Six Ames Places to Find Locally Made Gifts

This Main Street jewelry store, in existence for 35 years, creates almost all of its own pieces. The shop has extended holiday hours and will be open until 7 p.m. through Thursday. Last-minute shoppers can still drop in during normal hours on Friday (it's open until 5:30 p.m.) And Gary Youngberg, the store's owner, expects 150 people to walk through the door on Christmas Eve. 

“Usually they have something in mind, if they don't they just buy something,” Youngberg said.

The shop will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Find both locally made art and have it framed at Gallery 319. Most of the works come from artists who share a studio on Sheldon Avenue. See more about Creative Artists' Studios of Ames here.

Shoppers can find hand-crafted items in this new Main Street shop operated by Kristian Kline and her business partner. Both owners of Casual Revolution attend classes at Iowa State University when they aren't running their store.

The Octagon Center for the Arts gallery will have extended hours this week, as well. People can find the works of local artists from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today, Wednesday and Friday. The shop is open until 8 p.m. Thursday and will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

Gilger Designs, an art and jewelry shop, makes a lot of what it sells, including licensed Iowa State University jewelry. The store will be open until 6 p.m. through Friday and will also be open on Christmas Eve. The shop expects to be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., but may close earlier depending on business. 

Locally made wines are available at Prairie Moon Winery from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. The shop will not be open Saturday or Sunday so the last-minute shopper has until 5:55 p.m. Friday to grab a bottle of dry red Marechel Foch or a sweet Moon Beam White. Read more about the wines here.