Small business holiday gift guide for Modesto and beyond. All are $25 or less
If shopping at a big-box store for a holiday gift feels impersonal and stressful, consider a locally owned shop. Our list of suggestions are priced under $25 and showcase some of our community’s most beloved stores.
From body care to books, home goods to stationery, there is a perfect present for even the pickiest pal.
Shops in Roseburg Square
Bookish: A book is always a great gift choice: an endless array of stories, topics and art available in a compact and easy-to-wrap item.
Bookish has many books available for under $25. If you are looking to leave out-of-town guests with a memorable souvenir, check out the shop’s local author section, featuring many works by valley writers.
The store has many other fun items and gifts, too. A great choice for a stocking or gift exchange is a book lamp. There are clip-on and hands-free neck options for just $9.99.
You could also pick up a bag of Bookish’s custom coffee blend made by local roaster Volente for $18. Take all your goodies home in a Bookish-branded tote bag, starting at $10.
Bookish is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Dragonfly Tea Room: Just a few steps from Bookish is Dragonfly Tea Room. This charming shop specializes in tea service, complete with pretty plated tiers filled with small pastries and sandwiches.
The best part is that Dragonfly blends its own tea. The Happy Belly blend has seen me through some overindulgent dinners during the holiday season. Shop employees recommend the Masala Chai, a black tea with cinnamon, ginger, black peppercorns, cloves, star anise, and green cardamom.
Just look for the “Dragonfly Blend” label on the shelf to take home one of the house mixed varieties. Tea bags start at $8 for the 2-ounce and $15 for the 4-ounce bag. If you need any of the tools to steep or brew, many of the accessories are also under $25.
Dragonfly Tea Room is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Mobaak Aroma Co.: A book from Bookish, tea from Dragonfly and a candle from Mobaak make the perfect combo for a relaxing day off this holiday season.
For the scent and spa lovers in your life, aromatic gifts from Mobaak are a great option. Hand-poured candles are a popular and affordable choice, starting at $12 for the 6-ounce size, which burns for 60 hours. For a winter feel, White Pine & Sugar Plum is a suggested pick.
If body care is your preference, Mobaak also pours its own soaps in scents like Flower Child and Coffee for $11. One of the most popular products is the Everything Mist for $12, which can be used to refresh spaces and linens and even the skin, since it is made with therapeutic-grade essential oils and nontoxic fragrance.
Mobaak is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Elsewhere in Stanislaus County
Ambition Vintage: Walking into this shop, you immediately know it is cool. It offers racks of ’90s and 2000s selections for both men and women, and even handbags and accessories that scream style.
In the center of the store is another journey to the past with a large table filled with Italian charms. When I was in high school during the Y2K era, these bracelets were all the rage ... and they were expensive, too. The trendy trinkets are back, and at a better price point. Pull up a stool and sort through the endless options; each charm is just $1. On average, it takes 15-20 charms to make a whole bracelet, so this is definitely a great and affordable gift.
Treat a friend to an afternoon of jewelry making, a memory, and a present for under $20. Ambition Vintage is at 1057 W. Orangeburg Ave., and open Monday, Thursday, and Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and weekends from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Paper Moon Stationery and Art Supply: Tucked away on Main Street in Turlock lies a truly unique store.
Owner Victoria Mires was tired of driving out of town to find quality notebooks, pens, paper, and other well-made stationery, so two years ago she opened her own shop. Carrying hard-to-find brands like Hobonichi, Blackwing, Traveler’s and Penco, her store has become the place to go for those who have a particular preference for pens and paper.
A table in the middle of the store has a pen for every taste, and she encourages shoppers to try before they buy, as all the pens can be sampled to find the perfect one.
Most pens are well under $25, starting at just $2. In fact, many items in the store are under $25. For kids, there are hundreds of stickers, including a sticker wall featuring local artists.
Mires recommends a new planner as a great gift for the organized person in your life, with many options under $20.
Paper Moon is at 120 W. Main St. and open on Sunday and Monday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Suite 52 Living: As holiday parties fill the calendar, you may find yourself needing to bring the host a gift. A home goods and gifts wonderland, Suite 52 Living in McHenry Village is the place to find something special.
Glassware is always a great choice, and there is a sipper for every occasion. Colorful cups and coupes from Glitterville are fun options starting at $21 a glass, or playful mugs with a shiny ball for a handle for $13.
Suite 52 carries the hard-to-find Nora Fleming line, which features dishes and servingware with interchangeable charms to suit any occasion. The glass figural charms are $18, and the dishes start at around $20.
Stacks of tiny bowls and accessory dishes fill the kitchen section, with many under $10. Near the checkout counter are shelves of fun accessories and stocking stuffers like quirky hair claw clips from Bay Area artist Jenny Lemons.
A great time to visit the store, and other local merchants in McHenry Village, is on Thursday, Dec. 4, when the shopping center will be having a Christmas Sip and Shop event from 5 to 8 p.m.
Regular store hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Do you know of any locally owned shops with gifts under $25 that we should include in our next gift guide? Send me a message at mfigueroa@modbee.com.
This story was originally published December 2, 2025 at 7:00 AM.
