One-of-a-Kind Holiday Gifts in Hendricks County, Indiana

1.   Timber City Coffee - Hendricks County Signature Roast: The McPhail Blend

Location: Timber City Coffee in Plainfield
Price: $16

Timber City Coffee has created a special blend for a special man in honor of his retirement from public service. Long-time VHC Board and Commission member Kent McPhail will be honored this holiday season with a limited-time, Hendricks County Signature Roast: The McPhail Blend, that we had to include in this year's gift guide. The medium dark roast coffee boasts a bold, rich flavor and is available in whole bean or ground through the end of 2023.

2.   Freeze-Dried Candy

Location: The Fudge Kettle in Avon
Price:   $7.99

Increasing in popularity especially with children, we couldn't believe the variety of freeze-dried candies we found at The Fudge Kettle. The store freeze dries its products in house and stocks a variety of flavors including gummies, Skittles, Junior Mints, Airheads and many more. This is a great gift for a child who can't eat sticky foods because of braces or other factors as the process makes the consistency more like a puff cereal while intensifying the flavor.

3.  Pittsboro Candle Company Handmade Concrete Containers & Candles

Location: Pittsboro Candle Company in Pittsboro
Price: $12 - $18

Pittsboro Candle Company has added to their stock of sweet-smelling candles and other gifts by designing and creating stylish concrete containers they fill to display the candles. All candles are hand poured and made of all-natural soy wax. Candles are available in various scents and can be custom ordered.

4. Bee Happy Beads

Location: Sweet Minis Cakes & Bakes in Brownsburg
Price: $3 - $10

We adored the Bee Happy Beads products we found at Sweet Minis Cakes & Bakes. But when we heard the story behind them, we loved them even more. Casey, the owner of Sweet Minis, encourages young entrepreneurs, who she affectionately calls kidpreneurs, by offering to stock their products in her storefront in Brownsburg. Bee Happy Beads are designed by 9-year-old Maci McPeak. Her inventory includes festive pens, backpack charms, wine toppers and silicone keychains at various price points. While you're at Sweet Minis, be sure to try a sweet treat or sign up for a baking class.

5. Lock and Spell Game

Location: Valkyrie's Vault in Brownsburg
Price: $24.99

This single-player card game of luck and tactics has become popular in the gaming world, but the reason it's on our 2023 list of One-of-a-Kind Finds is its home-grown ties. Created and designed by local Sam Kennedy, this game is a perfect fit for the Hendricks County Holiday Gift Guide. If you are a gamer, you will also love the great products and friendly service you will find in the new, larger Valkyrie's Vault.

6. Indiana Inverse Cutout Barn Art

Location: Forget-Me-Nots in Danville
Price: $35 - $95

Continuing their amazing work to give pieces of local barns new life, the owners of Forget-Me-Nots have developed these inverse Indiana wall hangers. Using old barn wood or even fallen trees as their base and pieces of tin roof to serve as the backing, this rustic barn art would look great in any home. And even if this particular gift doesn't interest you, we highly recommend a visit to this store on the square as we are sure you will find other amazing finds.

7.  Sweet & Spicy Sisters Honey Products

Locations: Ella Mae's Boutique and The Hayloft in Brownsburg and Bear's Lawn Care and Garden Center in Lizton
Price: $5.50 - $20

We found various products made by the Sweet & Spicy Sisters throughout Hendricks County. Owned and operated by sisters, this local honey distributor offers hot honey, honey sticks and even spreadable creamed honey in assorted flavors. These products are available at Ella Mae's Boutique, The Hayloft and Bear's Lawn Care and Garden Center.

8.  Laser Engraved Wooden Art

Location: Copper Top Customs in Clayton
Price: $5-20

Copper Top Customs is another store you just must explore on your own as highlighting just one product doesn't do it justice. However, this year we landed on the wood products in Home Grown Designs and Laser Engraving's booth. Their inventory includes custom wood ornaments, cheese/charcuterie boards, keychains, earrings, envelopes and more.

9.  Santa Keys

Location: Seize the Night Designs in Danville
Price: $12 - $18

Do you know a child or grandchild who lives in a home without a chimney? We have the perfect gift to give them just before the big day! Seize the Night Designs specializes in personalized jewelry and gifts and came up with this ingenious gift for 2023. Their Santa keys come with a poem card explaining that the child should place the key outside so Santa can get in to deliver their presents. They can be personalized for a slight added cost. Personalized tags require 2-4 extra business days.

10. Experience: Kid's Planet

Location: Kid's Planet in Brownsburg
Price: Varies

We highly recommend purchasing gift cards or tickets to Kid's Planet this holiday season. A perfect gift for the children and grandchildren in your life under the age of 14. This fun, children's destination transformed their huge, multi-story indoor playground earlier this year adding trampoline fun to their already great space of tunnels, slides, ball shooters and more.

11. Take-N-Paint Kits

Location: Rustic Attic by Angie in Plainfield at The Shops at Perry Crossing
Price: $14.99

For the art lover on your holiday gift list, we found these original Take-N-Paint kits handmade by the owner of the Rustic Attic by Angie at The Shops at Perry Crossing. Each kit comes with a black-and-white picture and paints to create your own work of art.

12.  Poured Paint Art

Location: Roots to Wings Barn Market in Brownsburg
Price: $3-$80

Butterfly Arts Beth Tetlow uses a poured paint technique to create one-of-a-kind pieces. The more we looked at her booth at Roots to Wings Barn Market, the more examples we found of this unique artform. We couldn't believe the selection that included magnets, bracelets, keychains, necklaces, bookmarks, wall hangers and vases. The best part: all her pieces were affordable, stylish and unique. Roots to Wings truly is a hidden shopping gem just inside Hendricks County you need to check out this holiday season.

13.  Fused Glass Candle Holders and Night Lights

Location: Gallery on the Square in Danville
Price: $7.50 - $30

Gallery on the Square remains one of the toughest locations to choose just one gift for our guide. But the work of a new artist and her beautiful display caught our eye this year. Janette Fluharty uses a fused-glass technique to create beautiful candle holders, night lights, flowers, bookmarks and other decorator items.

14.  Scented Snowman

Location: The Rustic Cactus Western Wear & Tack in North Salem
Price: $15 - $18

Decorate for the holidays while adding a sweet fragrance to anyone's home with these festive scented snowmen decorations that can be found at the Rustic Cactus in North Salem. If you've never been to Rustic Cactus and you or someone on your shopping list loves western wear, this is the place to find it.

15. Dog Cookie Boxes

Location: Paw Street Bakery in Plainfield
Price: $30

Paw Street Bakery should already be on every pet owner's shopping list. This holiday season, the store added a new touch displaying their amazing dog treats in 12 days of Christmas boxes which includes 12 iced cookies, plus a bonus cookie for Christmas day for your favorite pooch. All cookies will be iced gourmet cookies, 2x2 inch in size, and feature candy cane shapes, Santa hat, gingerbread man and more.

16. Hand-Crafted Bracelets

Location: Love & Dreams Boutique in Stilesville
Price: $6 - $7

During our annual scouting expedition, we sometimes find shopping destinations we previously didn't know existed. That was the case with Love & Dreams Boutique, which we discovered in Stilesville. This stylish boutique is worth the drive for their trendy apparel but we chose to highlight these colorful silicone-beaded keychains and bracelets created by the owner's 11-year-old daughter on the gift guide.

17.  Unique Antique Light Fixtures - Hart's Primitives

Location: Gilley's Antique and Decorator Mall in Plainfield
Price: $35 - $250

We discovered these amazing light fixtures made from vintage and antique items in the Hart's Primitives booth inside Gilley's Antique & Decorator Mall. Every item is one of a kind, and the husband-and-wife team can create custom pieces if you have an old item at home that needs a new life. If you love antiques, we highly recommend a trip to Gilley's. You won't be disappointed.

18.  Experience: Holiday Tea

Location: Ms. B's Teas in Clayton
Price: $39

Talk about a fun experience...how about sharing a Christmas tea with family that includes three courses? Enjoy ham and gravy, Yorkshire pudding with roast beef, chicken velvet soup and gingerbread white chocolate mousse along with Ms. B's signature teas. Reservations are required so schedule a time in advance for this memorable experience that family or friends will enjoy.

19. Bleached Shirts

Location: Style Threads Resale and Boutique in Avon
Price: $20 - $25

We loved this reuse of quality tees and hoodies featuring IU, Pacers, Colts and other local sports teams. Style Threads uses a process that gives the clothing a distressed look making every item unique. In addition to the shirts, you will find a variety of trendy apparel at affordable prices at this Avon resale and boutique store.

20. Experience: Permanent Jewelry

Location: Going Golden in Brownsburg
Price: Varies

As a guy who isn't into the latest trends, I must admit I knew nothing about Going Golden and its permanent jewelry experience before scouting for the gift guide. But purchasing a gift card would be a great surprise for someone in your life who wears jewelry. Going Golden offers multiple options for personalized jewelry, both permanent and non-permanent, but we would recommend their permanent jewelry offerings as a unique gift this holiday season.