Heidi Hewes’ shop in Ledyard Center carries a variety of unique gifts and goods for the home, from locally made soap and jewelry to children’s books and handmade wooden toys. One of her most popular sellers so far: a bottle opener shaped like a submarine.

She said she originally placed a small order for the metal bottle openers so she could buy one for her dad, who used to serve on submarines. The store has since sold out of them twice, and she’s been working with the manufacturer to make more before she sells out again.

Hewes opened The Freckled Fox in March in a storefront next to Holdridge Home and Garden Showplace and a new website this month. She said she had always wanted a store, and as the mother of two young sons who attend Ledyard Center School and First Leaps Together across the street, the location in Ledyard was perfect.

“When this space became available, with the boys being across the street, I thought it was just the perfect opportunity, plus I feel like Ledyard really needed something new and fresh,” she said. “We wanted to be available for people instead of having them drive to Mystic or Norwich or wherever to go shopping, having something right here in town that has a little bit of everything.”

Most of the items at The Freckled Fox are things that Hewes uses at home, including the glass Weck canning jars she grew up with. She said she aims to source locally first and then within the U.S. when possible, and it’s important to offer sustainable options in her store so people don’t have to worry about checking the labels.

“It’s harder to buy for a store that way, but as a shop owner, it makes you feel much better about selling your products,” she said. “You know that people are walking away with something that is made well, made locally and safe for their families and for their children.”

In addition to the submarine bottle opener and the Weck jars, items like the enamel dishes and Bee’s Wrap food storage cloths are popular items. Many items also come from New England, especially Maine, where Hewes grew up.

Hewes said she enjoys working with local vendors and other small businesses because she can speak with real people who remember her. Many also have children and can sympathize with last-minute schedule changes. Her dad, brother and husband also make wooden products like vegetable bins and egg trays for the store, and she makes burp cloths to sell.

She acknowledges that the store’s hours aren’t always accessible for people who work, so she launched a website for the store Nov. 23 so customers can place their orders online and have items shipped home or available for pick-up in store on the weekend.

“There’s a lot of people that want to support local businesses but don’t have the time because they’re busy and they’re working, and it’s easier to shop online,” Hewes said, “so this gives you the opportunity to still support local business but shop online.”

For December, she also created a sale calendar, with each day assigned to a specific item in the store. That way, a customer looking to purchase yarn or a children’s book from the store could come in on that particular day and receive a 20 percent discount.

“Everybody that has come in has been so sweet and so kind and complimentary of what we carry and thankful that there’s a shop like this in town now,” she said.

The Freckled Fox is located at 749 Colonel Ledyard Highway in Ledyard and online at www.freckledfoxgiftshop.com.

a.hutchinson@theday.com