Handmade with Passion and Talent in the MidCoast

The MidCoast is a vibrant hub for talented artisans, artists, and creators. From beautiful tableware, jewelry, and clothing to fragrant soaps, cozy blankets, and handcrafted chocolates, you can find holiday gifts for everyone. When you shop small, you support local artists, uphold sustainable traditions, and help Maine’s maker culture flourish.

 

Yo Momma’s Apron Strings – Brunswick

You wear more than just a kitchen companion when you put on an apron from Yo Momma’s Apron Strings. You’re embracing a stylish look that makes chores more enjoyable and can add a vintage flair to any outfit. It can even serve as comfortable loungewear. Created by Jinger Howell-Martin, each apron is one of a kind. She buys just enough fabric to make a single apron. Check out her latest vintage aprons online.

 

Weft and Warp – Topsham

Weft and Warp is renowned for its high-quality knife rolls. The rolls are handmade with Maine leather and waxed canvas, featuring solid brass hardware and hand-pounded rivets. These knife rolls are a chef’s best friend for protecting knives in a timeless way. The “Morel Twelve” is the most popular design. It holds up to 12 knives and includes extra pockets for a chef’s notebook, pens, and more. Individually crafted by a well-known chef and former restaurant owner, these rolls are built to last for years.

 

 

 

The Maine Blanket – Washington

Is anything more luxurious on a cool evening than a soft blanket of 100% wool grown from grass-fed sheep? Real Maine Blankets are woven on antique looms using yarn hand-dyed in seawater in solar vats. Featuring bold stripes of natural sea colors called “Mango Mint on Granite,” “Sundog,” “Calico on Oatmeal,” and more, these blankets help anyone hibernate on a chilly day. The larger-than-king-size blanket is made from a year’s growth of three soft sheep!

 

Heather and Harrow – Rockport

Organic Otters. The kid’s organic Otter Tee is one of Heather and Harrow’s popular original designs. Made and hand-printed, each shirt is unique and offers kid-tested quality. Owners Casey and Michael hand-draw and print dozens of organic tea towels, cloth napkins, T-shirts, and hoodies. Otters, birds, bees, bears, and butterflies are part of the Maine outdoors celebrated in both bold and subtle designs at Heather and Harrow.

 

Bixby Chocolate – Rockland

Bixby Chocolate crafts delicious chocolates with a conscience. As true beans-to-bar chocolatiers, two generations of Bixby women ensure that beans are ethically harvested and that cocoa workers and growers around the world are treated well. The art of making chocolate involves subtle craftsmanship. Their intense dark, white, and milk chocolates vary in flavor profiles and are made with natural ingredients, certified organic, and offer certified vegan options. The Organic Reserve 100% Dark Chocolate Bar is unmatched for the purest chocolate available.

 

Governor Baxter Hand Made – Topsham

The Governor Baxter company designs and produces unique, rugged outdoor clothing and accessories made in Maine. The owner’s great-uncle, Governor Percival Baxter, who helped establish Baxter State Park near Mount Katahdin, loved his Irish Setters. That’s how the new company began – by creating natural, dog-friendly beds of the highest quality.

 

North Country Wind Bells – Round Pond

Wherever an ocean breeze stirs or tides shift, the sounds of bell buoys become part of coastal life. Those bell chimes in the small village of Round Pond inspired Jim and May Davidson to create North Country Wind Bells. Today, using recycled steel and environmentally friendly methods, wind bells from North Country capture the melodies of more than eight different bells, along with special holiday and theme bells. If you’re exploring the MidCoast along Route 32, take a moment to enjoy the pure sounds of North Country Wind Bells.

 

Casco Bay Soap Company – Harpswell

When Shannon Grauer found out that her grandfather had made soap decades ago, she decided to try it herself. Working in her small cottage in Harpswell, she began making soap by hand in small batches. Her ingredients included olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and many oils and herbs. Now, she offers more than 50 different kinds of soap through Maine retailers and across the country.

 

Maine Rope Mats – Waldoboro

As lobster fishermen replace old rope used to connect their traps, Maine Rope Mats helps recycle the rope in colorful ways. The “The Right Mat” is a sturdy, attractive mat that can be seen outside homes across New England. New ideas led to using other braided cordage products for baskets, dog leashes, and colorful flags. In addition to reclaimed lobster lines, Maine Rope Mats also offer mats made from recycled plastic.

 

Royal Rose Syrups – Brunswick

Praised by Bon Appétit and The New York Times, Royal Rose has been unleashing incredible flavors from small bottles since 2010. Using whole, certified organic Ingredients with zero bad stuff, and their batch-made simple syrups are also delicious. drizzled over hard cheese, plain yogurt and even pizza. But cocktails are the first stop for any Royal Rose syrup. Consider the Ginger Lime Organic Simple Syrup that offers a gloves-off punch to seltzer, a rum cocktail, or a classic vodka Moscow Mule.

 

Sweet Monkey Business – Belfast

Granola at breakfast, cookies after dinner. Correction: cookies anytime. That’s the simple business plan behind Sweet Monkey Business. Their classic Maple Joan Granolas are made in their Belfast kitchen with “superfood,” nutrient-dense ingredients. From the cookie side of things, enjoy all-natural Cocoa Shortbread, Lemon Bursts, Pecan Sandies, and Cranberry Shortbread cookies.

 

Island Apothecary – North Haven Island

Island Apothecary is located on an island twelve miles off the Maine coast, in a lobstering community with only 400 year-round residents. It creates simple skincare solutions from all-natural ingredients using only organic and naturally derived materials. Every product they ship is handmade in small batches. There are no industrial machines or large product vats. Chances are your bottle has been on a ferry before arriving at your home, which is pretty cool.

 

Camden Clay Co. – Camden

These luminous, fine porcelain tableware pieces are handcrafted from “scratch” clay and glazes in Austin and Jess Smith’s Camden studio. They use a process called slip casting, where liquid porcelain clay is poured into a handmade plaster mold, removed once it has set, and carefully finished by hand to ensure high quality.

 

Snow Hill Lighting – Union

Old becomes new again with Snow Hill’s lighting fixtures crafted from antique glass and insulators used for electric and telegraph lines. First made in the 1840s, glass insulators reached their peak a century ago, featuring beautiful designs and color options. You can find pendant and ceiling lights, wall sconces, desk lamps, and slow-glowing night lights online. See more of Snow Hill lights on Maine Cabin Masters, Refreshing the Cooper Cottage.

 

Erica Moody Fine Metal Work – Waldoboro

Using traditional metalworking and jewelry techniques along with old industrial machines, Erica Moody specializes in handmade serving ware and cabinet hardware. She enjoys exploring designs that enhance the experience of daily tasks with handmade objects that are a pleasure to hold and work with.

 

Enjoy locally harvested seasonal foods—they’re front and center when you Celebrate Fall Flavors in the MidCoast. Whether you’re a foodie, a history buff, outdoor adventurer, or simply looking to unwind, this region is a four season destination, so start planning your MidCoast adventure now with some helpful ideas and resources.