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Etsy has a list of more than 41,000 Maine entrepreneurs and artisans. We searched for them and picked eight to place under your Christmas tree.

We will say it directly: There are only 62 days left before Christmas.

In "Before Times", you should laugh in the face of such warnings. Hahaha! what!

Halloween is still a week away. Thanksgiving and all the cranberries and fillings are rested for a month.

But in 2021, Time Magazine’s time does not apply: On September 16, 100 days before Christmas, the head of the Maine Retail Association urged people to start holiday shopping, citing expected supply chain and worker shortages.

So let's get started! Let's shop in Maine.

Etsy has 5.2 million craft-savvy entrepreneurs and more than 41,000 Maine listings. We sorted these listings and found 8 outstanding holiday gift ideas.

Think of the gorgeous wooden placemats made from logs that sank in the Penobscot River 200 years ago. Swirled hand-forged bookends. Crocheted water balloon. Seven-foot-tall driftwood Christmas tree. Velvet choker.

Some were seen on Food Network, featured on HGTV, endorsed by Martha Stewart, and worn by Kendall Jenner.

Oh, we are a cool cunning man in Maine.

Eight ideas and some information about the artist behind them:

Porcupine feather earrings from Wicked Wildwoods, Mexico. Submitted photos

1. Porcupine feather earrings, $30, Wicked Wildwoods, Mexico

Grew up in Maine, Maine, well, ran away.

Owner/founder Allie Nasatowicz said that there are many outdoor sports men and women in her family. When she opened the store, she was shocked by the idea of ​​respecting nature.

Her source of inspiration for Wicked Wildwoods: "I hate seeing road killers just sitting on the side of the road to waste-it seems that most animals with meat and fur can be picked up quickly, but few remove or use porcupines, so I decided to do this. I like being able to give a part of it a second life in the form of jewelry. I just started to bring this passion

Porcupine quill and bead earrings from Wicked Wildwoods.

I was online in July/August this year, but some of my quill pens have arrived in California, and some have even arrived in Alaska. I like the idea that these Maine wild animals are appreciated by so many different people in so many different places, rather than just sitting on the side of the road somewhere to rot and be forgotten. "

Photo submitted by the five-foot-tall driftwood Christmas tree from the Salty Girl in Maine

2. Driftwood Christmas Tree, 5-7 feet tall, $520 and above, Salty Girl, Maine, York Beach

Cherie Herne collects driftwood from local beaches and bays. These trees are delivered in kits with heavy driftwood bases, copper rods and pre-drilled driftwood branches to form a classic Christmas tree shape. She had asked for up to eight feet.

Her Maine Salty Girl inspiration: "I am the eighth generation of York, and DNA has confirmed that I am definitely part of a mermaid! Maine Salty Girl (a/k/a Salty Girl and the Long Dog) started in 2014. At that time, the symptoms of Lyme disease began to take over my body. As a web/graphic designer, it became impossible to sit in one place with a mouse for a few hours. I needed to keep moving to control joint pain and walk

Cherie Herne is running driftwood for her shop, Maine Salty Girl. Submitted photos

The beach cleared my fuzzy brain. Since then, I went from sitting all day to looking for beach treasures on the local coastline by walking or paddling every day. I am very lucky to get a new career that I really like later in my life. When I finally got piles of driftwood and sea glass jars, I decided I needed to do something with my treasure, otherwise I would become a coastal hoarder! "

Fun fact: "My first wreath was made with a glue gun on the back of the wicker paper tray holder! I look back and think about how unattractive it was!" Hearn said. "We are known for wreaths, however, our driftwood trees are close behind. If trees are a year-round commodity, they will become our number one best seller."

OOAK Maine Monstah mug from Studio 207. This is called OLIVE U. Submitted photos

3. OOAK Maine Monstah Mug, $52 and above, Studio 207, Portland

Tammy DeSalle's whimsical Maine Monstah mug with nose, frowning and protruding or half-lid eyes are the definition of scary and cute.

Her Studio 207 inspiration: "I started making pottery in 2016, when a few friends and I had a class in Portland Pottery and have been playing with mud

Studio 207 more detailed Misunderstood Monstah mug.

since. I fell in love with the whole process. I have always been an art/crafty person. I work in the basement and garage, and it works well during the pandemic. My husband and I live in Portland and have two boys (both in college). They graduated from Portland High School in 2019 and 2020 respectively. I used to call them'my little Monstas'. "

Maine Heritage Timber's placemats, tripods and coasters are made of recycled river wood. Submitted photos

4. A set of two wooden placemats, $39, traditional Maine wood, Milinoket

According to Sandy Burns, who is engaged in marketing, sales and design, they are made from wood recovered from the river salvaged from the bottom of the Penobscot River and were lost in log drives as early as 1890.

Her fiance Thomas Shafer founded Maine Heritage Timber and Timberchic Company in 2010. (For more information about the recovery process, please visit www.maineheritagetimber.com.)

His traditional Maine wood/Timberchic inspiration: "This area is very special to him (Shafer)... He has been here since he was a child. He knew he wanted to do something with all this lost and forgotten wood/wood The process, business plan, and environmental environment is an evolving process. Once the wood is cut and dried, they know they have something, but the restoration process will be very labor-intensive, involving machinery and expensive. In Maine The creation of more jobs in the northern part of the state is also a driving force for development."

Fun fact: Timberchic is a peeling and pasting product designed for walls, beams, ceilings and islands. The classic variety called From the Water also comes from wood recovered from the river. The second variety, from white oak and red pine, was not restored by the river. Burns said that Timberchic has appeared in HGTV's "Desert Flippers" and "Maine Cabin Masters" episodes, and will soon appear in HGTV's second refurbished show.

JTWoodworks' birch ice cream rack. Submitted artwork

5. Ice cream cone rack, over $12, JTWoodworks, Lewiston

It's true: everyone likes ice cream. Lewiston’s highest-rated Etsy store is home to several ice cream shops, which are currently best sellers. Co-owner Amparo Randall said that his husband Jeremy opened the shop in 2010 .

His source of inspiration for JTWoodworks: "Jeremy started helping his parents build houses and started carpentry when he was a teenager. He was also self-taught. I went from helping him clean the shelves to being in the store full-time. Jeremy used to do all this alone. I keep asking

One of many beer flight boards handmade by Lewiston JTWoodworks.

He taught me how to use all the tools so that we can develop the store. Once I was satisfied with the table saw, I took off. ... We started with a list of cutting boards and shelves, and now we offer more than 150 items. We usually come up with new project ideas through brainstorming sessions (drinking a pint at Gritty's) and working with clients. Breweries, restaurants, ice cream shops, event planners or individuals looking for unique products will contact us to make requests, and we help them turn their ideas into reality. The ice cream cone holder comes from the customer's request. They like our egg tray and want to know if we can adjust the size so that it can accommodate the cone. Jeremy drew a sketch, the customer liked it, and the ice cream tray was born. "

Fun fact: The company also produces a variety of wooden tasting flying boards and paddles to hold beer and other beverage cups. One of its boards appeared on the "Food Fortune" of Food Network. "This is the'shark tank' of Food Online," Amparo said. "The lady who mixed the margarita used our flying board to show her drink to the judges. We modified our birch whisky board to fit her margarita glass."

Crocheted water balloon from No Skein No Gain Yarn Co. of Windham. Submitted photos

6. Crocheted water balloon, $8, No Skein No Gain Yarn Co., Windham

Emily Natalino stumbled upon a novel balloon idea last summer while looking for something friendly to kids and pets.

"I have a chocolate lab and I don't understand that she is not a child. I can only imagine how many balloons she will eat," Natalino said. "Crochet balloons eliminate the problem of dangerous plastic fragments being eaten and making a mess in the yard. In addition, they are reusable, so you can save a lot of money."

Soak, toss, soak again, toss again, enjoy.

Her No Skein No Gain inspiration: “I opened the Etsy store for the first time in 2013 when I was still in high school. I sold a few things here and there, but I really don’t understand

Various felt unicorn eyes of the company's best seller No Skein No Gain Yarn Co.. Submitted photos

Marketing, this is a completely passive store. Then the pandemic hit, and it rekindled my motivation to really try to grow my small business. I was inspired by all the creativity that flourished in the early days of the lockdown and the shift in people's perceptions of small and local shopping. "

Fun fact: Her bestseller? Feel the eyes of the unicorn. "The Unicorn Eye was originally just my first practice project when I purchased Cricut (a machine for cutting materials)," Natalino said. "I bought this crazy machine, it has so many functions and accessories, but I don’t know what I want to focus on with it. I have been crocheting small toys, and I think it will be an interesting way to Create expressions instead of using round plastic eyes. I listed some on Etsy and they took off immediately. My best seller so far is 2 inch unicorn eyes, which are both eyelashes and inverted 'u's."

Flat leather collar from Auburn's Arthlin Jewelry. Submitted photos

7. Flat leather necklace, $24.99 or more, Arthlin Jewelry, Auburn

Lincey Pepin founded Auburn's most popular Etsy store in 2011. (The background story of the store name is cool: "Art" stands for art, "h" stands for handmade, and "lin" stands for Lincey.)

Her source of inspiration for Arthlin Jewelry: “It started as a humble full-time mother’s small business. As my child grows up, I have more time to focus on making products and marketing. When these designs drew the attention of Kendall Jenner, Ipsy, and Martha Stewart While paying attention, Arthlin’s development has advanced by leaps and bounds. It allows me to hire local assistants and provide new items such as earrings and laser-cut gifts. In the case of COVID-19, I can now resume my work."

Why is it a necklace? "When I was a teenager, I was attracted to alternative fashions. Necklaces were my favorite jewelry. It is such a simple accessory, but it is a bold fashion statement. I grew up in Quebec, and there was no such thing. Style store, so I started making my own jewelry. People around me asked to buy some, and soon I started selling them in local stores and online (on eBay at the time). In those days, customers mostly bought my necklaces Come to match outfits or participate in special events. However, they have been popular in mainstream fashion in the past few years, and now people choose them as everyday wear."

Arthlin Jewelry's most popular local seller, carved wooden ear studs. Submitted photos

Fun fact: “The celebrity yelling happened at the same time in 2016-2017,” Pepin said. “Kendall Jenner’s stylist found me on Etsy and took (with her) two different photos with one of my necklaces. Kendall Jenner’s team even added a button to her app to change her Of subscribers brought them directly to my store. I remember the long night when I took over the entire kitchen table to complete these orders! Ipsy also found my necklace on Etsy and used it to shoot makeup tutorials. Finally, Martha · Stewart had an "American Manufacturer" plan at the time. After finding my product on Amazon, she added my brand to her curated list. The plan is over, but it's so cool to participate!"

Kiran Chapman created the traditional 34-inch fire poker handle at Wicks Forge in Pownal on Tuesday. After the pandemic closed the handicraft exhibition and experienced significant business growth, the forge started selling goods on Etsy. Andre Kane/Sun Magazine

8. Hand-forged scroll design bookends, $49, Wicks Forge, North Pownal

Nicholas Wicks Moreau stamped hot steel into a leaf design at Wicks Forge in Pownal on Tuesday. Andre Kane/Sun Magazine

The store’s marketing expert Selena Fulham said that the artist blacksmith Nick Moreau forged everything from egg spoons to pot holders to fire poker and has been trying. New things.

His source of inspiration for Wicks Forge: “Nick first started selling at local craft fairs before opening his Etsy store in 2013, but it wasn’t until last year that his online sales really took off. We are grateful for the pandemic’s impact on us. Business is beneficial. We can increase online sales and even set up our own website (wicksforge.com). We will definitely try to launch new products regularly for several reasons. One is because Nick has always wanted to try new designs/ideas to make The things in the store are kept fresh, and the other is that we want to create products that we know our buyers are looking for/always asking for. We are also very concerned about making our products affordable

Wicks Forge's handmade coffee spoon. Submitted photos

For our customers, this means considering material costs and production complexity. Therefore, sometimes after a few months of selling a product, we have to re-evaluate the design to make it easier to incorporate it into our production line. "

Fun fact: "We also recently collaborated with Nick's mother (Joan Moreau McKeever, also an artist) to provide holiday cards she made and bundled with a letter opener," Fulham said. "This is a great way to get some unique holiday cards and small gifts for someone."

The Maine artist works with his Maine artist mother! evil.

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