25 Days Of Holiday Gifts: The It Bag

Give the gift that keeps on giving in the form of endless compliments. We all but guarantee the lucky recipient of this sleek Indiana-shaped leather crossbody bag won’t be able to leave the house without someone asking where she got her purse. The hand-stitched tote by MH Leathergoods has a pretty great backstory, too. Hiatham Alhamwi owned a bustling leather business in Syria, but in 2012 he was forced to flee the country with his wife, children, and mother. The family spent three and a half years as refugees in Jordan before being approved to come to America. They arrived in Indianapolis in March 2016, and with help from Exodus Refugee Center and their two sponsors, Irvington Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church in Columbus, Alhamwi was able to secure a sewing machine and restart the family’s leather business. You can find this bag and more beautiful MH Leathergoods pieces at Homespun, Black Sheep Gifts, and Snips Hair Salon. $125, MH Leathergoods