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We crafters are an accumulating lot. We love us our tools and gadgets and do-dads and supplies. This should make us an easy group to shop for! When asked to recommend the Top 10 Gifts for Crafters, I wasn't surprised that my list was filled with tools and gadgets for everyone. In alphabetical order:
1.Glass beads can be used to embellish almost everything. You can add them to jewelry (well, duh!), string them into knitwear, sew them onto altered art, add them to scrapbooks, and use them in crafts. If your crafter is a real "hands on" creator, surprise her (or him) with something shiny! The Amaco Warm Glass Jewelry Kit being offered from Dick Blick. According to the catalog description:
This kit has everything needed to create warm glass pieces for earrings, rings, necklaces, and bracelets. It’s also ideal for making small ornaments or decorative objects.
At $80, it's a reasonable beginning of a whole new obsession.
2.The ArtBin Tote Express carry all.($148) All crafts are becoming social occasions with retreats, workshops, classes, camps and crafty pj parties! Make it easy to carry all the necessary supplies to these get-togethers with a fabulous supply-designed rolling tote!
3. Do you know a scrap booker or altered artist who keeps whispering this strange word: Cricut. You don't know if you should respect it as a new mantra or start looking for a noisy visitor in your home. (cricket. Get it? Oh.. nevermind.) According to several of my scrap-book-crazed friends, the buzz is all about the Cricut Machine ($299 plus supplies). The manufacturer explains:
The Cricut personal electronic cutter is the future of home crafting. Simply by touching a button. Cricut can cut beautiful designs and alphabets for card making, scrapbooking, and paper crafting. No computer is required, just plug it in.
4 .Fiskars 14" rotating cutting mat. ($26) I explained why mine is cool last year, but my Olfa is only 12" square. For about the same price, I'd sure like the extra finger room offered by Fiskar's 14" matt. A rotating cutting mat would be helpful for a quilter, a crafter working with fabrics or felts, a paper crafter cutting out shapes, and possibly a scrapbooker.
5. Speaking of cutting, I don't know of any woman who wouldn't cherish her own pair of Gingher scissors. The limited edition on a rosebook box ($30) screams "give me as a present!" doesn't it? Ginghers are special because they make strong, sharp shears in both right and left hand configurations that are guaranteed for life.
6. KnitPicks Interchangeable Knitting Needles. These needles were first introduced about a year ago and are a wonderful way to build and expand someone's collection of needles. Nickel plated points join smoothly to cables that allow knitters almost infinite choices in one small package. Imagine storing your entire knitting needle collection in one nifty carry case. Then, just several weeks ago they introduced this beautiful set in wood! I've added to my set with the smaller needles that I use for socks, but aside from that this set of needles will fill almost every one of my knitting needs. The wood needles have been selling out quickly, and are often backordered, so decide if your knitter would appreciate the nickel set or an "it's coming, I promise" note more.
7. Every kind of crafter will appreciate better lighting. Check out the craft-club.tv reviews of different Daylight Art and Craft lights! Ranging from the compact desk lamps (ala the OTT Light) for $50, through table lamps equipped with pattern-holding clips and magnafying lenses for $140 to the Ultimate Floor Lamp for $245. When the holidays come, say: Let There Be Light!
8. A Moleskine journal. Trust me on this. If your crafter is always having inspiration in strange places, what better way to record them than in a classic Moleskine journal? It's tangible support for the "I must write this down right now" obsession of most crafters. I'm so totally taken with these sets of 3 smaller notebooks for about $10 that I picked a set up for myself and a couple spare for friends. One's in the car, one's in my purse and the third's in my gymbag. There are Moleskines with ruled pages, plain pages, graph pages, or sketchbook pages to suit your crafter's taste.
9.You can find Walnut Hallow Creative Heat
