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We all know one. A crafter, a creator, a DIYer. That one person who handmakes all of the gifts they give. And not lame, cheap looking, who-can-I-regift-this-to gifts, but awesome oh-my-gosh-you-made-this-yourself?!? gifts that look like they came from an expensive specialty boutique. So what do you give to that person when gift-giving time rolls around? How do you know what they’ll like? How do you return the favor and find something that shows how thoughtful and intuitive you are? We’ve rounded up some ideas that are worth giving a shot.
1) Craft Subscriptions.
There are subscriptions for everything. Movies. Video games. Clothes. Condoms. (Yes, you can actually purchase a condom subscription, who would have thought?). If people use it, you can get it sent to your door every month. So, why not get one for your favorite crafter? You can get them 12 months of their favorite craft magazine, one month of their favorite craft supplies, or anything in between. You can peruse articles like this one to help you find what you are looking for.
2) Craft Supplies.
Speaking of craft supplies, those make great gifts too. If your crafter or DIYer has been raving about a particular product that they’ve been dying to add to their collection, snag it for them! Because, as every crafter knows, you can never have too many craft supplies.
3) Craft store gift cards.
But what if you don’t know what kind/brand of supplies your artisan uses? No worries, simply get them a gift card so they can purchase their own supplies. If they sew, get them a card to a place like Joanns. If they work with wood, try Woodcraft. If they are into general crafts, there are places like HobbyLobby, Michael’s, etc. The possibilities are endless! If you don’t know where they shop, ask them by telling them you’re curious about where they purchase their supplies. And of course, I know that there are those of you who think that gift cards are impersonal, but if you take the time to purchase a gift card to a store that you know the recipient will patronize, it demonstrates the thought that you put into finding the perfect gift. In this situation, it really is the thought that counts!
4) Storage items.
For many makers, (myself included, much to the dismay of my longsuffering husband), in addition to never having too many supplies, you can also never have too much storage to hold said supplies. From baskets and bags to cabinets and crates, there are all kinds of things you can purchase for your crafter to store and organize their supplies. The kind of storage items that your crafter will need is going to depend on their craft. If they use small supplies such as paints and brushes, paper supplies, yarn and fabric, jewelry and findings, sewing supplies, and other similar objects, you can find gifts like the ones sold by Thirty-One Gifts and Clever Container. If they use larger items such as drills, saws, anvils, grinders, and sewing machines, then they may have use for cabinets such as those found here. And if you’re looking to secure your place as their most favorite person in the history of ever, there’s always this option from The Original Scrapbox.
5) Journaling supplies
Every crafter needs a method for capturing their ideas or designs, chronicling the projects they are working on, recording their inventory, or even writing down a myriad of stuff not at all related to their work. So, there’s a huge chance that they’ll be grateful if you provide them with items that will allow them to do that. You can get them unique or customized stationery and writing utensils, or flash drives or electronic media. If you’re not going for the element of surprise, you could even ask if they’d like an upgrade on whatever digital storage they currently use (i.e. Dropbox, cloud storage, etc.).
6) Snack boxes.
Hey, everybody needs to eat, including artists. We don’t actually like to do the whole “starving artist” thing. You can get a customized monthly snack box like Graze or Vegan Cuts (can you tell I’m a little bit obsessed with subscriptions right now?). If you don’t want to go the subscription route, you can get a one-time gift from sites like ManCrates or Harry & David. Or, if you want to unleash your inner DIYer, then you can create your own snack box full of all their favorite goodies handpicked by you and presented in a beautiful package. Any way you slice it, they’ll eat it up.
7) DVDs
Some creators, especially those who perform repetitive tasks like crocheting and knitting, like to watch tv while they craft. So, why not get them something to watch? You could get them the box set of their favorite show or movie series. You could get them that obscure Indie flick that they’ve loved since childhood. Or, you could gift them a streaming service like Netflix or Hulu (I know, I know, more subscriptions, LOL, I can’t help it, they’re awesome!).
8) Things they can’t/don’t make.
Something really thoughtful to give to your favorite maker is something they don’t make themselves, perhaps from another artisan. If they are a painter, they might love a custom made cabinet from a local woodworker. If they make jewelry, they might like a beautiful knitted scarf from a fiber artist. Or, you could even get them something in the same category as the things they create, as long as it’s not something they create themselves. For example, I crochet small items like scarves, headbands, baby items, and the occasional blanket. I personally do not like to crochet clothes as they’re just not my favorite thing to make. However, I’d swoon if I received a crocheted skirt or necklace from Black Pearl Creations as a gift, since they are things that I have no desire to make for myself that are absolutely stunning! You have to really know your crafter to pull this one off, so if you think it’s too risky, you can opt for our next item on the list instead.
9) Time
This item, along with the last on our list, does not cost any money at all, but could be huge for your maker. Many of us wish we had more time in a day, and while you technically can’t give that, you can free up some of their time by donating your own. You can babysit their kids for an hour. Or house sit while they go away for a week. Or dust their living room. Or fold their 10 loads of piled up clothes from the dryer. (Yes, I’ve become so immersed in a project that I kept taking the clothes out of the dryer after washing and fully intended to go fold them later, and later ended up being 10 loads, don’t judge me!) There are so many things that they can do with the time you free up for them that it could end up being an invaluable gift.
10) Praise
Whether your crafter makes their items to sell for profit, or simply loves to use their talents to create gifts for others, one of the greatest things you can give them is praise. If they make you a beautiful gift, tell them so! Tweet about how you used it and post a pic of it in action on your Instagram. If they sell items, be sure to leave a review, even if you received the item as a gift instead of purchasing it. The best form of advertising is still word of mouth from someone you trust, so if you are interacting with someone and they compliment something from your crafter, tell them where you got it! You can even carry your crafter’s business card or keep their info on your phone so it’s easily accessible when someone points out how much they love your item. If you follow them on social media, share your favorite products and tell why you love them. If you are sincere, people will recognize that and see the value in what was created, and often times want to obtain those items for themselves as well. It seems like a small thing, but it can be huge for your crafter, especially if they sell their items, and all it costs you is a few minutes of your time.
What fabulous gifts do you give the crafters in your life that didn’t make the list? Drop them in the comments below!