array of gift shops and specialty stores with just the right items to fill all those stockings.