Holiday planning, and a gift guide for DIY junkies

Holiday planning, and a gift guide for DIY junkies

• 11.13.2013

So you may have heard me talk about my reluctance to start the Christmas season, not because I don't like Christmas (I love it!), but because it's just been a little bit of a shock to my system. Wasn't it just August? What happened? Now all the websites I go to are red and green and somehow, and I already (I have no idea how! Where have I heard them!?) have Christmas songs stuck in my head.

But, we sent out holiday party invites last night (cutting it sort of close! Party's December 7! Oops!), and over the weekend I did a holiday craft party with The Paper Mama and other local crafty friends (pics here, here, here, and here). And I know Christmas isn't supposed to start till after Thanksgiving, but if you're planning a party or going to do DIY gifts (yes and yes), I guess it has to start a little earlier!! (Hence my "early holiday season" post last week, right?!)

But really, I guess if I'm planning ahead, I ought to plan for the holiday season to start right after Thanksgiving, and just get used to it. *Acceptance.* ;) It's time for me to start thinking about gifts, too!

So, gift guides...

Let's talk specialized gifts; that is, not any generic kitchy commercial thing you can get at the mall, but stuff for cool people like you who appreciate uniqueness and creativity. People who don't really want more stuff, but who appreciate when fun is also practical. Last year, I shared this gift guide--gift ideas for people who love to sew! This year, I want to share with you all this amazing collection of gifts for DIYers of all kinds, from crafters to food makers to scientists. A little more applicable to men and kids as well as my demographic!
(This is a sponsored post by very cool company UncommonGoods!)

All these ideas are from UncommonGoods, a 14-year old company from Brooklyn whose "...feature[s] unique designs and handcrafted gifts created in harmony with the environment and without harm to animals or people." Half of what they sell is made by hand; they support artists and designers and also pay all their employees far more than the minimum wage. Most of their products are made in the USA, and about 1/3 of them include recycled or upcycled materials.

They have a ton of good Christmas gift ideas (here), but what really struck me was all the DIY kits--both science-ey and arts & crafts-ey (here). The latter is more my area, of course, and I was seriously overwhelmed by all the cool make-your-own starter kits and DIY ideas (see?!). But I wanted to share a few of my faves with you.

Gift guide for DIYers!

So here goes a gift guide for people like me and people I know--the DIYers, the cooks, the artists, the science nerds (cough*myhusband)... DIY projects and goodies that support the DIY fan!

1. Stamp carving kit (here). Basically the cost of one big stamp! I would love one of these!
2. Bath salts kit (here). A classic DIY, complete with glass jars and organic lavender!
3. Chai tea making kit (here). One of the coolest things I've heard of in a while.
4. Artisanal cheese kit (here). Cultures for 15 hard and soft cheeses. My husband and his mom have both made soft cheese before and loved it.
5. Whiskey and rum making kit (here). Wow. Intense. Intense food DIY, people.
6. State aprons (here). To wear while working in the kitchen, of course! These are just so cute.
7. Lip balm kit (here). It's been my goal to make my own balm-ey products and lotions for a while but I'm intimidated. This kit has the essentials!
8. Slate/chalk lazy susan server (here). Most fun way to serve fancy appetizers!
9. Star map (here). Really beautiful poster to display and show the constellations.
10. State dish towels (here). More state stuff. So cute.
11. Periodic table of the elements in cards (here). Just had to include this one because it is so cool! My husband would looooove this.

What are you getting the DIY enthusiasts in your life this holiday season? Have you ever tried any UncommonGoods?