Finding gifts for a crafter can be tricky. You’re probably here because you’re related to one, friends with one, work with one, or are married to one.
When a loved one is into knitting or crocheting and you aren’t, it can feel like an impossible task to find a crafting-related gift. You know they love their hobby, but what do they actually need or want? Knitting and crochet obviously require yarn and needles/hooks, but she already has all that.
Let me show you what else we crafters love to receive. Whether she knits or crochets, she’ll love these unique gift ideas!
If you stumbled upon this post and you’re a crafter yourself, go ahead and share this post with a friend or family member who could use a little inspiration (or a really obvious hint).
No time right now? Pin this for later.
*This post contains affiliate links (only for products I love, use and spend my own money on obviously). This means I earn some yarn money if you make a purchase through one of these links (of course at no extra cost for you!), which I promise to use to create more awesome patterns like this one. All opinions are my own. See my full disclosure here.
1. Monthly Yarn Subscription Box
At the end of the month, I start getting really excited to check the mail each day, because that’s when my KnitCrate subscription arrives! It’s one of those simple pleasures that really boosts my mood. My parents gave me a subscription as a birthday present last year and I absolutely love it. I already know what to ask for when my next birthday rolls around (the exact same thing 😉 ).
A lot of yarn companies have subscription boxes or monthly yarn clubs. What makes the KnitCrate subscription special is you set it and forget it. You don’t need to think about reordering every month– it just keeps sending monthly treasures! You can of course cancel any time.
Check out my in-depth KnitCrate Review for all the reasons why I’m loving this subscription box so much (and what I don’t like about it).
2. Always More Yarn
Yarn might seem like an obvious gift for a crafter (and yes, she might have a whole room full of yarn already), but I’ve never heard any knitter or crocheter being unhappy about receiving yarn. I guarantee it’s an easy gift she’ll love!
Big Box Store Yarn
You probably know better than I do which craft stores in your area sell yarn. It’s as simple as walking in there, picking something soft, and choosing a shade you know she’ll love. You can make it even easier on yourself by just ordering some online.
My favorite online yarn stores:
- Lion Brand Yarn. They have a lot of colors, fibers, and sizes to pick from. It’s widely used, so she’ll very easily find a design to make something she’ll love.
- LoveCrafts. They carry several brands of yarn. I really love their Paintbox yarn because it’s super affordable, great quality, comfortable to work with, and they have a gazillion color options.
- Darn Good Yarn. They are a smaller brand of sustainable yarn with more of an atypical yarn offering, but I love it. They make yarn out of anything (linen, recycled silk saris, hemp, etc) and help support women in India in the process. Use the code KNITTINGWITHCHOPSTICKS at checkout for a 15% discount!
Indie Dyed Yarn
If you’ve ever looked over your crafter’s shoulder while they browsed Instagram, you may have seen a lot of this gorgeous multicolored yarn. A lot of small indie-dyed yarn shops have popped up in the last few years, and their yarn is amazing. Yes, it’s pricey, but it’s totally worth it in my opinion (and your favorite crafter will agree!). Each skein is hand-dyed so it’s completely unique. The color combinations go from semi-solids to highly speckled, and everything in between.
Some of my favorite indie dyers are:
Just because you’ve never seen her knit or crochet with one of these before, doesn’t mean she won’t absolutely love it (she’s probably drooling over them but can’t justify the price). Get her a couple of skeins to make something for herself for once, and she’s sure to be over the moon.
3. Pattern Bundles
The best part about buying pattern bundles is you can be sure there’s something in there she’ll like, compared to handpicking a pattern and choosing the wrong thing.
Don’t think for a second the other patterns are wasted. She’ll probably go back to them later or find some inspiration and combine bits and pieces to make her own project. Sometimes, I buy pattern bundles just to look through and learn new techniques, constructions, and styles.
In addition to pattern bundles, stitch bundles make great inexpensive gifts for a crafter. They’ll help her expand her knowledge and encourage her to try new stitches that she can then use in her own projects.
If you’re buying for a crocheter, check out my Crochet Stitch Bundle with 30 exclusive stitch patterns. Purchasing something for a knitter? I’ve got 10 knit stitches in this Knit Stitch Bundle.
4. Kits are Dream Gifts for a Crafter
Yarn and patterns are both great gifts. Combine them, and you’ve some amazing gifts for a crafter. These kits contain both the pattern and matching yarn, so she won’t need to think about what to make with a certain yarn or search for the right yarn for a certain pattern. The kit has all she needs to get started on her project right away (hooks and needles are typically not included). The only drawback to this gift is if you aren’t 100% confident she’ll want to make that exact project. Don’t worry– she can always use the yarn for something else and keep the pattern for inspiration down the road.
Lion Brand Yarn sells kits from all my favorite modern designers (and they’re often on sale!).
5. The Perfect Project Bag
When I heard that someone had designed a collection of gorgeous purses and backpacks specifically for knitters and crocheters, I knew I had to have one. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait until Christmas to get mine and received one as a surprise gift. My husband keeps making fun of me because even months later, I still smile when I look at it.
The Namaste Bags by Jimmy Beans Wool don’t look like project bags at all. On the outside, they look like proper high-end handbags with gorgeous golden zippers and come in a wide range of colors. Inside, they’re designed with yarn in mind. Perfect yarn-sized pockets, a key leash that doubles as a ruler, and a special yarn feeder built into the bag (!!!) are just a few of the yarn-loving details you’ll find in these bags.
6. New Tools: Needles and Hooks
If your crafter is anything like me, she’d rather spend her money on fancy yarn than on new needles and hooks. It doesn’t mean it’s a gift I wouldn’t enjoy and use– on the contrary! But that’s the best thing about gifts; they can fill a want instead of a need.
Sure, I don’t need a set of Furls crochet hooks. My hooks work just fine. And although they’re not the most ergonomic, they get the job done. But if someone (hint, hint) would be so generous as to gift me one of the infamous Furls crochet hooks, I would probably sleep with it under my pillow like a little girl.
If you’ve never heard about Furls crochet hooks, they are high end, extremely ergonomic crochet hooks. They have a few wooden styles along with a metal collection called Odyssey. I’ve only ever heard wonderful things about them. I’m actually a little scared to try one as I know I won’t be able to enjoy crocheting with my old hooks after that and will have to get an entirly new set!
On the knitting side, my high-end knitting needle dream gift is Jimmy Beans Wool Smartstix interchangeable needle set. If you want to know more about these and the different types of knitting needles, along with how I select mine, check out my Ultimate Guide to Knitting Needles.
7. Tools I Didn’t Know I Needed
For a very long time, I had my basic tools. Knitting needles for knitting and crochet hooks for crochet and that’s it (well, and yarn of course). And yes, that’s technically all you need. BUT, there are some great tools out there that will make your crafter’s life much easier. And once she starts using them, she won’t know what hit her. A lot of these are actually very small and cheap, but they truly make a huge difference.
- Tapestry scissors. I lost mine recently (technically, they were confiscated at the airport when I forgot they were in my project bag) and it made me realize now how much more convenient they are compared to normal scissors. Bonus: they’re so much prettier too. I really like these.
- Tapestry needles with a bent tip. To weave in the ends and do seaming, crafters need a big needle. I usually use these but I’ve been told over and over by designer friends to use the bent tip type. Apparently (which I can easily believe) the bent tip really helps to pick over and under the stitches. This makes it much easier to seam. I’ve been recommended these Clover ones.
- A row counter can be a real lifesaver once your crafter starts making patterns with shaping, texture, or colorwork. It helps keep track of how many rows she’s done since the last repeat, and how many repeats. Sure you can write it down in your phone or on your pattern like I did for years, but once I started using these basic row counters that slide on the end of my knitting needles and crochet hook, advanced patterns suddenly became so much easier. If you want prettier ones, these are the ones I’ve asked my mom for Christmas.
- A cute measuring tape. I really like this one.
- Project and Yarn Stash organizers.
8. Audiobooks are Great Gifts for a Crafter
When I knit or crochet, it’s usually in front of Netflix or while listening to my latest audiobook.
If my project is a little more complicated or I’m trying anything new, I prefer to listen to an audiobook so I can watch what I’m doing without losing any part of the story. I love my Audible subscription. Every month, I get to pick a new book from their huge library. You can get a gift subscription for anything from 1 month up to a year so you’re sure to stick to your gifting budget.
9. An Actual Book
This new book came out a couple of weeks ago by a crochet designer I admire a lot. It’s full of easy, modern patterns, techniques, tips and tricks, and more. Whether your crafter is a beginner crocheter or an experienced one, she’ll love and learn from this book (grab it from Amazon here).
10. Gift Card
If none of the above inspire you, or you don’t feel confident enough to make a choice, you always have the option of a gift card to one of her favorite craft shops or (even easier), an Amazon gift card. A lot of knitting and crochet tools, as well as yarn, are available on Amazon. I guarantee she’ll be super excited to get to choose whatever she wants without having to go to a shop. And since you didn’t have to go to a shop either, that’s a win-win in my book.
Now that you have all my Christmas dream gifts for crafter ideas, I hope the only problem left is deciding which one of these she’ll love the most. Pin this post to your gift board so you don’t forget what you decided to get her!
