Gift Shopping Made Simple

While it may seem like Christmas is still far off in the future, the holiday season is quickly approaching. It can be easy to put holiday shopping off until the last minute, which adds to the stress of one of the busiest times of the year. Luckily for Wilson students, there are plenty of great places to shop close to campus. Downtown Chambersburg is full of great local businesses and small shops with a variety of items sure to make anyone happy, as long as you know where to look.
Some shops include Lotus Moon, The Garage Studios, The Foundry, and Another Man’s Treasure. These shops carry handmade pieces created by local artists (Another Man’s Treasure also includes fair-trade products from around the world). These are great places to shop for paintings, sculptures, jewelry, unique clothing, and revived vintage items. The Garage Studios is also notable for the fact that you may also catch a glimpse of their glassblower’s dog, or one of the several cats that roam the store. You are guaranteed to find something interesting in any of these shops, and prices are varied enough to fit nearly any budget.

For pop culture fans, look no further than Nerdvana, a shop that sells a wide range of items from popular movies, video games, TV shows, and more. They sell stickers, Funko Pops, obscure board games, and similar merchandise. Comics World is also a must-see for any fan of comics or graphic novels, though it is located somewhat out of the way (in the shopping center near Walmart and the pet store). Northwood books is also a solid option: they carry a large selection of literature ranging from classics, children’s books, historical and how-to informational books, romances, art, and nearly anything else you can think of. They also have a small dog on some days, who is very friendly and often approaches visitors. This particular shop is spread out throughout several rooms decorated with different themes and plenty of seating, making it a perfect destination to sit and check out some new books on a rainy day once the craziness of the holiday season is over.
For those who prefer home décor there are plenty of options available. Though it is a relatively new business, Remix Design has quickly gained a positive reputation for their high-quality products, including houseplants, furniture, crystals, handmade jewelry, unique light fixtures, wall hangings, and more (their stock is constantly rotating, so the shop looks different with every visit). Jar Woodcraft sells handcrafted woodworking pieces. The Gift Enclosure also carries a variety of decorative pieces and accessories.
If none of the places listed above sound quite right, there are a variety of other stores that provide more general products. Olympia Candy Kitchen is a great place to check out, especially for last minute gifts. They have many homemade candies, fudge, and other sweet treats. Royer’s Flowers and Gifts is also a bit further away (behind Sheetz on Norland Avenue, near Target), but it has a great selection of fresh flowers, houseplants, and trinkets that are also great for inexpensive, last minute purchases. There are also thrift/consignment shops, so you should be able to find anything else you need within one of those.