Photograph by Planet Dog


As we all eventually learn, the holiday season isn’t about receiving — it’s about giving. And for most of us that means shopping. Luckily the Pine Tree State offers scores of unique stores from Kittery to Calais to Fort Kent, places where you can put a piece of Maine under the tree and have fun in the process. Here is a selection of our favorite spots, organized south to north (and west), where you’ll discover that ultimate gift for the people on your holiday list. For even more stores, click here.

Stonewall Kitchen
A longtime favorite with foodies, Stonewall Kitchen is recognized for its award-winning jams, sauces, syrups, and mixes. Just released in time for the holidays are two new cookbooks, Winter Celebrations and Breakfast, each with forty-five recipes by the company’s founders, Jim Stott and Jonathan King. Great for gifting or getting, the autographed books sell for $19.95 apiece. Also new this year, a line of natural beverage mixers (from $6.95) perfect for making martinis or non-alcoholic drinks at home, and a new line of dip mixes for last minute get-togethers ($3.95). Stacy Burrus, Stonewall Kitchen’s marketing director, sums up the appeal of this Maine institution, which features a 55,000-square-foot flagship store in York: “I mean, who doesn’t love a jar of jam?” Stonewall Lane, York. 207-351-2712.


The Old House Parts Company
At first look, it may not seem like anything’s new in this 12,000-square-foot architectural salvage warehouse filled with doorknobs, hinges, windows, and what-have-you dating back to the 1730s. But that depends on your view of new. Recent arrivals include an 1880s antique pony cart, a twentieth-century fiberglass hippo head, and a 1956 plane fuselage. “We have whole families who come here every year after Thanksgiving,” says owner Tom Joyal. “For some it is a ritual.” One of the newest arrivals is also one of the most expensive: a $79,900 travel trailer built by Joyal with antique bead-board ceilings, Eastlake Victorian windows, and a Dutch door. 1 Trackside Dr., Kennebunk. 207-985-1999.


Compliments Gallery

Known for high-quality, whimsical ceramics, this gallery features items you aren’t likely to find anywhere else, including a popular new collection of neon diner sculptures by Michigan artist Jerry Berta. From $240 to $1,400, the sculptures, up to two-feet long, include working lights, miniature bar stools, and unique shapes such as the “Big Dog” Diner, fashioned like a hot dog in a bun. With a few weeks’ notice, you can even customize the name of someone special in neon lights. For seasonal decorating, check out a new collection of hand-blown Pyrex ornaments. “If you’ve always worried about dropping an ornament,” says gallery owner Clint Daggett, “this is the solution.” The ornaments, starting at $32, come in an array of swirled colors and unusual shapes. Corner of Dock Sq. and Ocean Ave., Kennebunkport. 800-248-2264.


Queen of Hats
You’ve seen them on the big screen and on the heads of today’s hottest stars, but where do you get one? We’re talking, of course, about the fedora, that classic felt hat with a curled brim and center crease. It’s an equal-opportunity accessory if ever there was one. “It looks equally good on everybody,” declares Dorinda Putnam, owner of Queen of Hats in Portland. Particularly fashionable is the “stingy brim,” shorter than that worn by the likes of Cary Grant. Here in Maine, wool felt and velour felt, from $40 to $200, are the most popular, but straw fedoras with wider brims are great for those embarking on a winter cruise. 560 Congress St., Portland. 888-373-0602.


Portmanteau
Within the past year, this favorite bag manufacturer in Portland’s Old Port has gone from offering fifty fabrics to more than two hundred. “Instead of doing as many of the huge collections that we did, we are doing those along with faster-moving collections,” says owner Nancy Lawrence. Working with a friend’s photographs of beach pebbles, Lawrence has launched a new collection of compact, under-the-shoulder “Pebble Bags,” in a series of fabrics that work together. Bags, $39 and up. 11 Free St., Portland. 207-774-7276.


Angela Adams
Hand-tufted wool may be out of reach for gift-giving this year, but Angela Adams recently released a series of vibrant coconut-husk, doormats priced at $45. “Most people come for our rugs,” remarks Nanette Tanner, public relations manager for the company, “but the doormat is a way to dress-up the entry for less.” In keeping with the store’s expanded line of outdoor products, it has added a new line of umbrellas. But for those who’ve been especially nice, do check out the newest indoor rug designs — Shimmer and Atticus, from $349. 273 Congress St., Portland. 207-774-3523.


Lovell Designs
Brand new this year from one of Maine’s top jewelry designers are two series that incorporate timeless images from the past: Italian Renaissance key medallions and a collection of historic stained-glass window pendants in pewter and gold plate. “Even though these are traditional designs, they step away from his nature-inspired pieces,” Portland manager Jenny Lord says of artist Ken Kantro’s latest designs. While the three-dimensional keys, $40 to $60, are not featured in the current catalog, they are available in the company’s galleries, including its Portland production studio where you can see jewelers at work. The stained glass series, which includes earrings, is priced from $26. 26 Exchange St., Portland. 207-828-5303.


Planet Dog
For a company whose motto is “Think globally, act doggedly,” it’s no wonder this pooch store includes earth-friendly items like biodegradable “business bags” and non-toxic toys. But the latest gifts for Fido take the company’s mission a step further by recycling leftover materials to produce a new line of popular Orbee-Tuff toys: colorful balls, bones, and rope toys, from $11.95 to $14.95. “We make a lot of toys,” says store manager Ken Hahn. “And when we make toys there are leftover materials. We also take used toys back from people, clean them up, and regrind them.” Best of all, a portion of all company proceeds benefit programs that train dogs to help people. 211 Marginal Way, Portland. 207-347-8606.


Cross Jewelers
Customers have literally been running up the steps at this family-owned jewelry store to check out the brand-new meteorite rings. Yes, meteorite. Cross Jewelers purchased large chunks of nickel-iron Gibeon Meteorites, discovered in Namibia, Africa, more than a century ago, and is working with a local craftsman to cut round sections and set them in precious metal. “This appeals to men who were boys, who grew up playing with telescopes,” says employee Karen Pride, estimating the cosmic rock is more than four hundred million years old. “If a diamond is forever, then a meteorite is from forever.” Although the meteorite rings, from $1,200, were originally designed for men, interest from women caused the store to design smaller rings as well. 570 Congress St., Portland. 800-433-2988.

Abacus
Once upon a time, everything sold in this group of galleries was made by American artists. This year customers will find a wider range of pieces from across the globe, says Dana Heacock, one of the owners and the artist behind the popular abacus calendar. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the gallery’s focus on the whimsical and clever. Among the most popular items this season is a cheese serving board resembling a mousetrap, $22.50 (the spring mechanism is the slicer), and a collection of hand-silk screened men’s neckties, $48, with unconventional images from a handgun to a wishbone. 36 Main St., Freeport. 800-206-2166.


Georgetown Pottery
This potter’s production studio remains in a sprawling cabin on the Georgetown peninsula, but its newest showroom is smack in the middle of one of the state’s busiest shopping districts in Freeport. The studio closed its Brunswick gallery earlier this year and bought a three-story showroom a couple blocks north of L.L. Bean. Also new is the large selection of Maine and American jewelry and fine gifts you’ll find inside. In Georgetown, you get to see potters at work and meet the studio dogs, Oakie and Yeti, while the Freeport gallery provides an upscale shopping experience. Recently introduced patterns include the blue-green lobster and delicate iris, while the popular pinecone series remains a holiday favorite. Prices begin at around $22 for a small mug. 148 Main St., Freeport. 866-936-7687.


Ornament
As if you needed another reason to get off Route 1 and stroll Bath’s delightful brick sidewalks, Ornament offers a wonderful assortment of furniture, garden accessories, and decorations to give your house a fresh Maine touch. If you want to go big, you need to check out the shell mirror by Kitty Smith Designs, but if you’re just looking to fill some stockings you’d do well to consider the pear and gourd candles. Just don’t get so entranced with the items here that you forget to look up; the antique tin ceiling in this renovated space shows what you can find in Maine’s historic downtowns. 11 Centre St., Bath. 207-442-6636.


The Well Tempered Kitchen
The newest items on the shelves of this country farmhouse-turned-culinary arts store are the postcard size notes rating products on how they affect the environment. “There aren’t many super green products yet in this industry,” says owner Gail Montgomery, who developed the cards. “So, we are trying to give our customers some information to make educated choices.” The cards rate products based on environmental friendliness. For gifts that score well with the environment as well as customers, Montgomery recommends a line of colorful organic Ritz kitchen towels, potholders, and dishcloths, from $4 to $7.95. 122 Atlantic Hwy. (Rte.1), Waldoboro. 207-563-5762.


Archipelago
Monhegan glass artist Kathie Krause has a new collection of vibrant sea glass wreaths, from $250, at this favorite gift store and gallery supported by the nonprofit Island Institute. While many feature mixed colors — and even shells and driftwood — a seasonal green wreath is also available through the gift store, which displays the work of more than three hundred artists. Also new this year are fashionable, hand-painted silk scarves, $160, with ocean themes by Fiona Washburn of Rockport. Proceeds help sustain Maine’s year-round islands and working waterfronts. 386 Maine St., Rockland. 207-596-0701.


Michael Good Designs
After twenty-five years, Michael Good is re-releasing a limited number of his best selling, single-loop earrings in sterling silver, from $395. The new line, first offered this spring, was so popular the jeweler is doing a separate production for the holidays. “It is the little black dress of jewelry,” says general manager Avi Good. “It goes with everything from an evening dress to jeans and a T-shirt.” With the price of gold having risen dramatically, she remarks that it is the ideal Christmas gift for anyone who has not been able to afford Michael Good in the past. 325 Commercial St., Rockport. 207-236-9619.


Maine Gathering
Featuring the work of more than 150 Maine craftspeople, this Camden gallery has a constantly changing collection of fine art, jewelry, pottery, and prints. One of its sweetest offerings, though, is the recently expanded case of truffles, $25 per pound. Or check out the latest fine art prints from Kevin White, a Hope photographer with a large body of new work, from $8 to $85. Printmaker Kathleen Walsh Buchanan also has new images of coastal Maine, from $75 to $400. 21 Main St., Camden. 207-236-9004.


Windsor Chairmaker
For fifteen years, Ellsworth chairmaker Marc Blanchette has hand-selected Maine logs to craft into beautiful, Colonial reproductions. Since moving his studio to the corner of Routes 3 and 1A last year, business has been busier than ever, particularly since he became a Simon Pearce signature store, selling the full collection of the Irish company’s highly collectable hand-blown glass and pottery. “It has developed into a store within a store,” says Blanchette, who reports that the tableware, from $60 to $150, now accounts for half his business. New this season are the simple and elegant Corinth and Cavendish Dinnerware collections. In addition, Blanchette showcases the work of three other American cabinetmakers. Last season was his busiest ever. “People want quality,” he says. “They are tired of buying stuff and having it break. A lot of people are willing to pay more up front knowing they won’t have to spend any more on the back end.” 1 High St., Ellsworth. 207-667-1818.


Window Panes
After recently closing its bath and furniture stores, this popular Bar Harbor home and garden shop offers one-stop shopping for hard-to-find housewares. “We do very little furniture now,” says Julie Veilleux, who co-owns the store with her husband, Greg. “Last year I spent a lot of time looking for American crafts and really trying to introduce more to the store.” One new addition is a California artist who handcrafts colorful, jewel-tone wind chimes, from $23 to $49, from glass and wood. Also popular is a new line of Vermont pottery with earthy tones and wood-ash glazes, from $13. 166 Main St., Bar Harbor. 207-288-9550.


The Grasshopper Shop
As soon as this favorite Bangor gift shop began carrying Scandinavian trollbeads, store manager Nancy Peers was one of the first to fill a bracelet. “Each bead represents something different,” she says. “People collect the beads because it pertains to something in their life.” For example, many Maine visitors commemorate their stay with a crab, seal, or ocean bead. The shop carries the molded charms, from $25 to $75, in silver, eighteen-carat gold, and Italian glass, along with bracelet chains and clasps along with its well-known collection of clothing, gifts, and home décor. 1 West Market Sq., Bangor. 207-945-3132.


Maine House
If you’re on your way to Moosehead Lake, you’re lucky already. But you can add to your fortunes by stopping by Maine House — you can’t miss the massive, mansard-roofed building as you drive into tiny Abbot Village — and picking up some North Woods mementoes. If you can’t fit one of the company’s custom cherry tables into your minivan, try the “Bless This House” salt-glaze canister set. That way you’ll have memories of Moosehead every time you reach for your sugar bowl. 100 Main Rd., Abbot. 877-624-6347.


J. Dostie Jewelers
While the family behind J. Dostie Jewelers has remained the same for three generations, the pieces themselves reflect a more modern flavor. New this season is a handmade line of yellow gold earrings, from $500 to $800, by Michael Dostie, grandson of the store’s founder. “The earrings debuted this spring in sterling silver,” Dostie says, “and I’m taking my favorites and making them in gold.” 4 Lisbon St., Lewiston, 207-782-7758.


Linda Clifford Scottish & Irish Merchant
Unique for its focus on the British Isles, this fashionable retailer sells far more than kilts and Claddagh jewelry. In fact, the cozy Bethel showroom was recently selected to carry the new, limited edition bags from Barbour. The premium line of the British-made bags, $200 and up, come in styles for both men and women and in a range of materials, including leather, canvas, and nylon. Also new this year, a popular line of Harris Tweed men’s sports coats and a series of Jersey Pottery featuring painted trout. 91 Main St., Bethel. 877-607-7787.


Harvest Gold
If it’s been awhile since you last visited the shores of Kezar Lake, Harvest Gold in Center Lovell is a good reason to return. In addition to crafting fine jewelry, the husband-wife team of Bill and Lynda Rasco Rudd manage a greatly expanded gallery, which has grown from one room to seven. Featuring artists and craftspeople from around the country, they are proud to feature new originals by award-winning Windham painter Varvara Harmon. New designs in their collection of nature-inspired jewelry include gold lobster and hummingbird earrings, from $170. They’ve also greatly expanded their line of Maine tourmaline jewelry. 1082 Main St., Center Lovell. 207-925-6502.


Maine Made Furniture
Once known primarily as a wood-furniture kit company, this Rumford factory and showroom has recently changed its focus to finished work. New this season is the scooped-back Craftsman Side Chair, from $350. As proof of its workmanship, the factory points to the chairs it supplies to the nearby Sunday River ski resort, where ski boots give them plenty of abuse. “They get hammered,” says marketing director Brian Phelps, “and we’ve never had a broken chair yet.” 1180 Rt. 2, Rumford. 207-364-7677.