East Boulder County gift guide

While we love to browse for trinkets and doodads on Pearl Street, Boulder’s well-known outdoor shopping mall isn’t the only place in Boulder County to find unique gifts for your friends and family this holiday season. Check out the historic main streets of Louisville, Lyons and Longmont in east Boulder County, because these streets are loaded with fun merchandise and an old-time, downtown feel.

Louisville
1. Luminary Emporium, 924 Main St., Louisville
Flower necklaces by Stephanie Cox of Drama Queen: outrageous jewelry design.

These bright, jeweled flower necklaces are perfect gifts for anyone, from your BFF to your mother-in-law to your child’s elementary school teacher. The loud colors contrast with those gray, snowy skies outside. $25.

2. Vie Vie Luxe, 909 Main St., Louisville
Jingle bell slipper socks.
The joys of winter: Cold weather, snowflakes, soggy boots, wet wood floors. Give these slippers to your kids this season to warm their feet (and keep your floors dry) as soon as they walk in the door. $14.

3. The Bronze Elk, 901 Front St., suite 110
Jewelry box, handmade from glass bangle bracelets.
For your friend who loses her car keys, one earring from every pair she owns, and all those extra buttons for her sweaters and coats. This decorative box will hold all her tends-to-go-missing jewelry and accessories. $37.95

Lyons
4. Quilting Hands, 424 Main St., Lyons.
Premade fabric bundles.
Quilting Hands holds more than 6,000 bolts of fabric in its store, so instead of spending hours scouring for the perfect fabrics, purchase bundles of pre-cut quilting squares with complementary patterns and corresponding colors. What a fun gift for your crafty aunts, grandmothers and sewing pals. Prices depend on size of finished quilt. $25-$50.

5. Red Canyon Art Company, 400 Main St., Lyons.
Handcrafted salt and pepper shakers, made by Colorado artist, Diana Abbott.
Give these shakers, adorned with light blue stones, to your grandparents who have been married for 50 years or your college friends who have been married for two. The salt shaker for one, the pepper shaker for the other. An adorable set for an adorable set. $14.

Longmont
6. The Orange Door, 370 Main St., Longmont.
Handcrafted throw pillows made by Longmont designer, Julie Kendall.
Using recycled buttons, fringe, stuffing and zippers, Kendall creates her pillows to be flipped for two completely different looks. One side shows off the colors and imagery of springtime. The other side, deeper colored fabrics with a wintry mood. Fabulous for your trendy, homebody buddies, $20-$25.

7. Encore Home Styles, 439 Main St., Longmont
Lolita holiday wine glasses.
Every year we all find ourselves searching for creative presents for our closest friends. Why not host a holiday appetizer and wine party, and instead of distributing goody-bags like you did in fourth grade, let your friends take home their wine glasses, each one bedazzled with different designs — snowmen, holly berries, elf shoes and many more to choose from. $26.50 per glass.

8. Caycenne Kitchen, 372 Main St., Longmont.
Scented hot pads in gingerbread, cranberry-orange and sugar cookie.
Do you have a million friends and less than a million bucks? Treat your office friends, carpool moms, volunteer club and the rest of your long list with smelly-good hot pads (heating a kettle of tea makes your whole house smell good!) for a very reasonable price. $4.50 each.

9. Bead Lounge, 320 Main St., Longmont
Beading basics class
Guys, this one is for you. Instead of shopping for jewelry at department stores this year, make your sweetie a unique necklace, bracelet, or pair of earrings. When you sign up for this class, you’ll walk out with two one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry. One for your leading lady, one for your other leading lady (we know you’re still a mama’s boy at heart, and we love it). $35, beads included.

– By Caroline Seib

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