It really is the thought that counts, delight a crafty friend with a new tool. I’ve gathered some favorites for you here – happy, useful, and thoughtful surprises:
Please note that all amazon links in this post are affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase I will get a small percentage at no additional cost to you so it works out all around.
Applique pins, I love these little pins for their function as well as their littlness and sweetness, you have probably seen them sprinkled in my photos.
Holbein Mat Acrylic paint, we have talked about this before, I LOVE this paint. It has an almost paper like quality when dry. If you try one I recommend getting beige. I like mixing other (cheap) paints into it.
Thread Winders from French General. I only discovered these this year, in fact they were a gift! How did I live without them?
The best glue stick in the world. I think so anyway. It’s my favorite for collage.
Turning tubes – I got this set recently and it is awesome. If you don’t feel like shelling out to turn your tiny parts you can use this method but the set is worth having, the tubes are sturdy and it’s handy to have 3 sizes.
Mini paper cutter by tonic – I got this last year for a label cutting emergency. I had low expectations. It worked beautifully and a whole year later it still does. Super happy with it.
Doll needles – these long needles are handy for putting in eyes etc. and for moving stuffing around inside your dolls and creatures.
And while we are talking about stuffing – this makes a great gift:
And if you purchase them together (wool plus the tiny doll, mr. socks, or songbird print pattern) I’ll include a fun extra to make it an extra special gift.
And get this for yourself: If you have seen me in the world then you know that the Cal Patch Linen Smock is the lynch pin item of my middle aged art lady look (I got US size 2). I wear it just about every day. Or make your own wardrobe with Cal’s book. Sewing garments is on my list of things I’d like to learn to do.
I also collected some treasures from Etsy:
Acorn box – for keeping your tiniest treasures. so magical.
Hand stitched semamori amulets – so beautiful and the thought is lovely, a wish you carry with you.
I love Spring Holfeld’s paintings and prints, familiar things rendered in a magnificent way.
The sweetest brush or pen rest.
Tiny handmade ceramic dishes – perfect for spices or pins – I got one for a friend last year and it was delightful.
Have any sweet gift suggestions? I’d love to know – leave them in the comment section please.
awwwww, thanks for being my living and globe-trotting one-woman marketing plan! someone just bought a book! you’re the best. when are you coming for your Hudson Valley Research Mission???
Love the pen rests! I could use those for so many things in my craft room (and can think of a few friends who would like them too, so I’m ordering a few today). Here’s a another suggestion that I just discovered this week that has upped the ante in terms of stuffing very small projects: a hemostat. I bought one of the rainbow-colored ones at Amazon and I seriously don’t know how I’ve lived without it. I’ve been making dolls and other tiny stuffed items for many years, and never ran across this tool in a craft capacity. It takes about half the time to stuff things now.
Just finished two merry wobbler ornaments and came to your site to look for some new ideas. So happy to come across this list – great ideas, thank you for sharing!
I love these! One of my own favorite purchases in the last few years is a little travel iron. Handy, portable, and I burn my fingers less when working on small things than when I use my full-size iron.
https://amazon.com/gp/product/B001DTHPEQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Off topic a bit, but I am so thrilled with the over all quality of the mushroom pattern which I just received in the mail from you…..every thing is first rate, instructions, pattern. Now if I just had a bit of free time, but I’m having to save it for being snow bound or something in the new year.
A mushroom pattern would be a great gift for a crafty fungus fan.
Thank you!
ceci