When making your holiday shopping list, why not consider a product sold, and made, right here in Lewiston-Auburn? These products are part of small business endeavors that thrive on the Made in Maine label. Products reflect Maine ingenuity, are reasonably priced, and often available in area retailers or by mail order to many shipping destinations.

Start your shopping trip at www.mainemade.com where you can search for Maine Made products by category (apparel, giftware, home furnishings, pet products, etc.) or by town/zip code. A recent search came up with 39 Maine-made businesses in L-A.

Here are some of the most unique items found.

Mainely Pet Portraits – mainelypetportraits.com

Take a favorite photo of your special pet and send it to artist Lisa Bonenfant in Auburn. She’ll paint a true-to-life portrait of the pet or pets on a piece of roofing slate. Bonenfant said, “I enjoy painting on old roofing slates. The slate gives the portrait a unique and nostalgic feel.”

Items can be picked up or delivered locally or mailed to a destination. Bonenfant also paints pets on glassware, vases, Christmas ornaments, plates, and mugs. 

Hungry Yankee Moose – hungryyankeemoose.com

Want homemade baked goods that are quick and easy to make? In addition to selling a Hungry Yankee Moose recipe book, this company creates mixes that make delicious, tummy-pleasing baked goods. They offer a line of cookie, brownie, bread, and coffee cake baking mixes. By just adding a few simple ingredients to their mixes, anyone can have a hot, freshly baked treat, claims owner, Jan Conant of Auburn.

Berts’ Awesome Stuff – bertsawesomestuff.com

Here you’ll find homemade pickles, dilly beans, pickled beets, corn relish, chutneys and jams.

Auburn couple, Bruce Little and Chriss Hayden, a high school teacher and nurse/health educator respectively, use many recipes from their parents and grandparents and incorporate their own experiences in cooking, gardening, canning, and pickling in making their “awesome stuff.”

Their products are in many retail locations and they visit many arts and crafts shows throughout the state.

Maine Gourmet Chocolates and Coastal Cookies – mainegourmetcoastalcookies.com

You’ll find many gourmet foods and specialty confections, all made fresh to order. The Xtra large cookies and variety of Xtra large lollipops are delightful items. The lines of Maine Nautical Chocolates are made from actual sea shells, lobster claws, and crab claws from Maine’s ocean.

Owner Stephani Bernatchez said that her regular customers go for the three top sellers, “Needhams, Sea Salt Nut Bark and Popcorn.”

Bates Mill Store – batesmillstore.com

For over 50 years, the Bates Mill Store has been an icon in the L/A area. They proudly sell bedspreads and coverlets woven at Maine Heritage Weavers, that employ former Bates Fabrics employees who use the same equipment to weave these superior-quality bedspreads as taught to them by their parents and grandparents.  They have a retail location in Lewiston and shipping is offered.

Bright Ideas in Wood – 415 Grove Street in Lewiston – 783-7419

This company makes hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind rolling pins, collector grade writing instruments, Christmas ornaments, wine bottle stops/keys, light/fan pulls and solid-wood lamps made of exotic woods with no two items alike. They also offer custom lasering on any of their wood products.

Labadie’s Bakery – whoopiepies.com

Since 1925, Labadie’s Bakery has satisfied the sweet cravings of generations in L/A. While you can stop by the bakery and pick up their many baked delights, you can also get whoopee pies and creme horns individually wrapped and shipped to insure freshness for your holiday gift giving. Whoopie pies come in 5-inch, 12-inch, and 16-inch sizes.

Brettuns Village Trunk Shop – www.brettunsvillage.com

You won’t find many places that buy, sell, and refinish trunks, chests, toy boxes, wood boxes, and tool boxes for antique dealers, interior decorators, and the creative shopper. Brettuns Village Trunk Shop does it all with a store at 557 Lincoln Street in Lewiston.

They ship trunks to many locations. Some of their products have been seen in Hollywood movies.

BUKRAP – www.bukrap.com

BukRap, pronounced “book wrap,” is a comfortable, multifunctional, ergonomic vest with many large pockets to hold water bottles, cameras and other gear. 

No matter what outdoor activity you are enjoying, BukRap is able to store all of your gear and necessities with the weight distributed equally around the body.

Owners, inventors, (and retired Lewiston educators) Marsha Auster and Joan Tankey said, “Our product is made in Maine. We have home sewers and many BukRap units are made in a Maine factory.”

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