Minneapolis-St. Paul’s Best Gift Shops

Flowers and gardening supplies might be the first things to come to mind at Bachman’s, but the 140-year-old retailer has multiple locations across the metro area that carry much more than plant matter. We’re talking jewelry and toys, puzzles and books, sweets and decor, cozy scarves and kids’ onesies, artist-designed housewarming gifts and yes, everything someone might need to make gardening just a little bit more stylish and fun.

Stationery is front-and-center at the letterpress studio/design shop Bench Pressed, with rolls of Japanese-printed tape, pens that look like corn, mushrooms and angler fish, and embossed greeting cards for every need (“Our parents are insane. You’re doing amazing!”). 

This is also the place to get of-the-moment stickers and pins, t-shirts and hats with phrases that reflect the zeitgeist. Not to mention silly candies shaped like hot dogs, Greek sea salt, Jeni’s ice cream, and pickle freeze pops.

Carpe Noctem (“Seize the Night”) might sound a little Halloweeny, but this is a year-round scented candle wonderland on Stillwater’s main street. It began as a kitchen pandemic hobby and became a goth-friendly shop with creative fragrances. It even offers the chance to pour your own via a candle-making class or home candle-making kit. Scents are grouped by “dark” (“Original Sin”) and “light” (“Invigorate”). 

Co-owners Dariush and Sarah Moslemi launched a Las Vegas location in 2023. The couple is also behind several other beloved Stillwater businesses, including Studio One Yoga, The Velveteen Speakeasy, and The Wild Hare.

It’s easy to do all your holiday (and more) shopping at The Foundry Home Goods, especially if your list includes people who love tiny, precious things. We’ve found little tubes of the smallest-ever pencils; a pack-of-gum-sized French fragrance sheets; felted ornaments from Kyrgyzstan; an olivewood spoon for scooping out just a few grains of sea salt. Everything at this stylish North Loop shop feels like it was made and selected with care and precision.

Boundary Waters-scented candles, potholders with cheeky phrases, cocktail mixes, and local candy baskets are among the treasures at this long-running gift shop, which has served the west metro since 1984. It has the vintage feel of a barn of treasures; every corner is piled with toys, throw pillows, lake-themed signs and brightly colored dinnerware. There’s even a cafe with as-Minnesota-as-it-gets creamy wild rice soup and popovers.

Golden Fig has been a foodie paradise since 2006. Start with the house-made seasoning blends, which would please any pantry. The hot cocoa mixes come in several global flavors, from Persia to the Yukon. There are chocolates from fine makers near and far, and a counter where you can buy one-off truffles. 

Then there are the kitchen accessories, including a colorful display of retro coupe glasses and cake stands. A small grocery section has many Midwest-made products, including some hard-to-find snacks.

For small-batch quality gifts, look no further. Golden Rule carries a variety of apothecary items, accessories, and temptingly Instagrammable home goods. The shop embraces maximalism in a muted palette that blends French elegance with Midwestern charm. The owner, Erin Duininck, always curates around community and artists, so you’ll leave with memorable art prints, decor, and luxury giftables that low-key promote kindness and a good cause.

Relationships with local artists are the core of I Like You, where makers consign their work at two shops, one in each of the Twin Cities. The treasures skew whimsical and handmade, down to the shopping bags for your purchases that come adorned with paper flowers. 

It’s an especially good spot for finding gifts for babies, with loon-themed onesies, plush cat pillows, and silly books by local authors that capture Minnesota quirks. The greeting card game here is top-notch, too (e.g., “Adulthood: Where Lunchables Are Now Called Charcuteries”).

On your way to a friend’s birthday dinner? Oops, forgot it was your anniversary? Boss retiring? Patina’s eight metro shops have something for that and have since the first location opened in South Minneapolis in 1993. 

It’s ground zero for when you need a gift and don’t have an inkling what to get. Local artist-designed earrings. Inspirational card decks. Naughtily named hand lotion. Ironic Taylor Swift paraphernalia. Ceramic garden gnomes.

This Minnesota-pride clothing brand (its signature design is two crossed paddles with M N on either side) began as a graphic design project at the U of M Duluth. It now offers all manner of slick and stylish Minnesota-themed apparel and gear — even a canoe! — at its St. Louis Park headquarters, a Stillwater store and a booth at the Minnesota State Fair. Minnesota-adjacent gift such as cookbooks, puzzles and candles are also in stock.

Soundwoven’s colorful, storied goods curated by Sarah Lawrence are perfect for any whimsical kid-at-heart. Color meets form and function in their array of offerings, which include furniture, jewelry, art, giftable foods, and paper goods. Shoppers will find a decent amount of notable local artists (Bekah Worley, Rare Press and Emma Le Konrad), global makers, and a few on-the-rise creators. Their selection of unique, thoughtful gifts makes it a must-visit.

A striking stone and wood A-frame in the middle of a strip mall-heavy district, the The Woods Gifts was here long before the Maple Grove of today grew up around it. They’ve got all the gift store essentials (Stonewall Kitchen dip mixes, pine-scented candles, plush toys, and a wall of socks) and lots of Northwoods-themed knickknacks, kitchenware and decor. Think: housewarming gifts for your friend’s new cabin.