It’s official — due to seemingly endless supply chain issues, 2022 is the year of buying small and local! Small Business Saturday falls on November 26 this year, the perfect opportunity to hunt for locally made, unique holiday decor in lieu of mass-produced, homogenized items at large retail chains. In addition to providing originality and variety, local businesses create jobs, offer personalized customer service, and contribute to the community in a myriad of ways.
Rustic Raleigh’s “Our First Pandemic” ornament went viral after being featured on Jennifer Aniston’s Instagram story in 2020.
In 2021, Rustic Raleigh created an “I Survived the Zebra Cobra” ornament to commemorate Raleigh’s infamous snake escape. Chris Gifford, the owner of the zebra cobra, purchased and picked up the ornaments for friends and family.
In 2017, Raleigh residents Brittany and Kevin Sutton decided to make wooden blanket ladders as Christmas gifts in their garage — the very start of their small business, Rustic Raleigh.
After finding success on Facebook Marketplace and Etsy, the Suttons decided to take a risk and purchase a laser cutter to create custom coasters that could be used as Christmas ornaments. It was a success, to say the least — Rustic Raleigh now specializes in wooden laser-cut customized gifts and decor. Holiday offerings include custom gift tags, ornaments, stocking tags, and magnets that work perfectly as stocking stuffers.
“Our most popular locally themed ornament is the NC cutout, which can be customized with a last name and year. We also have a lot of two-toned ornaments with the shape of NC on them, which is my personal favorite,” said Brittany. “The best part about our business is that everything is fully customizable! We can make an ornament that best represents what North Carolina means to them.”
Santa’s little helpers! Rustic Raleigh owners Brittany and Kevin Sutton run their business with a little bit of help from their children: Kennedy (6), Landon (4), and Maddie (2).
Interested buyers can purchase Rustic Raleigh products through their website, rusticraleigh.com, or by visiting their Etsy shop. The Suttons plan on partnering with local boutiques during the holiday season, so follow them on Instagram @rusticraleigh for updates!
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