Creativity-Boosting Gift Guide: PART I
For the crafty, from the crafty 🎁
IT’S HERE! IT’S TIME! GIFT-GIVING SEASON IS UPON US! 💝
Like many of us trying to lead creative lives within a capitalist society, I have mixed feelings about holiday gift-giving.
On the one hand, I think it’s a prime example of the unhealthy over-consumerism glorified in our society. It’s kind of insane that we’re all encouraged — nay, pressured — to blow tons of money on mountains of presents once a year and to promote actions that cause extreme waste.
So, to set us off on the right note before diving into the hundreds of present ideas I have for you, here are some helpful links worth checking out:
From The Ethical Consumer: Your Ultimate Guide to an Ethical Christmas
The best gifts to buy second-hand and Second-hand gifts that will slay this season
How to curb holiday shopping and break the obsessive buying cycle by Leslie Stephens
From the NY Times: Where You Should Donate This Holiday Season and Gift Ideas that Push Back the Darkness
Top 30 Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas for $150 or Less
Ok… Now that we’ve made that clear…..
I fucking LOVE giving presents.
It’s one of my primary love languages and always has been. I delight in scouting little shops and hand-making gifts. I keep a running list of present ideas year-round. There should be a specific word for the total joy of watching loved ones open the perfect gift. I get giddy just thinking about it.
To help out my fellow creatives, I’ve compiled an extensive (THREE! PART!) Gift Guide focused on inspiration. A guide to help you find the perfect things for your loved ones where you can enjoy the process and feel creative.
A few notes:
I really tried to source from a huge variety of retailers (avoiding Amazon where I could—but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do). I really encourage you to check out Etsy, small online gift shops, local stores, and craft fairs in your area.
I also tried to keep everything under $100 and most things under $50. Stay tuned later this week for a stocking stuffer guide that focuses entirely on small gifts.
Most of the crafty suggestions have links to videos or tutorials!
OK! Now that I’ve caveated all the things, we can dive in.
Below are gifts to inspire creativity in others and ideas to get creative yourself!
Basically, nothing is better than a handmade gift. I don’t care how janky it is, if someone makes me something, I cherish it forever. That being said, I know not everyone is as crafty or artistically inclined as others, so I tried to pick super easy DIY presents as well as handmade gifts that only require some time at the thrift shop!
Custom Keychains: 🔑
These keychains are what I’ll be making for everyone this year. (Sorry for the spoiler, friends.) I’m just saying… A photobooth picture would fit inside perfectly. 🎞️
Or you could make tiny paintings and insert them! 🖼️
OR use leftover beads from the friendship bracelet kit I know you Swifties out there all have, and add some cute charms! 📿
I WILL be making a paw print ornament! 🐾
Air Dry Clay: 🏺
You can grab a tub of Crayola clay or Sunday & Clay looks great too! (Their Instagram has a bunch of ideas & DIY videos too!)
Make little Instax photo stands, trinket dishes, this adorable wavy bowl, a cute little ring dish or a cloud shape OR heart shaped dish!
Upcycle: ♻️
Repurpose a used candle into a cute jar! 🫙
Repurpose yogurt jars into all kinds of different things (you can get lids for them here) 🍯
Photo Magnets: Simple photo magnets, Photo Paper Magnets, Instax Style, or Clay Frames! (You can get all different kinds of adhesive-backed magnets) 🧲
I also found this really cute Kids Art Magnet DIY
Hot Sauce! My best friend made everyone homemade hot sauce a few years ago, and we’ve been begging her to do it again since. Here are some recipes you can try! Quick Cook OR Fermented or Easy Homemade Hot Sauce. 🌶️
Here are some bottles with labels to buy!
Thrift Flip: Let’s normalize shopping second-hand for presents, please!! 🛒
An adorable match strike jar (get the stick-on match strikers here) 🔥
Make some cute teacup candles, or any vessel really. If you want to make it super easy for yourself try these Candle refill kits. 🕯️
I am obsessed with this book bouquet! 💐
Make little beverage boxes with vintage glassware and their favorite drink! 🥂
Bookmarks! Here are some suuuper cute bookmark DIY’s for the bookworm in your life! Sparkly Shakable Bookmark, Painted Bouquet Bookmark, Charm Bookmarks, Custom Photo Bookmark, or a Pressed Flower Bookmark! 📚
We all have enough STUFF. But what about gifts that inspire us to MAKE? To CREATE?! This can be taking photos, journaling, or cooking up a storm. It can look like making bracelets with your nieces, scrapbooking, or learning how to weave. Whatever kind of inspiration you want to spread, I’ve got you covered!
Scrapbooking and Journal Supplies 📒
Canon Ivy mini photo printer: I use this all the time and love it! The photo paper has adhesive backing turning your pictures into stickers, and it doesn’t require any ink! 🖨️
The book The Art of Memory Collecting: 15 Scrapbook, Collage, Trinket and Zine Projects For Crafting Treasured Moments by Martina Calvi is a DELIGHT! 💝
Collage Kit Magazine - This is a “magazine of photographs, illustrations, and textures to be cut up and reassembled into your own collage masterpiece.” ✂️
Honestly everything from Free Period Press would make amazing gifts!
My Favorite Journal/Notebook: The only notebook I use and swear by! Bonus points if you get it monogrammed or add a matching pen loop! 📓
This Stationary Gift Guide by Journaling Dan has more great ideas! 📒
At-Home Clay: Sculpd makes great kiln-free pottery starter kits 🏺
Cookbooks! Get creative in the kitchen with some of these:
TENZO is a Japanese home goods/kitchenware shop that has beautiful gifts! 🇯🇵
Another gift for the home chef - Aprons! Hedley & Bennett is THE spot for professional quality aprons, with SO many cute designs & collabs! 🧑🍳
Hook, Line & Tinker has the cutest embroidery kits! 🧵
Crafts for Kids:
Merci Milo has great craft kits for kids! 👭
And Fair Play Projects is another great kiddo shop! 👬
Craft Kits for Adults:
Don’t sleep on Etsy! Solar printing, Macrame, Punch Needle Coasters or pillowcases!
Photography:
Official Polaroid Cameras are back, and we are all grateful. You can go for the brand’s new model, or if you want some nostalgia, Retrospekt makes super fun retro and branded ones. A few faves: Hello Kitty, Malibu Barbie, or the classic. Don’t forget the film! 🎞️
Instax Mini cameras are also always a win! 📷
A 35mm Film Camera: This is a fun piece in Conde Naste about the joys of a $25 film camera (linked below!) 📸
Kodak 35mm Reusable Film Camera for fun, OR you may want to get them a nice refurbished film camera!
Film Options (if you’re not sure what kind to get, any 35mm film that says 400 is a good bet!): Kodak Ultramax 400, Kodak Gold 200, or if you want to be fancccyyy you can go with Portra 400. 🎞️
OR for fun experimental film, Psych Blues makes the coolest film!
I love Block Shop Textiles, and they have cool block printing kits!
Illustrator Lisa Congdon has cross-stitch kits of her designs! 🪡
Woven wall hangings are so fun to look at, I imagine they’re also fun to make! Check out a Weaving Loom Kit here, here, or here 🧶
For the friend who’s always got a new project to promote, it’d be so fun to get them a Button & Magnet Making Press. 💡
I hope you are feeling as inspired and excited about creative gift-giving as I am. If you’ve got more fun ideas, PLEASE let me know in the comments! 🎁
And please keep checking back all week for parts two and three!
This is incredibly insightful and helpful!
Thanks for inspiring me to get creative! I’m going to try some of your ideas. For gift giving, I enjoy making custom tea towels and then pair it with a baked good. I screen print an image and for my siblings, I added one of my Mom’s sayings to personalize it. I love your writing - cheering you on!