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Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover

December 10, 2012 By Erin Spain 18 Comments

Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover
If you’re knee-deep in the trenches of holiday shopping and you’re wondering what to get that DIY enthusiast on your list, then you’ve come to the right place. Today I am listing some of my favorite “DIY” tools, supplies and general goodies, (along with a few that I haven’t tried yet but have my eye on). If you or someone you know enjoys crafting, decorating, DIY, or even photography, then any of these items would make great gifts. Here is my Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover.

I would also like to mention that this is not a sponsored post, and I am not being paid to write it. I just wanted to share some of my faves (in a variety of price ranges) with you today.

In no particular order, here are my 20 picks:

1. Mod Podge

 

Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover
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Every crafter’s “must-have”: Mod Podge. This sealer and glue in-one is perfect for so many different types of craft projects. From small crafts like these Halloween lanterns I made, or these cute coasters, to larger ones like decoupaging furniture, this is a truly versatile product. You can find this at pretty much any craft store.

2.  Singer One Sewing Machine

Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover

I am totally in love with my Singer One Sewing Machine. I still have a lot to learn since I am a total beginner, but so far this machine is easy to use and has lots of fun stitch options. (Here is the review I posted a while back.) This machine is available at Jo-Ann’s.

3.  RYOBI Tools Combo Kit

Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover

I am slowly venturing into the world of power tools, and I have really enjoyed using my RYOBI 18V One+ Lithium Ion Combo Kit. It includes a compact cordless drill, cordless circular saw, cordless worklight, battery charger, 2 batteries, and a large bag for tool storage.

4.  Canon Rebel DSLR Camera

Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover

I absolutely love my Canon Rebel DSLR. Not only do I use it for blogging, but also for taking better pictures of my kids. This is a really great camera, and unless you are a professional photographer, it really does everything you’ll ever need a camera to do. This model is a little newer than mine, and I think they just came out with a T4i model too, but I love it. This is a pricey gift, especially after you add a protection plan and possibly a bag, memory card, and accessories, but in my opinion, it’s worth the investment. I also love this 50mm lens for taking great portraits.

5.  Silhouette Cameo 

Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover
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I don’t have a Silhouette Cameo yet, but I’ve been pining for one for quite some time now. There are so many fun things you can do with it. I would love to use it for cutting vinyl or fabric.

6.  Martha Stewart Glass Paint & Stencils

Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover

I had the opportunity to work on a campaign for Martha Stewart Glass Paint a while back, and I’ve posted about it several times since then. I cannot say enough great things about these. They are so much fun to work with and there are so many possibilities for them! These paints and stencils are available at Michaels. (Check out my glass paint project posts here, here, here, here, and here.) I still have a lot of this paint left, so I’m sure you’ll see it pop up again from time to time on the blog.

7. Purdy Paint Brushes
Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover
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Within the past few months, I started painting with  Purdy Paint Brushes and I will never go back to the cheapies. These brushes cost a little more than the generic brands, but you can definitely tell the difference in quality. I love how the angled brushes allow me to get into nooks, crannies and corners easily. I also like the amount of paint coverage I’m able to achieve with these brushes, whether I’m painting a wall or a piece of furniture.

8.  Assorted Spools of Thread

Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover
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This Gutermann 26 Spool Thread Box would make a great gift for anyone who loves to sew. Or any bloggers who are learning to sew. (Hint hint.) It’s available at Jo-Ann’s.

9.  Any of the following books:

Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover
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 Young House Love
Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover The Handbuilt Home
Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover
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Inspired You

I have the first two books and love them both, and Miss Mustard Seed’s book is on my list of things to buy next.

10. Kristen Duke Photography e-books
Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover
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I have both of Kristen’s e-books (I reviewed them here), and I have learned a great deal from both of them. These are a great place to start if you are just beginning to use a DSLR camera, or if you have been using one for a while and want to learn how to use it in manual mode.

11. Shoot Fly Shoot Online Photography Course

Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover

I haven’t had the opportunity to take this course yet, but I did have the chance to attend their session at the Haven Conference over the summer and I learned a ton. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of theirs, so if you sign up for classes using the photo link above, I get a tiny bit of commission.

12. Subscription to FOLK Magazine

Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover
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This magazine is full of fun inspiration, yummy recipes and more. With features from several of my fellow bloggers, I definitely enjoy reading it and I’m sure many people on your gift list will too. I was able to meet Ben Ashby (Editor In-Chief) at the Country Living Fair, and he’s as nice as can be. He’s all about supporting bloggers and DIY-ers, and I’d like to support his awesome publication as well. Subscribe to FOLK here.

13. Elmer’s Paint Markers

Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover

I like these because not only do they come in lots of pretty colors, but you can use them on almost any type of surface. I used mine on glass here, but they work on virtually anything. I picked mine up at Walmart, and they are very inexpensive.

14. Baker’s Twine

Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover
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It’s not just for bakers! This would make a fun stocking stuffer for anyone who enjoys crafting. There are so many fun uses for it (I posted a few examples here), and it comes in a variety of colors. I got my twine from the Talking Twine & Trim Etsy shop.

15.  Pink Tool Box or Multi-Purpose Tool Kit

Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover
Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover

I don’t think these need any explanation other than “because they’re awesome.” Sadly, I don’t have these, so if you happen to be married to me and you are looking for gift ideas, you can find them at Home Depot. (Wink.) They are made by “The Original Pink Box,” and just to make it super easy for you, here is a link to the tool box and here are the pink tools.

 

16. Hot Glue Sticks

Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover
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Another great stocking stuffer idea – because as a crafter, you can never have too many Hot Glue Sticks. My glue gun is one of my best friends.

17. Xacto Knife Set

Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover
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This Xacto Basic Knife Set would come in handy for any do-it-yourselfer. It comes with a wide variety of blade styles, all nestled into a cute little wooden box.

18. Projector

Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover
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I know this may seem totally random to some people, but trust me when I say that a DIY-enthusiast could have oodles of fun with this EZ Tracer Projector. From enlarging and tracing images onto walls or even furniture, to creating traceable chalkboard art or even a mural or a vintage-looking sign, there are so many fun possibilities. This one is available at Hobby Lobby as well as Amazon.

19. Burlap Fabric (by the yard)

Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover
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Trust me, they’ll find a use for it. And bonus, it’s super inexpensive! You can find it at fabric stores, and here is an online store that sells it for cheap.

20. Washi Tape

Holiday Gift Guide for the DIY-Lover
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Yet another great stocking stuffer choice, colorful Washi Tape has a variety of possible crafty uses. These can be purchased here, or in many craft stores or Etsy shops.

I hope you enjoyed my Holiday Gift Guide, and maybe you got some ideas for someone on your list. (Or for yourself!) Happy Holidays!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Filed Under: Gift Ideas, Holiday & Seasonal, Home & DIY Blog

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Comments

  1. karen@somewhatquirky says

    December 10, 2012 at 3:12 am

    This is a WONDERFUL list! I could use everything on it!

    Reply
    • Erin Spain says

      December 11, 2012 at 12:13 am

      Thanks Karen!

      Reply
  2. Ira Morse says

    December 10, 2012 at 8:43 am

    This is informative post! All of them are useful. And you give me an idea…instead of duct tape I will use this Washi Tape for my DIY Christmas ornament decorations.

    Reply
    • Erin Spain says

      December 11, 2012 at 12:13 am

      Thanks Ira! Washi tape is a lot of fun and comes in so many colors and patterns! I’d love to see what you end up making.

      Reply
  3. Karen Cooper says

    December 10, 2012 at 1:23 pm

    This is a great and helpful list – forwarding it to my hubs! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Erin Spain says

      December 11, 2012 at 12:14 am

      Thanks Karen! I’m glad you like the list. Hope your hubby comes through for you! 😉

      Reply
  4. Tracie MiddleClassModern says

    December 10, 2012 at 5:02 pm

    I love everything on your list. And I just realized you live in the ATL suburbs, too (northwest suburbs, over here). Which might make my joke about stealing your desk a little less funny. Whoops.!

    Reply
    • Erin Spain says

      December 11, 2012 at 12:16 am

      That’s too funny Tracie! If you’re in the area, feel free to join our Atlanta-area bloggers’ group. Email me if you’re interested and I’ll send you the link!

      Reply
  5. Doreen says

    December 10, 2012 at 5:07 pm

    Fantastic holiday gift list! I’ll have to email this to a few of my closest BFFs — hint, hint.

    Doreen
    http://altered-artworks.blogspot.com

    Reply
    • Erin Spain says

      December 11, 2012 at 12:16 am

      Good idea, Doreen! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Tidy-Up Gal says

    December 10, 2012 at 5:43 pm

    Nice list! I also recently purchased the Cannon Rebel and I love it so far. Much better pictures for the blog. Now I just need to sharpen my photography/editing skills!

    Reply
    • Erin Spain says

      December 11, 2012 at 12:17 am

      Thank you! Same here on the photog skills.

      Reply
  7. SheilaG @ Plum Doodles says

    December 10, 2012 at 9:45 pm

    All great ideas, Erin! I bought an old-school projector from a thrift store, $5, a great deal, but your ez projector looks a lot more portable! 🙂

    Reply
    • Erin Spain says

      December 11, 2012 at 12:17 am

      Wow, $5?! What an awesome find! I’d love to have one.

      Reply
  8. Laurie @ House of 34 says

    December 10, 2012 at 10:59 pm

    I’m going to show my Hubby this list! It’s perfect! 😀

    Reply
    • Erin Spain says

      December 11, 2012 at 12:18 am

      Thanks Laurie! Glad I could hopefully help your hubby out! 😉

      Reply
  9. Eclectically Vintage says

    December 13, 2012 at 2:33 pm

    Can I ask Santa for one of everything?
    Kelly

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 2013 Holiday Gift Guide for the Crafty DIY-Lover - DIY on the Cheap says:
    December 9, 2013 at 1:00 pm

    […] It’s that time of year again — the time when I scour the internet/home improvement stores/my garage for all of the dreamy things that other DIY-ers like myself probably shouldn’t live without. Some of these things I own and love, and some things I just pine for and/or have on my own wish list this year. I made a similar list last year, and most of those items still apply. You can check that out here. […]

    Reply

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