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Here's a holiday gift roundup of tools to get for your favorite creative people. In addition to these fine tools, I recommend finding accessories for tools already owned by those on your shopping list. Suggestions: rotary cutter blades, sewing machine needles, gift certificate for scissor sharpening, or a memory card for a digital camera. You may have to do some detective work to find out the right kind for his/her equipment.
Flickr Account - Online photo sharing to join the digital craft community!
Price: $24.95
Buy: Flickr site - Link.
An unlimited account from Flickr lets your giftee upload all the photos he/she wants. Great for promoting craft work in themed photo pools (knitting, crochet toys, glass beads, etc.) and getting people back to the Etsy store where they're for sale.
Rotary Cutter
Price: $10-$20
Buy: Joann online - Link.
A rotary cutter is a quilter's best friend. It lets you cut through many layers of fabric at once, and more accurately than scissors. I like this soft-handled one from Fiskars for its safety and ease of use.
Idea Notebook
Price: $6-$15
Buy: Moleskine Large notebooks at Moleskines.com - Link.
Buy: Rhodia Reverse Book at Alko - Link.
We all need a place to hold our ideas, sketches, and notes. These two notebooks offer a lot to your favorite person with good ideas.
Double-sided Compartmented Travel Case
Price: $3
Buy: Pro's Kit - Link.
I have one of these, and it's been absolutely indispensable for crafting on the go. It has perfectly-sized compartments for needles, pins, bits of embroidery thread, bobbins, Leatherman Squirt, and even electronics components, if you're into that. I love the double-sided design.
Cutting Mat - Protect surfaces from your craft projects.
Price: $10-$64
Buy: Alvin Cutting Mat, 18x24 on Amazon (many more sizes and brands available) - Link.
Your gift recipients won't know how they lived without this one. These cutting mats protect your work surface from your rotary cutter, straight utility blades, and other sharps, as well from paints and other spill-ables. They're self-healing and double sided, so they'll last forever, and most have ruler markings.
Dremel Rotary Tool
Price: $30-$120
Buy: MultiPro Cordless Two-Speed Dremel with 50 Accessories, $37.99 on Amazon - Link.
I use my Dremel for all sorts of things, both related to crafting and not. Would be a great gift for jewelry makers or anyone who makes things from molds.
Related:
- CRAFT Holiday Gift Guide 2007
- CRAFT Holiday Gift Guide - Crafty Books to Give
- CRAFT Holiday Gift Guide - For the Peeps
- CRAFT Holiday Gift Guide - Gifts You Can Make
Speaking of tools that would make great gifts for the crafter on your list, Harmony and Options interchangeable knitting needle sets from Knit Picks are at the top of my own list.
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I agree with every single one of these suggestions! Having the right tool for the project makes things go so much better. That said I'd ditch the Fiskars cutter and go with an OLFA.
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