Photo by Jill Burrow

As the warm and sunny days of summer arrive, it's the perfect time to make the most of the longer days. If you're looking to treat yourself to something unique and beautiful to embrace the joys of summer without breaking the bank, why not explore some lovely small businesses?

As a small business owner myself, I understand the value of shopping small. You not only discover unique, high-quality items but also make a significant impact on passionate entrepreneurs who pour their hearts into their products. Supporting small businesses means investing in someone's dream and passion.

My small business, Skudaboo, is an online art gallery specialising in premium giclée art prints. I founded Skudaboo to help people create spaces filled with personality while celebrating amazing artists.

Whether you're after a little treat or embracing the summer weather, here are some wonderful small business recommendations to brighten your day. And the best part? They're all £50 or less.

 

JEWELLERY

Olivia Taylor

Olivia Taylor, a talented designer and jewellery-maker based in Scotland, creates timeless and contemporary pieces. Her designs are inspired by her love for travel, nature, and architecture, transforming hard concrete shapes into soft plays of light and rippling water.

Using traditional techniques, she combines geometric shapes and striking lines to create organic, wearable pieces. Each piece is handmade with ethically sourced precious metals and recycled silver, ensuring both beauty and sustainability.

Her Large Ondulée Hoops would make a perfect addition to any summer outfit. The textured effect is strikingly beautiful and will attract attention across any room.

Shop Large Ondulée Hoops from £45
Visit Olivia Taylor website
Follow @olivia_taylor_design

 

Chloe Solomon

Chloe Solomon is a talented contemporary jeweller, goldsmith, and designer. Originally from Bristol, she's now making waves in London.

Chloe’s jewellery focuses on simplicity and geometry, with a minimalist and unisex appeal. She has a knack for creating androgynous designs that can be worn by anyone.

Each piece in her collection is thoughtfully crafted to ensure it lasts, reflecting her belief in the beauty of well-made, enduring jewellery.

Her simple and elegant Simple Bar Necklace, in silver, looks chic on its own or layered with other jewellery. It would look lovely with your summer dresses or layered with other statement necklaces over t-shirts for a festival vibe.

Shop Simple Bar necklace £49
Visit Chloe Solomon Website
Follow @chloe.solomon.jewellery

 

STATIONERY

The Positive Planner

The Positive Planner began as a crowdfunding campaign by founders Finn and Ali, who wanted to address their own mental health struggles.

Combining their love of stationery, they created a tool designed to help others navigate the beautiful moments between the clouds and fog of mental health challenges. Thus, the Positive Planner was born.

Today, their website offers a variety of planners. The original Positive Planner guides you through a journey of self-care, mindfulness, and daily positivity.

Looking for some mindfulness this summer? Grab your own cheerful yellow Positive Planner and start your journey to a more positive, mindful life.

Shop The Positivity Planner £24
Visit The Positivity Planner website
Follow @the_positive_planner

 

Ponderlily

Ponderlily planners come highly recommended by many fellow small business owners. Their eco-friendly and luxurious planners, notebooks, and journals are designed to promote more mindful living.

Ponderlily also offers a variety of options tailored for women who dare to make things happen. Their meeting notebook is ideal for anyone who attends frequent meetings and needs to keep their notes and ground-breaking ideas all in one place. With this notebook, you’ll never miss a detail in team meetings, and you’ll maximize your productivity.

Capture every bright idea within the stylish 120 square-cornered pages of this notebook. Each page is crafted to ensure you can document and organise your thoughts efficiently.

Shop The Meeting Notebook £26
Visit Ponderlily website
Follow @weareponderlily

 

HOME

Mind the Cork

Mind the Cork, founded in 2015 by product designer Jenny Espírito Santo, is a London based design studio that combines playful minimalism with sustainable materials to create exciting, eco-friendly, and thoughtfully crafted cork lifestyle products.

They primarily using cork as a material to create eco-friendly homewares and accessories. Jenny's Portuguese heritage, where cork is a traditional material, heavily influences the brand's ethos and products.

Their cork planters are the perfect vessel for a lovely plant, if you want to add a bit of the outside in this summer. If you love simplicity and minimalism, then you’ll absolutely adore the sleek Aurora Cork Planter.

Shop Aurora Cork Planter £45
Visit Mid The Cork website
Follow @mindthecork

 

See+QUIN

See+QUIN is an embellishment studio based in the picturesque city of Bath, UK.

Founded by Kate, this studio transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary with her trusty hand-operated chainstitch Singer sewing machine.

At See+QUIN, it's all about adding a unique, playful twist to home decor. One of my favoruite items is the Embroidered Strawberries n Cream Napkins. These charming napkins make the perfect addition to any picnic or alfresco dinner in the garden, bringing a touch of whimsy and elegance to your table.

Shop Embroidered Strawberries n Cream Napkins £24
Visit See+QUIN website
Follow @seeandquin

 

Bombaby

Founded by Sarah at the end of 2021, Bombaby began after a serendipitous encounter with a supplier and a desire for change in her life.

Bombaby specialises in dreamy handmade bedding and fabulous boho quilted accessories, all infused with vibrant neon colours and handmade exclusively in India.

One of the standout pieces in Bombaby's collection is the beautiful pink enamel jug in lipstick pink, adorned with lovely florals and bold tigers. This eye-catching jug is the prettiest addition to your home. Pair it with some colourful flowers, and your home will instantly feel brighter.

Shop Pink Enamel Jug £39.50
Visit Bombaby website
Follow @bombabyuk

 

Bouclé

Founded in Hackney by Ben & Louise, Bouclé is a candle company that creates exclusive scent blends, all developed in-house using 100% pure essential oils. This means you get natural fragrances without synthetic chemicals.

One of their creations, the Sicilian Citrus, Lavender & Rosemary Candle, was inspired by a trip to southern Spain. The fresh aromas of oranges and lemons led to this uplifting scent, which blends herbaceous lavender, invigorating rosemary, zesty lemon peel, and sweet orange.

Let this Bouclé blend transport your senses to the sun-soaked hills of Sicily. The vibrant notes are perfect for uplifting your home.

Shop Sicilian Citrus, Lavender & Rosemary Candle from £18.50
Visit Bouclé website
Follow @boucle_co

 

Skudaboo

Finally, I'm excited to share a bit about my own small business, Skudaboo, where you can find vibrant and eclectic art prints designed to brighten your everyday life.

One of my current favourites is The Man with Flowers Art Print, designed by the talented artist Nat Purple. This piece is a stunning blend of vibrant colours and intricate details, instantly adding a touch of sophistication to any space. I love how the bold hues and detailed composition bring a dynamic and artistic energy to the room.

Shop The Man with Flowers Art Print from £10
Visit Skudaboo website
Follow @skudaboo

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Supporting small businesses not only helps you find unique and high-quality items but also makes a meaningful impact on the lives of passionate entrepreneurs.

This summer, explore these wonderful small businesses and discover beautiful pieces that bring joy and character to your life. Stay tuned for more recommendations and inspiration.

If you're a small business owner as well and want to collaborate on creating lovely content, like this blog, together and help grow our backlinks so more customers can find us on google, get in touch at hello@skudaboo.co.uk or DM me on instagram. Let's support each other and grow together!