Every year, we’re all faced with the question of wtf to get the people in our lives for the holiday season. And every year, our minds goes blank. But lucky for you, I consider myself a top tier gift giver. So I wanted to put together a whole series of holiday gift guides to give you a helping hand. To kick it off, here’s your gift guide to help you figure out what to buy for your creative friend this year.
The creative friend – the diy-er, artist, fashionista, whatever they are – can be really fun but also really hard to buy for. A lot of them take pride in making things for themselves. Or they have a very curated collection of items. So the trick here is to get them things to help them flex their creative muscle, one of a kind items, or tools to reach their full creative potential.
here are all of the best ideas for what to buy your creative friend. guaranteed to make them happy.
mini house building set
I’m speaking from personal experience here – i.e. my boyfriend and I just got one of these last year. And if your friend loves a good creative challenge, this is the one.
Everything from the mini furniture to the books to the building itself is made from scratch. The satisfaction of checking the furniture pieces of your list is next level.
And there are so many different mini houses to choose from.
Another similar option here is to get them a lego set if that’s more their style.
canvas and paints
Next one is a simple idea, but great for the person who has everything. Give your creative friend the tools to make some more art themselves!
If you give them a few canvases (there are always deals at Amazon and Michaels!) and some acrylic paints, it’s a gift that will keep on giving. And if you want to go all out, get them an easel or drawing board, too!
This is probably the most foolproof idea if you’re wondering what to buy for your creative friend.
drawing and writing prompt workbooks
Sometimes even your most creative friends get in a creative funk. So give them a little help with these books full of prompts.
Whether their creative trade of choice is writing or drawing, there are SO many different options you can get them to help them stretch their creative muscles.
There’s even a workbook specifically for artists who love weed. You can truly find anything you need on the internet.
gift sets from small artists
If your friend is an artist, they’ll likely appreciate supporting another small artist. So look into some of the people they follow or do some digging on Instagram/Etsy yourself. Find an artist who represents the vibe that your friend typically goes for.
Some of these artists may have gift set packages already put together for the holidays. Otherwise, you can create one yourself.
Some things that are great to include to fit any budget:
- prints
- stickers
- tote Bags
- candles
- ashing trays
coffee table books
We all love a good coffee table book. But they’re just pricey enough that we don’t usually want to buy them ourselves. So that makes it the perfect opportunity for a gift!
Whether they love fashion, interior design, art, architecture, or books, there’s a coffee table book for that.
For a meaningful DIY option: create a custom coffee table book for them. If they’re an artist, compile all of their best pieces. Or you can make one of pieces of their favorite artists. If you want to go the purely sentimental route, create a book of all your favorite memories with them.
Here’s a great website to create your custom book.
skillshare membership
This is one of my all-time favorite gift ideas, because I know how much I love skillshare. And it’s not something many would think to gift.
If you’re unfamiliar with Skillshare, it’s basically a big database of courses to help you learn a variety of skills. And there are tons of options for learning new creative trades. You just pay one yearly fee and have access to the whole catalog of classes.
Personally, I have taken some courses on interior design, some on dancing, some on procreate. It’s such a fun way to learn a new skill or brush up on something you’re already interested in.
software subscriptions
We’re in 2021 now, so your creative friend probably needs some digital tools. Check into their stack and see if there’s anything they’re missing that could make their life easier and more creative.
One idea that comes to mind is Procreate. If they have an iPad and love to draw, this one-time purchase of $10 is gonna be the best $10 you’ve ever spent on them.
Another great option is Canva Pro. They made already have the free version, but if you upgrade to Pro for them, their capabilities go through the roof.
If you’re looking to splurge a little more, you could also cover their Adobe Creative Suite for a year. Apps like Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop are two SUPER useful apps for creative people.
This gift may take a little bit of finesse. You’ll have to check to make sure they’re not already subscribed, and the payment/login can be a little complicated. So my best tip is to look up the yearly membership cost and gift it to them on a pre-paid Visa gift card, letting them know what it’s intended for. Creative presentation of the gift always encouraged since visually it would just be a lil gift card.
are you looking to splurge on your creative friend?
Listen, if you have the funds, go ahead and spoil your creative friend or partner. One thing that I have identified as an amazing creative tool no matter what your trade is, is an iPad.
I’m on my sixth iPad in my life. So I know a thing or two about them. My previous 2 iPads have been iPaid Pros, but I actually opted for the Air this time (transparently, because I wanted the blue to match all my other Apple products). But the M1 chip was actually an upgrade from my 2019 iPad Air. And I am extremely surprised by it’s capabilities.
I use it for drawing on Procreate, recording tiktoks, taking notes on future blog posts, creative floor plans, and digital planning. I truly would be unable to be nearly as productive as I am now without this thing.
It’s a pretty hefty price tag, with the Pro starting at $749 and the iPad Air starting at $569. My suggestion would just be to only get them an iPad that’s compatible with the 2nd gen Apple pencil.
Either way, you’re gonna drop some cash. But if you have the means and this person is really special to you, I can guarantee you they will get the use out of it.
i hope this helped you make up your mind on what to buy for your creative friend this holiday season!
I’m going to be releasing more holiday gift guides in the next couple of weeks. So keep your eyes out for those or subscribe to the blog to be notified when they drop.
Happy shopping, and
keep it homey, homies
check out my other holiday gift guides!
About me
Hey my name’s Hannah Michelle Lambert, the voice behind homey homies. I’m an LA-based designer, writer, and content strategist. I’m passionate about the intersection of productivity and creativity. I love talking about creative habits, technology, processes, and everything in between that helps me blend the Type A and Type B parts of my brain.
Note: This post contains some affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase from these links, I may make a small commission. This does not affect the price for you, however.
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