We should all strive to support more local businesses. In the digital age, that has become easier than ever before, now that stores can sell their products both through their own sites and through a popular platform like Amazon.
Amazon Handmade offers artisan-only products, handcrafted by talented teams and owners across the world. You can search for all sorts of DIY products by category or by region of origin, which is particularly useful if you want to show some love to your home state. Here’s a list of six American-owned businesses selling on Amazon Handmade that you’ll want to check out.
1. Sonrei
Sonrei sells eco-friendly, cruelty-free sunscreen that works for all skin types. Their products are sold by Sonrei but are Amazon fulfilled, meaning you’ll receive free-shipping if you’re using Amazon Prime. They have received positive press from a range of different media outlets, including Forbes, Bustle, and Allure.
Based out of California, the store received its name from the Spanish verb sonreir, meaning “smile.” Most of the company’s founders are of Brazilian or Indian heritage, so their products are made with melanin in mind. It’s completely translucent so there is no visible residue no matter how dark your skin tone may be.
Staying true to their eco-friendly image, Sonrei has partnered with 1% For the Planet, donating 1% of their gross annual profit to environmentalist non-profit organizations.
2. Pegai
Family-owned and Texas-based, Pegai specializes in leather goods of heirloom quality. Their products include wallets, portfolios, passport covers, checkbook covers, and camera straps. They also accept custom orders.
What sets them apart from many stores is their strong emphasis on ethical business practices. They value all of their employees and pay them fair wages. Their team is made up mostly by female workers, a move that was inspired by learning some Turkish factories will exploit female labor workers with inadequate pay (the creator Volkan is from Turkey).
Pegai offers quality goods that are ethically produced at reasonable prices, as they don’t see these things to be mutually exclusive. It’s hard to deny the appeal of a store that equally values its employees and its customers.
3. The Address Planter
The Address Planter was first established in 2018. This couple owned-store based out of Mesa, Arizona started as a DIY project they adopted for their own home and a few family members. Char and Jason LeJeune received so many compliments from their neighbors that they decided to start their own business making and selling planters. They made their first sale in 2019 and have found success on both Amazon and on Etsy.
Their creative planters, which bear your home’s address number, are all custom-made; they offer a variety of shapes and will work with your dimensions. You also choose the type of wood and the stain, and their numbers are made with weather resistant stain.
While they don’t include the plants themselves, you can contact them to discuss a custom arrangement. They have since branched out into handcrafted interior wooden decor. These are sure to entice anyone looking to brighten up their home’s exterior!
4. BeetsandApples
Based out of Virginia, BeetsandApples specializes in home-made soaps, candles, lip balms, bath salts, and other spa essentials, all in one convenient gift box. Her items make excellent gifts, especially the customized gift boxes designed for many different occasions and recipients, ranging from a maid of honor to expectant mother.
There are others based on scent and mood, like lavender for relaxation. She also takes custom orders. On the store’s page, owner Ruby says about her products, “I get inspired from everything nature offers –vibrant color, delicate shapes of flowers & leaves and unique scents of different herbs & flowers, and I turn these inspirations into my products.”
5. Telestic Design
“Telestic” is an English word of Greek origins, meaning “pertaining to religious or esoteric mysteries.” While there’s nothing esoteric about their products, the company is owned by three self-proclaimed “creative hooligan adventurers finding inspiration in the Pacific Northwest,” which sounds intriguing in and of itself.
Another store selling woodcraft goods, most of their catalogue consists of jewelry such as earrings and pins (but as their description implies, they’re not afraid to get creative). Most of their fun, funky products have a pop culture twist to them, meaning these crafters in Oregon have something for everyone. A note to all you Amazon Prime users, this store is also Amazon fulfilled!
6. Feroniart
Based out of Virginia and owned by Nursefsan Ugurla, FeroniArt makes planner inserts and refills that complement popular brands like Kate Spade and Happy Planner, custom-engraved water bottles, tumblers, pop culture themed mugs, and other fun drinkware.
Their Amazon store opened in 2017 and their Etsy store, which opened in 2016, carries clothing as well. You can find more art and inspiration on their Instagram page. Through the website you can subscribe to a newsletter and stay up-to-date on all things happening with FeroniArt.
Amazon: A Haven for Small Businesses
It is easy to think of Amazon as one large faceless corporation where many invisible little parts work together to drive one complex system. In actuality, it is a place for many small business owners to sell their goods and establish a name for themselves. Explore Amazon today for other small businesses to patronize!
