Cable Car Square · Dubuque, Iowa

Every gift is a small kindness — and kindness travels far.

We curate fair-trade and locally-made goods from a little shop on West 4th Street. Pull up a chair, browse the baskets, and find something made by a pair of hands you can almost picture.

A wooden shelf holding a woven basket, ceramic mug and hand-stamped fair-trade greeting cards in warm afternoon light

— Featured —

Woven baskets from Oaxaca, letterpress cards from Iowa City, ceramics from a kiln three blocks away.

A little shop. A long reach.

Made by hand, paid a fair wage, sent with love

— Est. Cable Car Sq. —

— Local —

"Twelve makers. One county. Endless reasons to come back."

Hands tying a bow around a small gift box with kraft paper and twine

— 01 —

Things worth giving.

A small shop with a long reach. Every shelf is a conversation between a maker we know personally and a maker we'd like you to meet.

Gifts & Cards

Letterpress greeting cards, hand-stamped tags, and small keepsakes for the people you actually want to thank. Good for birthdays, hostesses, hard days, and ordinary Tuesdays.

Home & Decor

Woven baskets, ceramic mugs, wooden spoons, throws and textiles — pieces that earn their place on a shelf or a kitchen counter, made to be lived with for years.

Local Makers

Twelve Iowa artisans within an hour's drive — potters, woodworkers, candlemakers, weavers. Each one has a story we'd love to tell you while you browse.

Gift Wrapping

Kraft paper, twine, dried lavender, and a bow tied by someone who actually cares how it lands. Free with any purchase, beautiful on every gift.

Local artisan's hands carving a wooden spoon at a workbench, wood shavings and coffee cup nearby

Our story

A small shop on a square that knows your name.

We started because the gift shop we wanted to shop in didn't exist yet — somewhere that took fair trade seriously without feeling like a museum, that supported the makers three counties over as enthusiastically as the ones three time zones away.

So we opened one. Tucked into Cable Car Square in Dubuque's historic district, our shelves hold goods from cooperatives we've visited, workshops we've toured, and friends who make things in their kitchens and garages. Every price tag carries a name.

When you buy something here, the ripple is real: a fair wage to a maker in another country, a steady order to a neighbor in Iowa, a gift someone will actually remember.

12+Local makers stocked

20+Fair-trade partners

1Little shop, big reach

— Free with every gift —

We wrap it like we mean it.

Bring us a gift — bought here or anywhere — and we'll wrap it in kraft paper, real twine, and a sprig of dried lavender. It's the small ritual that turns a present into a moment.

Kraft paper and brown craft twine, no plastic in sight
Dried lavender, fresh herbs, or wax seals for the finishing touch
Hand-written cards on letterpress cotton stock
Holiday wrap available November through December

A gift-wrapping station with kraft paper, twine, dried lavender and hands tying a bow

— 02 —

Come by, or send a note.

Tell us what you're looking for — a wedding gift, a housewarming, something to cheer up a friend — and we'll set something aside or write you back the same day.

— 03 —

Good questions, asked often.

If you're wondering, someone before you probably did too.

What does "fair trade" actually mean here?

It means we know the makers and cooperatives behind most of what we sell, we pay prices that cover a living wage, and we visit or correspond with our partners regularly. If we can't trace a product back to a person, we don't carry it.

Do you ship outside Dubuque?

Yes — anywhere in the U.S. We wrap carefully and ship fast. Local customers can also choose in-store pickup and we'll have it ready, wrapped, at the counter.

Can you help me pick a gift if I have no idea what to get?

That's our favorite kind of request. Tell us who the gift is for and a rough budget, and we'll put together a small shortlist — usually three options — and send photos so you can pick from your couch.

Do you do corporate or bulk gifting?

We do, especially around the holidays. We can curate welcome boxes, client gifts, and event favors with consistent wrapping and a single invoice.

Are you really a small shop?

One location, one square, one very full storeroom. We are exactly as small as we look, and we like it that way.

How do I know if something is in stock?

Send us a message or just call the shop — we're happy to put things on hold, set aside a basket, or check whether the ceramic mug in the window is still on the shelf.