Unique Holiday Gift Ideas Found In Local Stores In Keller | Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Cyber-Monday has come and gone, but you still have time to hit the stores — and there are a surprising number of treasures to be found in local boutiques and shops in and around the Keller area. Here’s a short list of gift ideas, stocking stuffers and gourmet items we spotted on local shelves.

New Purpose

Gifts with a recycling backstory always have wide appeal, and you’ll certainly add bonus points with a repurposed product that has a patriotic touch. At the Plaid Peacock in Roanoke, Spoiled Rotten’s booth showcases handmade canvas totes and bags from Mona B Handbags & Accessories (www.mona-b.com) that are made from repurposed Army tents. Spoiled Rotten’s owner Suzy Herron says she was drawn to the bags because of the unusual and durable material source. “They come in a lot of different styles, from large weekenders to smaller handbags, but they’re real down-to-earth and just very unique,” she says. Popular styles include Create Care Conserve ($43.99) and Stars & Stripes ($22.99).

 

Cuddle Buddies

Looking for a stocking stuffer for the young ones on your list? Love Bug Baby Bedding in Old Town Keller has a selection of adorable little furry friends that are the perfect size to peek out of a stocking on Christmas morning. Rattle Babies characters from Elegant Baby include a frog, teddy bear, giraffe and puppy. The soft, huggable stuffed animals are $18 and the slightly smaller ring-shaped plush rattles are $14.

 

Cozy Fashions

Get ready for wintry weather with gifts from Tangle Salon and Boutique in Keller. Owner Auben Moreno offers a wonderful variety of hats. A stylish tan cloche hat with crocheted flowers from Do Everything in Love retails for $22 while an all-black beanie with a single flower from Evelyn K of New York sells for $12. Other salon finds include large, super-soft scarves. Our favorite: a tan and taupe plaid that sells for $28 and pairs fashionably with a knit hat and an assortment of boot toppers, priced $10-$12.

 

Hometown Heat

As a child, Monique Mistler of Keller helped her father when he cooked up big batches of his homemade hot and sweet relish, using a blend of jalapeños, bell peppers and pickling seasonings. Years later, she began bottling her own, calling it Hot-N-Sweet Pepper Relish for her LoneStar Pepper Co. Her husband, David Mistler, created a spicy green sauce, Dave’s Hot Damn It’s Good Sauce, named by their son. “You can marinate with it or put it on wings or in a Bloody Mary,” Monique explains. “It’s earned its name.” The Mistlers will be selling their sauces during the Indianettes Craft Show Dec. 6-7 at Keller High School. They make a lot of corporate baskets during the holiday season, Monique adds, and fulfill custom orders year-round. A 16-ounce jar of relish costs $7.50; a 5-ounce bottle of Dave’s sauce costs $6. 972-824-9581, www.lonestarpepperco.com.

 

Texas Pride

Out on a Limb owner Candace Schoepflin says the Texas chalkboards her Keller boutique stocked this fall have been popular (requiring a substantial reordering). Simply styled with a burlap and ribbon strap for hanging, each large chalkboard is perfect for a door or wall to serve as a message board for busy families or a symbol of Texas pride. Almost as popular, Schoepflin says, are Out On A Limb’s monogrammed door hangers with ribbons that can be switched out with the seasons. The chalkboards and door hangers are $46.95 each.

One Stop Shop

If you had to limit your shopping to one place in Keller, Jabo’s Ace Hardware would likely fit the bill. We’re not kidding. The store is home to the most unexpected array of gifts for people of all ages. For girls ages 10 to 110, Snoozies Slippers sport a zoo of cute animal heads, from cats and penguins to frogs and pigs. Lined in the softest fleece, Snoozies have nonskid soles and are machine washable. $14.99. As a stocking stuffer, the Slingshot Monkey by Playmaker Toys is a popular high flier with superhero aspirations and a jungle call when released in flight. $6.49. Hostess gifts are plentiful, including the “Having a Holly Jolly Christmas in Keller” kitchen towel, $12.99. (Towels for neighbors in Southlake, Fort Worth and for all of Texas are also available).

 

Pretty Handy

Lucky Luke’s All In owner Tina Norris favors wares from local artisans and food vendors, and one of her favorites is Cleatius Copeland, a Roanoke resident and the hobbyist owner of Cleat’s Crafts. He says he just tinkers in his garage workshop “mostly making wooden things with practical value.” Popular on that list are his unusual pens and razor handles on display at Lucky Luke’s in downtown Roanoke. Crafting brightly colored pens with acrylic material, he also makes wooden pens using a variety of exotic hardwoods and others. Copeland’s razor handles work with Gillette Fusion cartridges and cost $35. Pens are $35-$60.

Nerd-vana

RadioShack in Keller Town Center has something special for Star Wars fans on your list. Priced at $149.99, Sphero BB-8 is a diminutive “app-enabled droid” that is the size of a baseball or a hefty orange. BB-8 has an “adaptive personality” that changes as you play. Besides reacting to voice commands and showing a range of emotions — including anger if you push him — this personal astromech droid allows you to create and view holographic recordings. His patrol setting launches continuous household explorations, and he learns where the hazards are and how to avoid them. BB-8 has a Bluetooth Smart BLE connection with a 100-foot range, is iOS- and Android-compatible, and is powered by a free app available through iTunes or Google Play.

Gourmet Goodies

For foodies, the Grapevine Olive Oil Company carries 60 varieties of olive oils and balsamic vinegars. Requiring multiple tastings for confirmation, the dark chocolate balsamic vinegar is a staff favorite, and for folks on your list who like a bit of heat, you can’t go wrong with the jalapeño-infused olive oil. Prepare for a burn that starts slow but delivers a hot kick. Midsize bottles retail for $17.95, and when recipients bring back their washed empty bottles, they earn refills for $12.50 (any flavor). Sampler sizes cost $7.95. Stocking stuffers include gourmet items like Cinnamon Creamed Honey ($9.95) and Hot Chocolate on a Stick in flavors that include Belgian milk and three chili ($4.85).

Making a Point

For outdoorsy types on your list, McDonnell Hardware and Feed in Keller has almost 150 pocket knives from which to choose — from the basic utilitarian types to those made of exotic materials in ornate styles. Two of store manager Josh Anderson’s favorites come from Moore Maker Inc. of Matador and include the durable Delrin Lockback Work Knife for daily use ($34.99) and the Texas Star Trapper Knife, made with white bone and featuring decorative antique brass accents with the state of Texas on one side and a Lone Star on the other. $69.99. Another eye-catching piece is a green and blue Pocket Worn Knife from W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co. — based in Pennsylvania and dating back to 1889. $55.55. From Black Friday through Christmas, McDonnell is offering a 10 percent discount on all pocket knives.