Local Handmade Gifts at These West Michigan Etsy Shops

Local artist Lisa Lehmann (aka TheBeadGirl) offers an array of hand-crafted jewelry in a variety of styles.

In fact, the necklace that I wear daily is one that I got from her shop!

Another cool thing that Lisa does yearly is the "Word Of The Year" bracelet (or necklace if you prefer). At the beginning of each year, Lisa encourages her friends, family, and customers to decide what their word of the year will be (almost like a mini-motto).

Beanforest is, also known as Vincent Forrest, was born, raised, and still lives in West Michigan.

He specializes in fun, creative buttons (that can also be made into magnets for an extra fifty cents!), that range from sweet to vulgar, depending on your taste.

My favorite button is probably the one that reads "Michigan! The bitch slap America never saw coming."

Peggy, from PJSEmbroidery creates everything from stuffed animals to barrettes to hand towels.

Her items are all super cute, and super affordable. They would make a great additions to people's homes.

Some of my favorites from PJSEmbroidery's collection are these adorable embroidered burp cloths (available in a variety of colors and designs), and these embroidered tooth fairy pillows (with a separate pockets for the tooth and for the money).

Sweet Sugar Beet is the answer to your unique bag needs. From cosmetic bags, to clutches, you can find exactly what you need in a variety of designs.

I would have to say that my favorite item from this collection is the accessory holder, which is perfect for holding jewelry, cash/credit cards, or as a business card holder.

This one is a two-fer. Grand Rapids resident Dana runs not one, but two shops on Etsy.

First and foremost (and slightly awesome) is that it seems that Dana has scoured every thrift shop she could possibly find to put together an assortment of terrible sweaters. Ugly Pie offers up an ugly sweater for every occasion and season. Don't worry about taking the time to find an ugly sweater for your party yourself, check out the ones that Dana has already found for you!

Dana's other shop, Ruggy Design, is a shop of vintage treasures that you won't find anywhere else.

From cookbooks, to thank you cards, to vintage briefcases, Ruggy Design offers something for everyone.

Two Charming, based out of Kalamazoo, offers a wide variety of amazing items made out of recycled and repurposed items. Actually, she refers to what she does as "upcycling", and she does it well! She offers a variety of accessories for homes and people, and they appeal to a variety of tastes.

Also exciting is that, according to the Etsy profile, TwoCharming will be opening a physical store in downtown Kalamazoo in the Spring of 2012.