Article by Jessica Renstrom | Photos by Arianna Skoog

In a world filled with mass-produced goods, a handcrafted gift is memorable. The time, effort, and craftsmanship invested in one-of-a-kind treasures convey thoughtfulness and care unmatched by machines. Fortunately, Montana is home to many creative makers and artisans with the perfect handmade gifts for your loved ones this Holiday season. Discover the stories and heartfelt passions behind a few talented makers in Billings.

Beautiful Moon Candles

While a candle’s warm glow and soothing scents make it enjoyable, certain wax and fragrance ingredients in conventional candles have raised health and environmental concerns. Dasia Biggins, owner of Beautiful Moon Candles since March 2022, has been working to create clean-burning candles that bring light without worry.

“I sell luxurious coconut soy wax candles that are eco-friendly, toxin-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free, and sustainable,” states Dasia. “I started making candles during the pandemic because I wanted to bring light into people’s lives. Candles offer not only literal illumination but also emotional warmth and joy through their scents and ambiance. During such challenging times, I saw them as a way to provide both physical light and emotional comfort, with the intention of making a meaningful positive impact on others in a way that was possible.”

All Beautiful Moon Candles are crafted in small batches and sourced from the finest ingredients to ensure the best quality. Despite this, Dasia strives to keep her candles affordable “so everyone can treat themselves!” In addition to candles, the company’s product line has expanded to include wax melts, body oils, and car diffusers, and it plans to offer more products in the future.

 Ready to pick a scent for your loved one (or yourself)? You can find Dasia’s products on her website at beautifulmooncandleco.com, Onyx Wellness, Aminga Salon, Favorite Finds, Classy & Sassy, and the Be Inspired Market website.

The Endless Bead

After serving in the military for 25 years and retiring from his work at the Post Office, Jim Carnathan now fills his time rockhounding and creating. After his first trip out rock hunting around eight years ago, Jim became “crazy about rocks” and began purchasing the equipment he needed to turn his finds into jewelry. Shortly after, he incorporated beadwork into his creations and opened his appropriately named business, The Endless Bead.

His products (a mix of beadwork and stone) range widely from wearable pieces like necklaces, bracelets, and watch bands to larger pieces like wine stoppers, keychains, coasters, and bookends. Jim welcomes custom orders and is constantly dreaming up new designs.

Jim finds inspiration for his pieces all over. “Sometimes, I’ll see a picture, and I’m like- I could make that! So, I hand draw it, then cut it out, and see what happens.” Around 90% of Jim's stones are self-collected, and he curates the rest of his materials locally as often as possible. He creates all of his pieces at home in his shop. “Start to finish, I do it all,” states Jim.

As much as Jim enjoys the process, his favorite part has always been making people happy, or in his words, “the joy of seeing somebody who likes what you do.”

You can find and purchase beautiful creations from The Endless Bead at Casual Space and Outlaw Mineral Group (located on S 29th St W in Billings) and online by following The Endless Bead on Facebook.

Blind Cat Chocolate

Chocolate is a timeless gift loved by many, but not all chocolate is created equal. “Well-made chocolate has an unparalleled taste sensation,” describes Anne Giuliano, physician and owner of Blind Cat Chocolate. Anne discovered craft chocolate during a chocolate tasting at a cacao farm in Kauai in 2022. “I had never liked dark chocolate, but the flavor of well-made, small-batch chocolate had me. I started making chocolate at home as a hobby, and before I knew it, I had started a business.”

Anne’s chocolate is handcrafted in small batches from the finest ethically sourced, organic cacao beans. The bars are created with adorable custom molds and packaged in planet-friendly, plant-based wrappers and boxes, with packaging artwork by artist Lori Blaylock. Blind Cat Chocolate comes in various flavors, including milk and white chocolates, single-origin dark chocolate, and specialty bars like dark chocolate with chai spices (my favorite). New flavors are coming soon.

Blind Cat Chocolate looks and tastes great, raising money for cat rescue organizations. “Blind Cat Chocolate is named in honor of my soul kitty – Xel,” states Anne. “Xel lost her eyes to an infection when she was a kitten, but that did not stop her from living her life to the fullest.” Since its inception, Blind Cat Chocolate has donated to several organizations, including the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter and Terry’s Toddlers Stray Cat Rescue.

Grown Cozy (photos by Hailee Photography)

With winter weather comes the universal desire to snuggle up under a warm blanket, and Micayla D’Ambrosia with Grown Cozy has perfected the art of cozy with finger knitting. “I don’t use needles or hooks,” states Micayla, “just my hands and chunky yarn!”

“I started finger knitting in August of 2021 because I had just been diagnosed with postpartum anxiety after my first baby,” shares Micayla. “The chunky yarn blankets were trending on TikTok, and it looked easy, so my friend and I had a girl’s day (which turned into a whole weekend because it took so long) and made one.” Despite the initial frustrations of learning a new craft, Micayla persevered and began to truly enjoy knitting, finding that it helped keep her mind busy and free from anxious thoughts. After receiving inquiries from people wanting their own blankets, Micayla began selling her products in September 2021.

Through Grown Cozy, Micayla now offers chunky yarn blankets of all different sizes and patterns, stuffed animals, and seasonal cozy items like chunky yarn pumpkins and snowmen. Micayla takes custom orders, allowing customers to choose their blanket patterns, colors, and sizes.

Micayla started her business due to her mental health, “I never wanted my kids to remember their mom as someone who was constantly struggling,” she shares. “But now I’m proud of the role model and mom I am because I’m showing them firsthand that anything is possible when you put your mind to it and work hard. I also hope to use Grown Cozy to help spread awareness about postpartum feelings and give other moms hope.”

You can find Grown Cozy items at Frae Everyday Goods, Eleven Gift Shop (located in Ace Hardware on Zimmerman Drive), The Front Porch (in Laurel), and online at growncozy.com. Micayla also enjoys participating in pop-up events around Billings. You can find her next event by following her on social media @growncozy.

This Holiday season, I encourage you to choose handcrafted gifts that reflect the passions and artistry of our community's talented makers. In addition to the makers introduced in this article, you can shop even more Montana-made gifts at the Maker’s Market on 4220 State Avenue in Billings.

This year, let’s all shop local to stuff our stockings and support our community.

Originally printed in the November 2024 issue of Simply Local Magazine

Check this article out in the digital issue of Simply Local here!

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