Holiday Gift Guide 2019: Midwest Ties

Lisa McClintick, Writer: Whoosh through the Boundary Waters wilderness in Ely, Minnesota, with Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge. The family owners guide bucket-list trips that team the joy of dogs with winter’s tranquil beauty—and a legit possibility of seeing the Northern Lights. Day trip (from $175) and multi-night packages (from $975) available for ages 6 and up. dogsledding.com

Kevin J. Miyazaki, Photographer: True-blue Wisconsinites like me all have a favorite source for kringle—a frosted, flaky, ring-shape Danish pastry filled with fruit or nuts and sized to feed a crowd. I’m partial to Racine, Wisconsin's, O&H, founded in 1949, because it ships in an old-timey wax paper bag. From $22. ohdanishbakery.com

Greg Luna, Food Stylist: I finally realized I needed a second wallet in my life—a slim, bare-essentials backup for weekends, when I don’t want the bulk of my insurance cards, work ID and company credit cards. Fontenelle Supply Company in Des Moines makes them in six colors. $60. fontenellesupplyco.com

Mary Beaumont, Deputy Editor: A few years ago, I gave my husband one of Artifact’s gorgeous aprons for woodworking projects. Now I’m hoping he’ll return the favor with one of these durable lunch totes from the Omaha company. The waxed canvas ages in a really lovely way, and the leather buckle means I could attach it to a bicycle crossbar. Sure, I’d have to buy a bike first. But: worth it. $60. artifactbags.com

Mary-Beth Rouse, Creative Director: I collect handpressed greeting cards wherever I go—they are truly works of art. Treat the most special people on your list to a letterpress holiday card, or choose an assortment of cards as a gift for a snail mail-lover in your life. Most cost about $5.

Sources: Hammerpress, Kansas City, Missouri. hammerpress.net And Here We Are, Columbus, Ohio and-hereweare.com Bench Pressed, Minneapolis benchpressed.net Left-right, bottom row: Ramona and Ruth, Omaha ramonaandruth.com The Firecracker Press, St. Louis firecrackerpress.com The Permanent Collection, Des Moines thepermanentcollection.net

Hannah Agran, Executive Editor: You can keep your pillars and votives. I’m a tapers fan, all the way. A single for weeknights. A cluster for parties. I love their elegant simplicity. The best come from Creative Candles in Kansas City, Missouri: hand-dipped, clean-burning, dripless, and OMG, 43 colors! From $13. creativecandles.com

Kelly Ryan Kegans, Home Editor: Each month, I can’t wait to open my Milkweed book box. Bibliophile Hans Weyandt, manager of the indie bookstore in Minneapolis, curates picks from Milkweed Editions and other small publishers across the United States. From $75. milkweed.org/bookstore

Cynthia Earhart, Writer: A bottle of something local makes a good gift, and Columbus, Ohio's, Middle West is racking up awards. I’m into their Vim and Petal Dry Gin and OYO Honey Vanilla Bean Vodka—the classy labels are just as special as what’s inside. From $24. middlewestspirits.com

Kelsey Ogletree, Writer: My husband plays guitar and swears by the work of Scott VanderSchel, a self-taught luthier who makes the most beautiful (and beautiful-sounding) guitars and ukuleles, often to custom specifications. He'll even send progress photos while he's building your instrument. From $200.  gluttonguitars.com

Emily Berger, Photographer: Anything. I would love absolutely anything made by Meghan Navoy. Her gauzy wool or cotton scarves. Her wispy napkins. Her fabric-scrap scrunchies. And most especially her bandannas, to knot around my neck or hair. She's a color sorceress, mixing ingredients like acacia wood, indigo or even produce salvaged from restaurants to make her plant-based dyes. That chartreuse in the photo gets its green color from red onion skins! From $24. rosemarinetextiles.com

Jess Hoffert, Project Editor: I just moved into a new place and wanted my fur boys to have a comforting (but attractive) spot to hide. Enter this cat basket, woven with palm in Ghana and sold by House of Talents, a Twin Cities biz that supports artisans in developing countries. We give it all the thumbs and paws up. $135. houseoftalents.com