We have so many amazing talent locally in Minnesota but for this haul I wanted to showcase three vendors outside of Minnesota that really showcases what they love to do and also how these items make great gifts for the holidays.
CHEERS FROM BOW
Cheers from Bow is a home based shop in Elk Grove, California that specializes in homemade wooden dolls and laser cut goods. I found them on Facebook through some shares from friends during a contest they were hosting. Cheers from Bow makes these cute wooden Hmong dolls that I've seen being used as cake toppers or even ornaments.
Since Christmas is just next month and my tree is up, I wanted to get some Hmong ornaments. I ordered the Hmong-inspired wooden ornament which comes in a set of 6. You can mix and match between the three designs she has: snowflake, classic heart and elephant foot. There are two sizes: 3 inches or 4 inches. I ordered the 3 inches for $15. But if you want the bigger size, the set would be $25. You can also choose the color you want: silver, gold, white or black. I went with gold.
When you order on Etsy, it does say it's a pre-order and cautions that shipping may take 1 - 2 weeks. However, my order was shipped 3 days later so it was faster than what it said on Etsy which is always a plus. The package was a small box with a cute note inside. The ornaments were crafted very beautifully and makes a great gift for those who love Hmong-inspired items or as a gift for yourself.
To buy directly: https://www.etsy.com/shop/cheersfrombow
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cheersfrombow/
HMONG CREATIONS
Hmong Creations is based in Madison, Wisconsin. They make just about everything from ties, jewelry to clothes and so much more. I found them on Etsy when I was looking for men's items. Hmong-inspired men's items are hard to find so I'm always looking for vendors that offer items for men.
Definitely check out their Etsy page. There are over hundreds of Hmong-inspired items that you can find for just about anyone.
I ordered the Elephant Embroidered Black Tie along with the Spirit Lock Tie Clip for my dad as a Christmas gift. The tie is $30 and the tie clip is $23. I also ordered a silver plated Hmong charm bracelet for $15. All the items arrived pretty quickly and packaged very well. The tie is beautifully made and matched the tie clip. I was afraid that the tie clip would arrive broken but that was not the case. The tie clip is pretty big but it's sturdy. The bracelet is also very stunning and it's bendable so you can adjust it to fit your wrist.
To buy directly: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HmongCreations
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hmongcreations/
MOONLIGHT HMONG DESIGNS
Moonlight Hmong Designs is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She does blankets, umbrellas and more. I fell in love with the blankets when I first saw them on Facebook. You can never have enough blankets especially if you live in the Mid-West!
There is a photo album on the Moonlight Hmong Designs Facebook page that you can look through and choose what design you want and the size of the blanket. Once you decide, you can message them directly on Facebook with the design and size. From there you can pay via Paypal.
I ordered the small Hmong story cloth and the small snail design for $25 each. The items were shipped really fast and arrived two days later. It was packaged very well. The blankets are thin and not thick, if you had a preference. I don't mind either because I always double up during the winter anyways. These make great gifts for just about anyone. I recommend purchasing a couple to try out.
To order, you can directly message on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nyobntevloo/
Overall, these three vendors make pretty amazing products that are worth showcasing. You can find plenty of Hmong-inspired products that are worth gifting from their shops.
If there is a vendor you want us to check out, please let us know.
Happy Shopping!