When you shop small, you're not only getting your friends and family one-of-a-kind gifts, but supporting up and coming businesses in the process. Because of social media, it's easier than ever to find unique, niche items that stand out from the rest. Avoid the crowds at Macy's and get a personal gift that your (foodie) best friend will love. 

1. Pyknic

I may be biased because I did work here this past summer, but this clothing & lifestyle goods small business has all the food pun gifts you could ever want. From graphic tees to socks with fries on them and everything in-between, Pyknic is a funhouse of a site for all you foodies stuck in a present idea rut. 

2. The Melting Library 

Pop culture references and candles that smell like food? The Melting Library is an Etsy site that sells both, AKA look no further for the perfect gift for a book/TV junkie. Etsy shops are filled with unique smelling candle's like the one above, but the packaging for The Melting Library takes the cake, if I do say so myself.

3. Sugarbird Prints

First of all, amen to that , and secondly, that lettering skill tho. Robin Forth, the artist "drawing pretty letters" on her Etsy shop Sugarbird Prints, has the knack for turning funny, charming sayings like the one above into something elegant enough to hang in your dining room. Food saying or not, the Dowager Countess of Grantham of your household would surely appreciate a gift like this.

4. The Copper Anchor

Husband and wife duo Jared and Lisa run this small business centered around unique knick knacks that will satisfy all your minimalist needs. Necklaces, home decor, and keychains are just a few of their best-sellers, many with sayings that resonate with the food lover in all of us. Check out their "Bon Appetit" keychain and fall in love with the rustic designs Copper & Anchor have created. 

5. Harley's Food Art

Art comes in many forms - sculptures, paintings, drawings and the like, but Harley Langberg creates art with food, making for some pretty dope avant-garde pieces. He's crafted a Jimi Hendrix portrait from cranberry sauce, the Instagram logo using fruits and vegetables, and of course, The Weeknd outlined by our favorite spices. For the creative mind that loves their art and wants to eat it too, Harley's food creations are just the thing to put under the tree.

Forget the crowds and the lines at the register and shop small for the food lovers in your life this season. You'll soon be left wondering why you ever bothered with Target in the first place. Okay, that may be a stretch, but 'tis the season to think outside the box!