Gifts for Readers, Writers, and Visual Artists
Ideas for the creative people in your life (and the not-so-creative people, too!)
Dear Reader,
I have to confess from the start that I’m not great at picking out presents. While this is probably not the best way to introduce the first Good and Beautiful Things gift guide… it’s the truth.
Another confession: even though I write all about creativity and share my art here, I rarely ever make gifts by hand. I simply don’t plan ahead enough to get handmade presents ready in time.
So why should you take time to look through this guide? For today’s post I’m drawing less on my instinct for spotting the perfect gift and more on the things that have spurred on my own creative life and the creative life of those close to me.
Let’s go!
(Note: there are no affiliate links in this post.)
For the Readers in Your Life
This Book’s Lovers Christmas puzzle is gorgeous and it has scenes from treasured classics and a few modern books as well. There are characters from Little Women, A Christmas Carol, Narnia and more. It comes with a two-sided fold out poster with details of all of the characters you’ll find in the puzzle. I found this puzzle last Christmas while walking around Barnes and Noble bookstore.
We gave our daughter this Mini Bookshelf for her birthday last year. Just this weekend she and a friend spent hours organizing the books by color. (Note: I did sort through the books before giving it to her.)
Our “floating bookshelves” are one of my favorite things in our house. We like them so much we also have them on each side of our bed to hold our “to be read” piles.
We have a tradition of picking specific wrapping paper for each person in the family. Last year we found this book/cat themed paper and it was a hit. A few years ago we expanded our search beyond Christmas wrapping paper, which freed us up to find all kinds of unique option (including dinosaurs, birds, sloths, owls, and more). Barnes and Noble and Paper Source also have some great options for unique sheets of wrapping paper.
These Mini Crossword puzzles are fun on your own or as a shared activity during the holidays.
Okay, nobody in my family has this yet, but I want this library card sweater!
Our family celebrates Book Flood on Christmas Eve and it’s fun to find interesting, niche books for each person in our family. Last year I found Cats of the Louvre by Taiyo Matsumoto, a graphic novel, for our young adult daughter who spent a year in France and loves cats. It’s also a time to give special copies of beloved books like these versions of The Light Princess and The Golden Key by George MacDonald.
Stocking Stuffers
I still remember when our family discovered book earrings at an art fair many years ago. Now we head to Etsy for book earrings with pretty papers or customized book covers.
Etsy is also the place to find stickers or pins based on favorite books. We bought our daughter this Swallows and Amazons sticker and our other daughter this Night Circus pin. If you haven’t sourced Etsy for nerdy stocking stuffers, you’re missing out.
This vintage library card keychain is definitely going on my list!
My friend recommended this book weight, she says she uses it all the time when she’s copying out quotes from a book.
For the Writers in the Your Life
Someone gave my daughter this typewriter pen holder and I’ve been itching for one ever since.
My daughter also loves this candle she was given by another writer friend since it makes her writing time extra special whenever she lights it.
The fiction writer will find the Emotion Thesaurus a helpful resource to have on hand. As I flipped through my daughter’s copy I realized it might be a good resource for actors, too! (See page excerpt above).
On Writing (and Writers): A Miscellany of Advice and Opinions by C.S. Lewis: “Featuring over one hundred excerpts…On Writing (and Writers) brings together C. S. Lewis’s reflections on the power, importance, and joy of a life dedicated to writing.” (Description from Amazon link).
You the Story: A Writer’s Guide to Craft through Memory by Ruta Sepetys.
From my daughter:
“This book reawakened the most inspiration and clarity in my writing of any books I’ve read about the craft. The way it’s written is inviting and engaging; it gave me the tools for the type of writing I hope to do one day while also embodying it.”
(Note: for those who might consider this for their teenagers, there is a bit of coarse language in this book.)
I’d never heard of the five-year journal until two years ago and now I look forward to recording a few lines every evening and looking back at the entries from the years prior. Here’s a post I wrote about how I use it. I like this one and my daughter likes this one.
Stocking Stuffers
When my daughter gave me the World’s Smallest Bananagrams for Christmas last year it took me several minutes to stop laughing. I love that it’s actually functional and we play it pretty often.
Shakespeare Sticky Notes are the perfect nerdy stocking stuffer.
Typewriter Earrings! Yes, please.
For the Visual Artists in Your Life
Have a puzzle made from your own art or your children’s art. I’ve used the 252 piece version on Shutterfly (challenging enough but still fun). My mom liked hers so much she framed it and put it on her wall!
An art print t-shirt. I get compliments on this one every time I wear it.
A toned notebook with white and back Posca markers.
These two collage books: Book for Paper Lovers: Color Your World with papers so you can get started right away. Or Cut Paper Pictures: Turn Your Art and Photos into Personalized Collages by Clover Robin, full of ideas and collage papers in the back (see this post for more details about the latter book).
Feel Something Make Something: A Guide to Collaborating with Your Emotions by Caitlin Metz.
A photo printer for collage work, gifts, journaling, etc. (I also like the circular sticker paper you can buy for this printer).
A subscription for the print magazine: What Women Create and/or Where Women Create. These magazines are beautiful and inspiring at the same time. I’ve missed magazines!
A gift card for online art classes. I’ve been taking classes at my kitchen table for more than a decade through Carla Sonheim’s diverse collection of art classes. When my kids were younger, we would do the lessons together. A few of my favorites have been Sketchbooking and Urban Sketchbooking with Lewis Rossignol, Big Bold Bloom Wild Painting and WordPlay Painting with Lynn Whipple, and Gelli Plate Printing with Carla Sonheim.
Stocking Stuffers
This date stamp is such a simple delight to finish off a sketchbook page.
A white gel pen is perfect for highlights and creative lettering.
A Pentel Water Brush is the perfect travel tool. They come in different sizes and honestly since using these brushes I rarely use a traditional paintbrush anymore.
Washi tape is rather addictive and a great addition for a travel art kit, great for collage and taping in bits of ephemera from a trip.
I needed a small pair of scissors and when I came across these bird scissors I wondered why anyone would buy not-bird scissors.
Stabilo Woody pencils are vibrant and waxy and layer nicely over other mediums like watercolor and acrylic paints/markers.
For Everyone in Your Life
Make a personalized Pop Funko Character of someone you love. Our kids designed and ordered one of these for my husband a few years back. The figure is wearing glasses, a black shirt, a white apron, he’s holding a plant and a guitar, and has a little rabbit friend at his side. All of these details represent my husband who loves to cook, whispers to plants, plays music, and lost his dear pet rabbit last year.
12 Days of Puzzles Christmas Countdown: Twelve small puzzles to countdown the last twelve days before Christmas!
A customized print of song titles that have been important in a relationship. One of our daughters did this for my husband a few years ago but it would also be great for a friend or a long-time romantic relationship. I like this design, too.
“Now Playing” light up display for vinyl records. I got this for my husband last year and it’s fun to turn on when we’re hosting friends.
JellyCat Stuffed Animals and Other Whimsical Creatures. Some of our favorites are the cloud, the sun, the happy raindrop, the grumpy frog and the baguette keychain. JellyCats are on the expensive side so the keychains are a good option. Shipping on their site is pretty fast. Our daughter majored in French so we got her the baguette keychain for her birthday and she loves it.
The Creatrilogy Box Set by Peter H. Reynolds: Perfect to inspire kids or adults. I wrote a whole post about how his book Ish has influenced my creative life.
Stocking Stuffers
More World’s Smallest games. We also have the World’s smallest card deck, Uno deck, and Exploding Kittens, all of which can actually be played!
Nerdy Sticky notes like Star Trek and Monty Python.
As I look over this list and think about the gifts we’ve given in our family, what I notice is the joy it is to find a present for someone that is specific to their particular personality and interests. Specific wrapping paper, specific stickers or books and even specific stuffed animals! That’s one of the reasons why Etsy is a delightful resource because you can find so many niche items plus you’re supporting an artist at the same time.
Happy Shopping!
Now it’s your turn! What should I add to my list for readers, writers, and visual artists?
May you find space for beauty and art this week!
Aimee
Ooooo thank you for this list! I saved a few items for my own Christmas shopping! That teeny tiny Bananagrams has me giggling! Now I want one. 🍌 I'd add the "Book Lover" Magnetic Poetry Kit and coasters on Etsy that look like wooden books! (The one I have is out of stock, but there are other similar options. We get many compliments on them and people always think they're tiny books at first.)
This is a fun list!!!! Well done!!
Yes! to that Carla Sonheim collection of classes!! thank you for pointing me to them a couple years ago. Highly recommend!
And so many other things on this list I know from my own happy experience or hope to soon. :-)