Holiday Shopping Made Easy

From Carlinville to Collinsville, and everywhere in between, southwest Illinois shops and vendors are welcoming shoppers for the holiday season- find one-of-a-kind gifts from hand-poured candles and handmade pottery to delicious confections and baked goods, locally made soap, unique toys, and much more.

Alton

Enchanting and eclectic finds abound in historic Alton’s downtown district. Mississippi Mud Pottery, an Illinois Maker, creates exceptional handmade pottery- from mugs to entire dish sets, anything from the shop is guaranteed to be one-of-a-kind.

Cooks and foodies alike will appreciate the diverse, hand-selected ingredients found at Olive Oil Marketplace on Third Street. Family owned, the marketplace offers dozens of varieties of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegars, as well as seasonings, and cooking supplies.

You can also find cooking ingredients at Honeybee Vintage on Broadway alongside home decor & accessories, gardening items, cards & stationary, craft supplies, beauty products, jewelry, tea & gourmet goods, children's boutique clothing, and antiques.

For decades, Country Meadows Antiques has been the go-to shop for antiques and collectibles in downtown Alton. Find Depression-era glass, collectible Lionel train sets, White Hall pottery, Primitive cupboards, furniture, holiday items, and more! Local vendors also have booths in the shop selling crafts, clothing, jewelry, snacks, and cooking mixes.

Mom Said No Gifts on Broadway brings out the inner child in all of us with gag gifts, collectibles, retro toys, horror memorabilia, retro clothing, art, and more. Did your mom say no when you found something really, really cool as a kid? This shop has it and now no one is stopping you!

Funky Planet Toys & Gifts is just as fun to shop at for adults as it is for kids. With flat and 3D puzzles, board games, throwback toys, stuffed animals, books, and baby toys, Funky Planet has something every age can enjoy.

Coco & Oak of Alton offers bohemian looks for both women and men at their downtown clothing boutique with tops, jeans & bottoms, dresses, hats, bags, jewelry, and more. Find trucker hats, bedazzled jackets, and print tees all hand-selected in store.

It's Raining Zen, located inside the Mineral Springs Mall, is an eclectic New Age store offering a variety of crystals and stones, Tarot cards, oracle books, spiritual books, astrological equipment, oils, candles, incense, herbs, jewelry, and local art. Find bohemian clothing, home décor, locally-made bath bombs, skincare products, and spiritual items.

AP Cigar Co., just off downtown State Street in Alton, supplies top quality cigars, hand-made whiskey barrel wares, cigar accessories, lighters, and storage boxes. The shop smells like tobacco, deep conversations, and your favorite uncle- a perfect vibe to match the cigar aficionado in your life.

The Old Bakery Beer Company, an Altonian staple, brings more than sandwiches to downtown Alton. With a large variety of beers and herbal teas, printed tees, branded glasses, and items available from Flourish Farmstead including natural seasonings, hot cocoas, and local art, OBB is a fantastic stop to add to your holiday shopping list.

Mississippi Mud Pottery in Alton, IL

Edwardsville

Family owned and operated, Water Sweets Soaps uses simple and natural ingredients to make gentle and great-smelling soaps and skin products. Every step of the production process, from creation to packaging, happens in Water Sweets’ Madison County facility. The company motto of ‘Bathe Clean’ is taken seriously- Water Sweets Soaps have no preservatives and they produce a line of ‘bare’ soaps with no fragrances, essential oils, or scent for those with sensitive skin.

Roasted fresh with pride in Edwardsville, Goshen Coffee Company produces excellent coffee beans for the at-home barista. Family owned and operated, pick up a few bags for your holiday party and schedule a tour of Goshen’s roasting facility while you’re at it!

Let’s be honest, you can never have enough cooking supplies! Chef’s Shoppe of Edwardsville has literally everything you could imagine buying a cook- from a wall full of utensils to pots and pans, cookie cutters, dishes, tea & coffee, and cooking oils, cooking mixes, sauces, BBQ supplies, knives, and so much more- the shop is hard to leave! There’s also a sweet shop inside with artisanal popcorn, chocolates, and house-made fudge.

The Land of Goshen Winter Market brings even more to peruse in downtown Edwardsville. Shop local vendors offering art, winter produce, meats, jams & jellies, honey, and holiday gifts. The market runs December - April on the third Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Water Sweets Soap, Edwardsville, IL

Collinsville

Since 1919, the smells of Kruta Bakery’s sweet stollens and cakes have been wafting through the streets of Collinsville. The fourth generation of the family is now baking up some of the original recipes Frank Kruta brought with him from Europe, and they're maintaining their mission of providing high quality baked goods made from scratch. Enjoy a variety of cakes, cookies, pastries, stollens, pies and doughnuts all baked fresh for your table this season!

We all love some good barbecue- especially here in the Midwest! From BBQ competitions to their own storefront, owners Chris Bohnemeier and Mike Radosevich, of Collinsville BBQ Supply, have brought some of their award-winning spices, rubs, and sauces to their store shelves for the public. Spice up your next barbeque with the shop's national-award-winning St. Louis-Style "Patriot BBQ Sauce."

Find even more foodie delights at Spirito’s Italian Grocery Store in Collinsville. Bring all of the tastes of Italy to your table with fresh homemade pastas frozen and ready to take home, Italian meats, cheese, olives, and a variety of products imported straight from Italy. Pick up everything you need to make your own meal, or let them do the work with fresh made Italian subs, homemade meatballs, Italian desserts, sauces and more.

This former site of the Collinsville Herald newspaper is now home to the Old Herald Brewery & Distillery, a full service restaurant, production brewery, and craft distillery. Find craft beers with names like Printer’s Ink and Proofreader Pale and Ardent Spirits gin, rum, and vodka, all made on site. The restaurant also serves lunch and dinner- pick up a gift card and a bottle for your favorite imbiber and warm up your holiday!

Kruta Bakery, Collinsville, IL

Grafton

Standing tall in the stone-faced former bank building on Main Street, Box Mercantile of Grafton carries a large variety of goods, from teas and coffees, jams, spreads, sauces, and cookbooks, to soap and skin care products, Life is Good products, seasonal and home decor, jewelry, and much more! Find Jeep duckies, dog safe beer and cigars (you read that correctly), local crafts, and unique items to give as gifts, enjoy yourself, or share in your next recipe!

Always looking at the unique metal sculptures at Harrisons Gifts in downtown Grafton as you pass by? There’s so much more to see inside! From metal wall hangings wind sculptures, and wind chimes to women’s clothing, jewelry, gifts, home décor, and more, Harrisons is a must stop on Grafton’s Main St. drag.
Lady LaMarsh Gallery & Gifts is another must stop on Grafton’s Main Street. Lady LaMarsh has a large selection of local art and crafts. Find handmade pottery, prints and paintings, baskets, as well as unique jewelry, skincare products and soaps, candles, and wood carvings. The shop also carries concrete sculptures, garden and house plants, and cooking items.

Lilly & Lola's Boutique, also on Main Street, hand picks all of its boutique and online items. Find trendy clothing including blouses and bottoms, dresses, graphic tees, accessories, and gifts while on your next Grafton shopping trip or shop Lilly & Lola's online store for even more options.

Box Mercantile, Grafton, IL

Hillsboro

Alpha Candles of Hillsboro makes a variety of soy-based candles and waxes perfect for home use, gifts, and filling your space with pleasant scents- stop in and choose from single and multi-wick candles, wax melts, and more- all locally made by Alpha in Hillsboro. Alpha also hosts candle-making classes- enquire and book one as a gift this Christmas!

The Holiday Shop in Hillsboro is a go-to spot to find holiday décor. From yard and garden sculptures to Holiday decorations, collectibles and handmade crafts, The Holiday Shop can help you decorate for every season! Find wreaths, center pieces, a huge variety of metal signs, indoor décor, and more all in store.

A visit to The Sweet Spot in downtown Hillsboro sure is delicious! The shop features 72 build-your-own bulk mix candy bins, a circle wall of 50 unique candies updated monthly, gourmet chocolate & truffles, ice cream novelties by Jeni's Ice Cream, over 50 glass bottle craft sodas, a retro candy collection, freeze-dried candies, peg bags, theater boxes, international favorites, and more!

The Sweet Spot, Hillsboro, IL

Litchfield

The Briar Rose mixes eclectic vintage goods and new items made for the country home in downtown Litchfield. Find clothes, shoes, handbags, and jewelry for the whole family. Briar Rose has hand-crafted Amish furniture, rustic home décor, holiday decorations, collectibles, and antiques- plus shop for unique gifts, home-grown honey, jams, and salsas, local crafts, books, toys, and more.

For over 100 years, Jubelt's Bakery & Restaurant has been in business serving fresh baked bread. Jubelt’s is in the Route 66 Hall of Fame and today is also a restaurant, deli, grocery, and caterer, serving all-day breakfast, lunch, and dinner specials, custom cakes and cookies, specialty coffee and espresso, and hand-dipped ice-creams, floats, and milkshakes. Order from Jubelt’s this holiday season and treat your family to Route 66 history!

Carlinville

1917 Home Décor & Company offers rustic and country home decorating items, seasonal & holiday decor, jewelry, locally made crafts, children's toys, soap & body products, and gifts from its cozy location at 133 West Main in Carlinville.

Brave Hazel Boutique puts a twist on the usual shopping experience with unique home décor, hand-picked and styled clothing options for both women and men, and locally made and sourced items including jewelry, crafts, and art. The trendy shop offers in-store and curbside pickup for your convenience and participates in many of Carlinville's festival days from its central storefront on Carlinville’s historic square.

Historic Treasures, also on Carlinville square, offers antiques, vintage items, and collectibles including kitchenware, cookie jars, salt and pepper shakers, figurines, clothing and shoes, jewelry, and old toys.

While in Carlinville, you can go antique shopping at Mother Road Antiques on the square and peruse furniture, books, art, dishware, toys, and more all in one stop. You never know what you might find inside!

If you’re looking for home décor items and boutique clothing while shopping the square, you should visit The Silver Owl. With faux plants and flowers, signs, tea pots and dishes, silver dishware, farmhouse décor, and boutique clothing, jewelry, and accessories, The Silver Owl makes gift-finding a hoot!

Brave Hazel, Carlinville, IL

About the Author

Kayla Howland

Kayla Howland is a local writer and artist who lives in Alton, IL with her Cairn Terrier, Ripley. She enjoys fiction and non-fiction writing, graphic design, painting, drawing and photography. Kayla is a graduate of Southwestern High School and Lewis & Clark Community College. She has worked doing freelance graphic design, photography and commissioned paintings since 2012.