I’m looking for little projects that I can give out as gifts but I’m looking for shit not made in china.

I found a pepper/salt set that is usa made but most little things like pizza cutters, ice cream etc are all chinese.  

I dont care about price, I’ve tried a few of the chinese sets like a wedding cake set and the quality is terrible.

Even if its just little stuff like coffee scoops or wine stoppers, just looking for better quality and US made would be a bonus

A old friend who was a wood turner used to turn baby rattles for friends and relatives. He turned them from one solid piece of maple and used a child safe oil finish.  

Pretty cool.

my pops turned me a nice paper towel holder. Spindle type sitting on a base.  Love it. One of my favorite things he made and it gets used daily.

He was also approached the other day to start turning urns for a guy. They don't make the best gifts though.

sarge folding knife kit from wood craft is awesome. Very nice knife. No turning though.

eta. Like this but more ornate spindle and beautiful thick walnut base. The paper towels also stop on the spindle an inch or so above the bottom. The exposes the features of the base

For stoppers and openers, Niles Bottle Stoppers. That's about the only hardware I'll use.

Exactly what I’m looking for!   Thanks man, now the search continues for other parts that are usa made

Anyone know of any decent made coffee scoops?   I ordered a few different kits from various sites but they are all poor quality chinese shit

I like turning bowls.   Simple, and many uses - eat from them if you want, put coins or other stuff in them, or just display.

Have made a few pens, fly rod reel seats, chisel handles for old ones that needed a new handle,  and an ice cream scoop handle, but the bowls are my favorite turning thing

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will these work?

I forgot about McKenzie Penworks. Solid stainless, made in the USA pen kits.

Bowls are my favorite as well, I stop down at the village tree dump a few times a week.   Snagged tons of 8-10” walnut logs last time, been cranking out bowls, they are all drying now

So let's see em!

EBR

I'll snag some photos soon, I'm very much a shitty bowl turner but I love it.   I need to go to a class or something, even for my normal woodworking, I never had a mentor or even someone that could show me the ropes, its all self taught or I watched a few videos, but that only gets you so far.   I'm only doing this for fun so I really don't care but I know that my skill could improve greatly with some guidance.

Mortar and pestles make pretty good gifts

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Never even thought of that because mine have slways been stone.   Might have to make one

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Spalted maple.  Just let some logs sit out for 8 months maybe a little more.  Turned out perfect, got lucky.   Wasn't punky or had any insects tunneling in..

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Cherry root ball that my Dad and I dug out years ago.   Big section sat in my workshop for years, then decided it was time to start turning it on a New Year's Eve.   It still had lots of moisture, and lots of reaction wood and some small cracks.   This was before the resin impregnation stuff with pressure pots was a well known thing.   I was afraid if I stopped, it would just crack or split wide open.   I filled little cracks and bark inclusions as I turned.  I think O got done around 2-3 AM.   Then I promptly brought it in and gave it a good coat or tung oil, let it soak in over night and wiped it down to dry in the morning.   Then for like the next 3-4 weeks about every night after work, I would wet sand with tung oil and fine wet/dry sandpaper to fill in the pores and build the finish.   Wipe the excess down and let it dry overnight.   Repeat again for many days until I got a nice glossy film built up.
I still have a pretty good sized chuck left.   I will probably cut out the circular blank and do the resin and try some alumilite effects and pressure pot thing.   But I'd reallly like to get a decent lathe before I try to turn any more large and irregular shaped pieces into bowls.

Classes are good.  Maybe pick something new you haven't done but are wanting to try making.  It will push your limits and skills out.
I used to go to lots of chair making classes.  Especially when Mike Dunbar was still teaching, right up to the last class.   It was my favorite vacation activity for several years.   I went up to NH three different weeks one year.  Also went to a place in CT, VA, and KY, all for chairs (Windsor, Appalachian laser back style, and welsh stick chair, which is a less fancy Windsor pretty much).  
I haven't had time to do any lately.  I wouldn't mind going to a Peter Galbert chair class.   Same Windsor style as Mike Dunbar, but different techniques for some steps.

I turn a lot of bottle openers, stoppers, and stuff like that. But I think mills are my favorite.

The more traditional style of mechanism this uses I think is better than the more complex Crushgrind mechanism. I even have the notching tool so it's not that hard. I just think aside from the relative ease these are nicer.

These are in guanacaste. Despite its rather fibrous texture at first it turns really well.

An old friend that I follow on facebook is into wood working.

He has done a lot of pens and bowls but recently has been making a lot French rolling pins.

Kind of cool and look relatively easy to make but take a big piece of wood to start with.