Walking around the French Quarter, there’s no shortage of souvenirs and gifts to buy. Every shop or sidewalk vendor has something to offer. With the world in our hands, it’s even easier – we can order a gift online and have it delivered within hours or days. In the age of fast shipping and light speed trend cycles, it’s easy to forget the value of handmade, thoughtfully crafted gifts.
At Passion Lilie x Beatrix Bell, we passionately believe there’s something more special about buying from artisans that mass-produced goods just cannot replicate.
If you’ve ever picked up a hand-poured candle, a handwoven cloth napkin, or a piece of jewelry made from vintage Mardi Gras beads, you’ve felt the difference. This blog is our ode to artisan gifts – why we love them, and why they’re worth the effort to seek out, especially in a place as special as New Orleans.
1. Handmade gifts tell a story.
Every single piece in our French Quarter boutique – from clothing to jewelry to cards and keychains – has a story behind it. A necklace made with repurposed vintage Mardi Gras beads holds years of carnival history. A bar of soap created by our local Grammy Award-winning saxophonist can really jazz up bath time. Everything you see was made by a person with tools and materials that all tell a story. When you choose handmade gifts, you’re bringing a little bit of that story into your home or the life of someone you love.
2. Handmade gifts are more sustainable.
Mass produced goods often come with a cost much higher than the price tag. Pollution, waste, and poor labor conditions are par for the course in factories around the world. Artisan goods, especially the ones we carry at Passion Lilie x Beatrix Bell, are made with intention. Many of our products are made from upcycled, organic, or locally sourced materials, helping reduce environmental impact.
For example, Passion Lilie’s fair trade clothing is created using eco dyes and organic cotton and Beatrix Bell makes our bestselling oyster ornaments from upcycled oyster shells. Our locally made candles and fair trade kitchen towels help you create a more sustainable home. Choosing handmade gifts and goods is one small step toward a cleaner, more conscious world.
3. Shopping handmade gifts supports real people, not big corporations.
When you buy from a big box retailer or generic online brand, your money disappears into a system that’s nearly impossible to trace. When you stop into our French Quarter boutique, we can tell you who each purchase supports. You’re making a difference for real people: local makers, artisans in marginalized communities, small-batch producers, and creative entrepreneurs.
You’re helping Beatrix source vintage beads, supporting William Terry’s creative soap-making hustle, and empowering Passion Lilie’s team of skilled garment workers in India. Every dollar you spend has power, and we’re grateful when you decide to use it with us.
4. Handmade means higher quality
We pride ourselves in the slow, deliberate way we approach our work. We’re not rushing out hundreds of units an hour, because we’re focused on quality instead of quantity. Our pieces are reflections of us – our work, our talent, our values – so we want them to be perfect.
When you shop for handmade gifts, you’re getting something made with care and attention to detail, not something being churned out by machines or made to fall apart after a few uses. From the stitch in a napkin to the scent of a candle and the clasp on a bracelet, our handmade gifts are made to last.
5. Handmade gifts feel better to give (and receive)
Receiving a thoughtful, handmade gift just hits different. Artisan gifts are personal. They show that you took the time to choose something meaningful, not just convenient. Whether it’s a hostess gift, a teacher gift, or something for your best friend, handmade gifts make the occasion more special.
Shop handmade gifts in the French Quarter
New Orleans visitors and locals alike love stopping in Passion Lilie x Beatrix Bell for a cool, peaceful respite from the French Quarter. We hope you’ll stop by and check out our gorgeous handmade treasures and find one that speaks to you.
Come visit us at 831 Chartres Street to see why we love handmade gifts!