Gifts that make the stay-at-home life merrier

This year’s gift list is heavy on the creative side because that’s the way I roll and because creativity is good for what ails you.

Share the gift of weaving with a class or kit from Spruce & Linen. I love Jennell Flynn’s YouTube weaving tutorials. Check out her River Weaving Course ($179) or one of the weaving kits in her ETSY shop ($120.28). Her walnut weaving needle would also make a great gift ($27.30).
Share the gift of inclusive design with Black Illustrations by John D. Saunders. I love these illustrations. Sign up for emails to get updates on new collections and special deals. You can download this business set for free.
For the makers on your list, give a subscription to The Crafter’s Box (about $65 per month). This is a great, reasonably priced subscription box with a nice range of projects. The kits come with almost everything you need–the only thing I’ve supplied so far is a pair of scissors. You can easily pause your subscription or swap the monthly box for something else, so you don’t feel inundated or stuck with a project.
Give a whole year of classes to your crafty crafters with Craftsy Subscription ($79.99 per year). Craftsy offers a wide range of art, quilting and needlework classes. Classes come with supply lists and a series of short videos teaching hands-on techniques.
A couple of my favorite classes:
– Creative Quilting with your walking foot with Jacquie Gering
– Start-up Library: Hand Embroidery with Kat McTee
For the Mother Earth-lovin’ tree hugger in your life, what could be better than Who Gives a Crap Toilet Paper? Who knew toilet paper could be gifty? Thank you, 2020. Choose between recycled paper and bamboo toilet paper, 48 individually wrapped (with paper) double rolls per box. $52 for the bamboo and $48 for the recycled paper version. Or subscribe and save. No plastic anywhere. Also: they donate 50% of their profits to build toilets and improve sanitation around the world.
Share the gift of yoga and movement. Help someone you love to find what feels good with Yoga by Adriene! Exercise is a surefire path out of the stress tunnel! Adriene Mishler’s yoga videos are free so you can add a workout mat and a super cute t-shirt featuring Adriene’s dog Benji. (Read more about Adriene in the New York Times.)
Introduce a foodie friend to Tabitha Brown (Instagram and TikTok). Aunt Tab is getting us through 2020. Share something from her shop or a collection of her go-to cooking items: garlic powder, salt-free seasoning, coconut aminos, Nori Komi Furikake, and olive oil, of course, like so, like that.
For the cerebral world-changers on your list, consider the Obama Trifecta: Becoming, (Michelle Obama), Promised Land, (Barack Obama), and Obama: An Intimate Portrait (Pete Souza). I loved, loved, loved Becoming, and recommend the documentary of the same name on Netflix, too. I’ve been following Pete Souza on Instagram since 2016. He’s not just an amazing photographer; he’s an amazing storyteller and wrote the book on throwing shade. My copy of Promised Land just arrived, and I’m looking forward to cracking that open soon. And share Pete Souza’s new documentary as a bonus, The Way I See It.
Make a contribution to Dogs Playing for Life to honor the dog lovers on your list. DGPL enriches the lives and adoption chances of dogs in shelters by training shelter staff to run dog playgroups. Playgroups improve socialization, reduce boredom, create a better living environment, and make dogs happy. They also offer intensive TLC, training, rehab, and recovery for dogs in their Canine Center Florida.
The Professional Overthinker sweatshirt by Huyen Dinh. ($56.00) Show the loveable overthinker on your list that you care with a Professional Overthinker sweatshirt. Trust me, they will feel seen. More fun items in her shop. Follow her on Instagram for a regular dose of pink, fun, and self-love.