ANNUAL GIFT WRAP-UP
Made-in-Hawai'i gifts for under $25 abound

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer

I start shopping for my annual Christmas gift wrap-up in August. By the time of the Pacific Handcrafters Guild fair in October, I know whether I'll be able to keep my budget for made-in-Hawai'i gifts at $25 an item or less. This year? No problem.

Somehow, in spite of the economy, crafters and artisans are offering a plethora of great gifts at surprisingly low costs. So make it your mission (as I have made it mine) to buy gifts that are made in Hawai'i.

For friends and co-workers

Ceramic angel by Evelyn Beal bibelot, $12

Petroglyph earrings Na Mea Hawai'i, $16

Surfboard Christmas stocking Wabi-Sabi, $18

Personalized sports jug Wabi-Sabi, $13

Nake'u Awai pouch Na Mea Hawai'i, $10

Petroglyph candles Nohea Galleries, $12 for 3

Condiment bowl Nohea Galleries, $24

Bento bag Wabi-Sabi, $9

Roy Venters' art hearts Pegge Hopper Gallery, $25

Christmas tree memo cube Wabi-Sabi, $10

"Poho Kukui" by Gary Goodhue Island Treasures and Hale Ku'ai, $16

Hand painted magnet board Wabi-Sabi, $18.

Maui's Island Candle Company candle and protea wreath $13 and $22, respectively, from Island Treasures in Hawai'i Kai.

For someone who enjoys the experience of pen on paper, A Gift for All Seasons in Kaimuki sells blown-glass pen and ink stands by a Maui glass-blower ($24).

A pause to inspire: Lyla Berg has expanded her line of Hawaiian-language cards this year. Her "Alaka'i" cards, in a wood bowl with a votive candle ($20), contain statements from community leaders, while "Ho'omana" cards, in a basket, offer a Hawaiian word of the day ($10 at Na Mea Hawai'i downtown and in Ward Warehouse and A Gift for All Seasons in Kaimuki).

For the serious Hawaiian-language speaker, the University of Hawai'i Press has just released a Modern Hawaiian Vocabulary by Aha Punana Leo. A companion to Pukui and Ebert's Hawaiian Dictionary, the soft-cover book includes words added from 1987 to 2000. We found it at Cook's Discoveries in Waimea on the Big Island for $15.95, but it should also be available at book stores.

You know that friend whose best friend is a pooch? Hawai'i Doggie Bakery at Ward Warehouse has T-shirts that say "Got Dogs?" "Bow Wow" and "Dogs Leave Paw Prints on Your Heart," for $18 and $19.

For a lunch buddy, Irene Kawaguchi, owner of Wabi-Sabi, makes rice-bag fabric into bento bags for $9. She also makes a line of bracelets, necklaces and anklets she calls "Hardware" because the materials used are washers and a ball-link chain. Each washer has a meaningful word ("journey," "search," dream," "success," $6-$10).

For the host and hostess

Got koa? For the host who has unfinished wood furniture, Island Herbals of Waimea is now making Traditional Hawaiian Fine Wood Polish. Made from oils of kukui, safflower, meadowfoam, lemon- peel wax and beeswax, it's food safe and mineral free. At Cook's Discoveries ($9).

Candles are always appreciated, and these are getting rave reviews from kama'aina: Maui's Island Candle Co. fragrances for the holidays, including ginger-papaya (our favorite), citrus spruce and island spice. Of course, pikake and plumeria might be favored by Mainland recipients. In addition to varying sizes of pillars and votives, the candles now come in little 8-oz. travel tins, with clear acrylic tops to keep the security folks happy ($10). Sold at Island Treasures at Koko Marina Shopping Center, Ihilani Resort gift shop and at www.islandcandle.com. The Web site allows you to order and mail direct to anywhere.

Place a candle inside a little dried protea wreath (also from Maui and sold at Island Treasures in Hawai'i Kai) for $22 and you have a lovely gift.

At Nohea Galleries, they have packaged three sandalwood candles petroglyph designs in a bento-like box all wrapped and ready to go $12.

From Pahoa on the Big Island come koa salad tongs with a spring for easy handling — and they work equally well for left or right-handed people. Sold at Nohea Galleries ($20).

Kahalekoa Todd embellishes gourds to make little gift boxes, uli-uli (gourd rattle), paperweights and refrigerator magnets with messages that say "Surf Maui," "Gone Paddling" and "Wahine Power," among others. We spotted them at Pacific Handcrafters Guild, but his gourds also are sold at Local to da Max in Pearlridge, The Little Hawaiian Craft Shop in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center and Island Treasures in Kailua.

Or take your hostess a bamboo vase by White Smith Pottery on Kaua'i ($18 at Na Mea Hawai'i) with a single sprig of holly or a lovely orchid.

For the art of it

Island galleries offer a surprising number of gifts priced under $25.

The Gallery at Ward Centre has colorful hand-blown glass luminarias by Bud Spindt ($25). For the petless, Jackie Thompson created "Pet in a Pouch": Adorable, hand-crafted ceramic pets, each with its own personality, in a fabric pouch ($25). A set of six pen-and-ink drawings made into note cards of vintage Manoa homes by Roger Whitlock will only set you back $12. Susie Y. Anderson offers signed, double matted reproductions of many of her oil paintings priced at $15 and $25. Gallery artists Helen Iaea, Jeanne Robertson, Chuck Davis, George Woollard and Jinja Kim offer matted prints for $15.

At his downtown gallery, the Studio of Roy Venters, the artist has placed hand-drawn hearts in shadow-box frames ($20 and $25). His boxes will also be available at Pegge Hopper's Gallery on Nu'uanu Avenue.

Among the newest downtown galleries is Got Art. There we found Denise Miyashiro's embellished metal pill boxes ($14) and heart-shaped boxes ($20). Owner Debbie Mitchell makes whimsical Mexican-looking ornaments from soda cans ($4-8), while Miyashiro has crafted ornaments from decoupaged fruits and vegetables ($7-$9).

Bibelot Gallery in Kaimuki has beautiful blown-glass ornaments ($20) as well as ceramic angels ($12). An adorable little gift that's just $4 is a pair of hashi (chopsticks) with fish-shaped ceramic hashi tate (chopstick holder) wrapped with rice paper and raffia — good to go.

Girly things

She must do it for love, not money: Diane Masumura of Kaua'i crafts gorgeous peacock- and pheasant-feather pins, earrings, headbands and pendants that retail for under $25 in the Bishop Museum Gift Shop.

At Montsuki in Kaimuki, we found clever pins and earrings made from bead-embellished circuit boards ($13-$25).

Lisa Ching, under the label "April Lisa," crafts organic-looking earrings from washi and other handmade papers. She often adorns the interesting geometric shapes with tiny rocks and twine, selling them exclusively at craft fairs such as Pacific Handcrafters Guild ($8i$21).

At Na Mea Hawai'i, artist Lynn Cook has translated her petroglyph art, "Ki'i Pohaku — Art on the Rocks," into earrings ($16).

Also at Na Mea, Donna Burns of Skinny Dip has introduced a new line of gracefully styled tank tops in sorbet colors with a sophisticated graphic of 'ulu (breadfruit) or kalo (taro) ($15). Another Na Mea crafter, Nake'u Awai, uses his signature fabrics to make little pouches perfect for cosmetics, a wet bikini (yes, they're plastic lined) or a small snack ($10).

A Gift for All Seasons carries Ananda Jewelry, wire-wrapped earrings with tiny shells and pieces of beach glass ($25).

Artist Grant Kagimoto's imaginative Cane Haul Road T-shirts can now be found at Wabi-Sabi for $16. The latest designs include "Mu'u Mu'u," a cow sporting an aloha print, and more of his take-offs on local favorite foods: "Rice Girl," "Wonton Woman" and "Bao Wow."

At Craft Flair in Ward Warehouse, Honolulu designer Kaila Kennedy offers dangling earrings, with some under $25. Also at Craft Flair, a Hilo artisan has crafted good-luck charm pins especially for Las Vegas travelers, teachers and nurses ($18i$30).

For the guys

Gary Goodhue's Stone Implements of Hawai'i has introduced a "Poho Kukui," a stone lamp modeled after ancient lights used by Hawaiians. They are $16 at Island Treasures in Koko Marina Shopping Center and at Hale Ku'ai in Hau'ula. Hale Ku'ai now has a holiday store in the old McInerny space in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, through Dec. 31.

For the ocean-lovers on your list, Evelyn Dennis of Hawai'i Kai gathers seaweed, arranges it on watercolor paper, presses it and dries it to create her "Seaweed Selections." Her husband adds koa frames, yet prices are under $25. Available only at Pacific Handcrafters Guild fairs.

From Cook's Discoveries in Waimea comes "Wild Ahi: The Only Card Game Endorsed by the Sturgeon General" ($6.50). Created by C. W. Heileg of Kailua-Kona, it's a way for families to play together while learning more about Hawaiian fishing traditions.

For the outdoor guy who needs to lug a lot of water (or whatever), Joy Ishihara Labrador will hand paint and personalize a large sports jug ($13) at Wabi-Sabi.