Do you have crafty person in your life? Someone that just makes things? As a professional hobby collector I can tell you that type of person is good at making due with what’s on hand.
That might mean using a book as a hammer or painting with your fingers because you can’t find a brush. This holiday season is a great time to make that persons life a little easier
I’m a huge fan of practical gifts, especially when they can be used to create a fun experience. I’m focusing on the tools in this post but you can take any idea and spin it into it’s own gift idea.
If you’re buying for a knitter, add yarn; a seamstress, get a gift card to the fabric store etc.
Welcome to the 5th annual 12 Days of Holiday Ideas event, hosted by Shirley of Intelligent Domestications and Erlene of My Pinterventures Between Nov. 11th and December 6th there will be hundreds of new ideas shared by over 55 Co-host bloggers!
Go here to see our kick-off collection of Holiday ideas as well as all of this years talented participating DIY and Foodie Blogs. Download this years November and December calendars with all of the topics and dates so you can make plans to watch for ideas!
We are hosting a BIG GIVEAWAY from our Sponsors this year! Be sure to scroll all the way down for more information and to enter to win!
Now let’s get into the real reason you clicked over, letting me tell you what yo buy someone for the holidays or a birthday or as a thank you gift for your babysitter because she got blood on her jeans when she brought in your rooster that just got hit by a car again (ok, the last one is probably just for me.
Some of these ideas can stand alone, a few you could shove in a stocking and you could always go all out and buy everything.
I’m talking about ‘crafting’ as a general category but obviously there are people that just do one thing like crocheting or painting. I’m going to add some more specialized advice in each section so just keep the person you’re buying for in mind and see this as more of a guide than a shopping list.
Tool Box, Basket or Bag
You know what makes crafting easy? Knowing where all your supplies are.
As an added bonus this basically wraps your gift for you! See? Practical!
I have a small tool box in my craft room that holds my hand tools like my hammer, measuring tape, sanding blocks, pliers, screwdrivers and other miscellaneous things. It has little sections in the top that I use to hold screws, brads and nails that I use for projects or just around the house.
Another option is a pretty basket. I use a copper wire basket to hold my painting supplies.
It’s the perfect size for a handful of canvas boards, a mason jar full of brushes and one for water and my paints. It’s pretty enough that you could just slap a bow on it and hand it over.
The last option is a tote bag, perfect for crafters on the go. I keep all of my punch needle supplies in a photo storage box that I can slide into a tote bag with whatever project I ‘m working on.
You could even get a custom one made with either a printed or embroidered decoration.
Scissors
The holy grail of craft supplies and the one thing I spend more time looking for than my kids shoes. Depending on the type of crafting you’re talking about you might even need a few pairs.
Fabric Scissors
You want to piss off a sewer? Use their fancy fabric scissors for ANYTHING that isn’t fabric. I’ve worked for a sewing company for 10 years and I’ve had plenty of experience with scissors during that time.
A few years back my boss bought us all Kai scissors and it was like the sky opened and sun shone down. They are SO sharp, SO smooth and SO light.
I actually stopped using them to cut off embroidery backing because I accidentally cut through the shirt a few times.
It sounds crazy but having good scissors with save your shoulder and you sanity. If you love someone that sews buy them nice fabric scissors.
Paper & Everything Else Scissors
If you’re buying for a person that works with paper or makes wreathes or really anything that doesn’t require cutting fabric you can’t go wrong with a pair of spring loaded Fiskars.
Don’t get me wrong, you can use these for fabric, they’re what I use at home (I just happen to cut most of my fabric at work). They’re my number one choice for hand-shearing an alpaca too.
The spring loaded handle does a great job cutting back on hand strain and it’s really nice that you can lock them shut. Especially if you’re throwing them in a bag and taking off.
Snips
Final stop in this category, baby scissors or snips. I buy these things in bulk and I don’t know a single crafter that couldn’t use a pair.
They really shine when it comes to working with yarn, ribbon and thread. I keep a set in my punch needle embroidery supply bag, another in the tote bag holding my… 2015 Temperature afghan.
Glue Gun
It’s hard to imagine a crafter without a glue gun. Sure they’re dangerous and hot glue burns hurt almost as much as child birth but they’re still a basic necessity.
They come in handy for making wreaths, adding ribbon to complete a ghost windsock and if 5 Minute Crafts is to be believed (they’re not) making shoes (don’t make shoes out of hot glue).
As a hot mess crafter I can tell you that after a few years of use they get pretty nasty. The metal cone where the glue comes out inevitably gets covered with little bits of things that burn on forever.
If you know someone with a extra nasty glue gun or someone just getting into the wild world of DIY hook them up with a glue gun and a pack of glue sticks.
Wire Cutters
Wire cutters are the BEST tool I’ve found for working with fake flowers. They also come in pretty handy for working with wire (imagine that).
Fake flowers usually have wire coated in plastic for their stems, you can hack through them with scissors but it’s gonna mess up the blades and take a lot longer.
I prefer using wire over hot glue if I’m making something that’s going to be outside in the winter like a Christmas wreath or garland. It takes a little longer but everything ends up much more secure.
This is a crafty gift that they might not see coming but it’s definitely going to earn a place in the most used tools.
Painters Tape
Kind of like wire cutters this one is a little bit of an odd ball. Painters tape isn’t just for painting.
It’s designed to be low tack so it’s easy to remove and doesn’t leave residue. I use it to hold things together while I’m waiting for glue to dry or if I’m just messing around and trying to figure out the right place for something.
I’ve also used it to tape a small canvas board to something big enough to sit on my table top easel. A few loops on the back and the canvas stayed nice and secure.
It can even be used as transfer tape in a pinch, which brings us to our last item.
Die Cutting Machine
This is the big ticket item on this list. There are two main companies when it comes to die cut machines, Silhouette and Cricut.
I have the original Silhouette Cameo, they have updated it a few times since I bought mine but I’m more than happy with what I can do with it.
It can be used to cut paper, vinyl and other specialty materials. I don’t use mine nearly as often as I should.
It’s a great gift for someone that like to make lettered signs, holiday decorations, home decor, cards, really you can just keep going and going.
I’ve used mine to ‘screenprint’ curtains, make customized birth announcement ornaments and so much more.
That brings us to the end, I hope I’ve given you a few ideas for the crafty person in your life, if not I hope I at least kept you entertained for a few minutes!
Don’t forget to enter the giveaway and check out the round up at the bottom for more holiday gift guides (they’re not all about crafting!)
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Giveaway begins Nov. 8, 2019 and ends Dec. 6, 2019. Winners will be notified by December 13, 2019. Sponsors will ship each prize to the winner. There will be a total of six winners, one for each prize. Drawing is by random selection using the Rafflecopter widget.
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Cyn Gagen
Wednesday 18th of December 2019
These are such great ideas! I'm reorganizing my craft room so there are several ideas here I'd love to receive that would help me
Marie
Wednesday 13th of November 2019
Great ideas here! I could use a pair of those snips. Pinned :)
Carol
Wednesday 13th of November 2019
I love those Fiskars scissors. They are perfect for cutting out sewing patterns. Kai scissors have been on my wish list for awhile now. Great choices!
Erlene
Wednesday 13th of November 2019
I need to get a small toolbox. I hate digging through my hubby's giant box for stuff :-)
Jenny
Monday 11th of November 2019
I've never hear of snips, but now I want a pair. You can never have enough scissors when you craft.