Pearlswirl is an Etsian based in Stuttgart, Germany. She was kind enough to show us her charming city, and has handpicked some other fabulous German-based Etsians for your viewing pleasure! Shop Local this holiday season and support independent craftspeople while reducing your carbon footprint!
I have always moved around and always loved it! One of my favorite things in the world is exploring cities and seeing what they have to offer. That’s why I love love love Stuttgart, Germany, and the surrounding area. It’s an old and beautiful city with lots of charming and inspirational little shops. 
One of my favorite stores is Perlenreich, a tiny little bead shop that mixes vintage furnishings with bright, colorful little beads to give that happy creative feeling. It’s located on the idyllic old marketplace of Leonberg, the little town right outside Stuttgart where I live. 
Stuttgart also has the best flea market in the entire world! (No, that’s not biased. It’s fact!) I love to go on Saturday mornings and explore the mix of everything from bead vendors to antique furniture and old postcards, via a little bit of vintage junk and some good old Bratwurst kiosks. 
In my jewelry, I try to capture the feelings I get from exploring places like this. It’s so inspirational: how could I not? I just love that mix of cozy vintage and crazy, unique flea market finds.
Right now in Stuttgart, vendors are beginning to set up for our annual traditional Christmas market. It’s held all over the main pedestrian street and squares downtown, and we get everything from candle-makers to traditional cuckoo-clocks to old-time wooden dolls. And again, let’s not forget that Bratwurst kiosk. It’s a pretty regular sighting.
I love to spend time downtown this time of year (taking pictures for this article gave me an excuse!), being right in the middle of the hustle and bustle, people watching, and just absorbing the good spirits that seem to be floating around in the air. If that’s not creative inspiration, I don’t know what is.
There are definitely lots of other talented sellers who take advantage of the inspirational surrounding that is Germany. Here, I want to highlight some of Deutschland’s best.
Carlee, aka carleescosmiccandies is a glass bead maker from Stuttgart. She’s part Czech and part Italian, so, as she puts it, she unites the two historic nations of glass bead-making. Her creations are colorful and gorgeous (they do make me want to eat them)!
Dindi is the shop of self-representing jewelry artist and designer Erna, who lives in Aachen. She takes old charms, beads, and other pieces and breathes new life into them with her gorgeous jewelry creations. The concept of “wabi-sabi” is her main inspiration.
Renate aka Stregata is another talented jewelry designer from just outside Munich. Renate draws inspiration from the natural world around her to create beautiful, earthy jewelry you would expect to see on a fairy! All her pictures look so in tune with nature that I can actually imagine dewdrops on them.
SiebenMorgen is a gorgeous shop for all sorts of papercrafts and prints, also based in Stuttgart. The designer, Tinee, uses a linocut and designs and makes all the adorable rubber stamps she uses in her crafts. Skill!
Seasprayblue is a really unique shop full of adorable, digitally-colored drawings. Katrin is located in Dresden. Her designs were once described in a blog as ”art filled with thought & meaning and wrapped up with laughter.” This perfectly sums up the feeling of her drawings.
Mygurumi is a lovely little shop of crocheted dolls and animals, based in Rostock. Diana, the designer, says the best part of having her shop is hearing customers’ positive responses to her creatures, and hearing how much their kids love to “brush the creatures’ teeth, even if they have no mouth.”
Svenja is the designer behind Lilukids; gorgeous pillows, quilts, and room furnishings for kids. She lives in Munich. Her designs started out as her personal quest to find cute and original furnishings for her own baby’s nursery; then she decided she might be able to do the same thing for others!
Paperama, formerly kasaa is an amazing shop for journals, folders, labels, and general papergoods. The designer, Kathrin, is a full time jobber by day and a crafter by night (like so many of us!). She is a paper collector, and says her bookbinding craft gives her an excuse to buy all the pretty patterned paper she wants!
Fraeuleinherz is an adorable little shop for all sorts of fabric pouches, cosmetics bags and pencil cases. Tatiana, the designer, lives in Prenzlauer Berg, a very creative and artistic district in Berlin. Her bags, although designed for cosmetics, would make perfect gift bags; you could stuff all the goodies you want inside.
Karin aka eddyandedwina lives in Pforzheim, Germany. This old city is famous in Germany as the city of jewelers, and has many jewelry workshops, museums, and schools related to metal-smithing and other forms of jewelry-making. Karin pierces her own silver and her pieces are absolutely gorgeous.
You can find folks in your area by using Etsy’s Shop Local site feature. Find out more about how Shop Local works. Make sure to update your geo info in your public profile!
Shop Local Posts | Gift Ideas | Shop Local in Your Area | Pearlswirl Blog
59 comments
Sign in to add your ownOffTheHooks says:
wow, this makes me want to go back to Deutschland for a visit!!!
3 years ago
OffTheHooks says:
great pictures, by the way.
3 years ago
dindi says:
Thank you, Jenny for featuring me in this great article! I will check the other shops now!
3 years ago
myzoetrope says:
Oh how I miss Germany! Great highlights!
3 years ago
christinececelia says:
I love Gremany!
3 years ago
gunnelsvensson says:
So many beautiful shops! Congrats to all you who is feautered in this great article!
3 years ago
kilsook says:
great sites, the work is amazing. congrats.
3 years ago
ingermaaike says:
Great article and I will be sure to check out these shops indeed.
3 years ago
iragrant says:
Nice article, lovely shops and thank you for sharing!:)
3 years ago
PinkWaterFairy says:
What a great article! and what lovely places - I have never been to Germany, I feel that flea market calling :)
3 years ago
chichiboulie says:
what fabulous sellers
3 years ago
greensprings0 says:
I am loving these articles, thanks so much for tweeting me about it.
3 years ago
mygurumi says:
great article. thanks for letting me being a part of it. also fantastic other shops! btw: I imagined you taller =^_^=
3 years ago
felicitycrew says:
very interesting article with a lots of new designers to discover! thanks for you effort - your Austrian neighbor :)
3 years ago
AmandaYuDesign says:
Gorgeous artists in Germany! all those creations are fantastic! Thanks for sharing this :)
3 years ago
ArtMind says:
Oh so many new shops I have not looked at! Thanks so much for sharing! Great article! :)
3 years ago
nat1489 says:
I love Germany! I spent a month there this summer travelling the country. ROck on German Crafters!
3 years ago
EJPcreations says:
love the birdy pin :)
3 years ago
smmak2 says:
okay, I'm moving to Germany! What beautiful artist!
3 years ago
SiebenMorgen says:
wow, what a nice article! love your photos, jenny, really beautiful!! thanks for featuring me among all these other great artists... :D
3 years ago
azurejoy says:
Lovely!!! I spent part of my childhood in Germany, and the pictures remind me of my hazy memories! What I wouldn't give to have a nice warm rosinenbroetchen right now!
3 years ago
paperama says:
Yeay, Jenny! Wonderful article and your photos are sooo beautiful! I haven't been to Stuttgart in a while. Thanx so much for featuring me among these fabulous artists ♥ ♥ ♥
3 years ago
sweetshorn says:
Dreamy photos and lovely pieces. I would love to go shopping over there.
3 years ago
stregata says:
Hey Jenny! This article is fantastic, great writing! Thank you so much for featuring me among these talented artists. I will have to check out that flea market ... ;)
3 years ago
thespottedsparrow says:
Great article. It's nice to see other Etsians in Germany! :D
3 years ago
lillyella says:
hey jenny! Yipea - how fabulous!
3 years ago
Kultur says:
Tolle Sachen! Great post, thank you! Good to see Germany embracing Etsy. :)
3 years ago
BlueTerracotta says:
Makes you want to pay a visit.
3 years ago
undertheroot says:
Beautiful land of Beautiful peaople!
3 years ago
karuski says:
Vielen Dank! It was so nice to see faces of all these German designers and artists. Great work, everyone:)
3 years ago
pearlswirl says:
Thanks for the love everyone! And thanks so much to all my wonderful featured shops! Thanks for letting me write about you! Remember everyone, BUY LOCAL this Holiday season!!
3 years ago
nfall2rt says:
wonderful, thank you!
3 years ago
seasprayblue says:
Tausend Dank, Jenny! I'm really happy to be among those fantastic german treasuries. Your photos are great and I wish Stuttgart and Dresden would be just around the corner. It seems to have really cosy places there.
3 years ago
raisinlike says:
Kasaa's shop (old and new) is amazing, and her photography tips saved my life. Yay!
3 years ago
voleurdebijoux says:
Fabulous Article!!
3 years ago
LaCometaLab says:
Great article! I can feel the care you have put into it, so nice. And from now on Stuttgart is one my list of places-to-go... I don't want to miss that amazing flea market ;)
3 years ago
BluCille says:
I love the outsides of the buildings, they almost look like gingerbread houses. So festive!
3 years ago
MeadowbelleMarket says:
Thanks for the tips on German hot-spots for finding treasures. My boyfriend is German (and grew up there). I always enjoy hearing a little bit about the contry and the flea markets will definitely be on my to-do list when I make it there to visit!
3 years ago
apresti says:
wish i knew all this when i went to germany...hopefully there is a second time!!!
3 years ago
kalinivany says:
Ich liebe der Kunst aus Deutschland. Sehr schoen!
3 years ago
jessiemccann says:
Great article! This brings back the memory when I was studying Jewelry making in Pforzheim, Germany during the foreign exchange program while in college. I missed Pforzheim.
3 years ago
gretchenmist says:
i love germany! beautiful pics and a great article. thanku :)
3 years ago
rafya says:
great artists... it so interesting to read on other artists life and country. love this series.
3 years ago
Sinta says:
Beautiful! I'm inspired :)
3 years ago
meltemsem says:
Great artist from Germany!
3 years ago
enchantedpond says:
well done ... i adore the work of Dindi!!!!
3 years ago
annejulie says:
very awesome article! Hugs from France, fellow neighbors!
3 years ago
JetWhitePonytail says:
What a joy
3 years ago
corelladesign says:
What beautiful shops. great article and pics.
3 years ago
ydolem says:
So nice to see an article on our overseas etsian friends!!!! Beautiful works!!!!!
3 years ago
dogties says:
Looks like a wonderful place. Amazing shops and items. Thanks for sharing.
3 years ago
timesandchimes says:
Beautiful article! Great artists! I love the 100% bag and the little houses tags!
3 years ago
pinkracoon says:
Great article! Thanks for including my monster pouch! :)
3 years ago
pinkshowercurtain says:
so many great artists and cool picks. i want to go to Germany! :)
3 years ago
WildKittens says:
It's so lovely to see the pics of Leonberg (& Stuttgart) - I lived there as a child :)
3 years ago
YHPhotos says:
Nice articles and great photos! You bring out the vintage-y feel you talk about very well.
3 years ago
zJayne says:
Wonderful pictures and amazing talent...so fun to come across this...rather late for me, but I love it!
3 years ago
LondonParticulars says:
Gorgeous pictures! I am so ready to go!
2 years ago
SiggisEclectica says:
Just discovered this listing. Am fairly new to Etsy. Was born in Germany many years ago, last visit 2001 (one week after 9/11!) Will have to check out all these stores to see what's being created over there. Great article and info.
1 year ago