Today we’re sharing some gift ideas for designers, artists, and calligraphers! I started doing this guide a couple of years ago, after a very sweet husband sent an email asking for gift ideas for his wife. This year, Ashley Buzzy, Li Wardian, Emily from Hartland Brooklyn, and Katie from Odd Daughter Paper all sent over some fabulous ideas!
1. I’m obsessed with these shimmery iridescent calligraphy inks! They come in every color of the rainbow, but I’m loving iridescent coral, silver, and green.
2. This leather artist kit from Signora e Mare boasts six pockets to hold tools and instruments, while the convenient inkwell and carrier allow for those on-the-go projects and easy travel. Each kit is secured tight with a hand stitched strap.
3. The cutest hologram pencil case for corralling all those essential pens, pencils, and small tools.
4. Tom’s Studio makes the most unbelievably gorgeous copper calligraphy pen holders
5. Rich and radiant liquid watercolors for everything from brush lettering to watercolor illustration. The colors are available both individually and in three separate sets – Set #2 has beautiful earthy colors like indian red, sepia, and yellow ochre.
6. + 7. Handmade paper is an absolute treat for a calligrapher – and there are so many options these days! Arpa Handmade Paper (available in gorgeous shades of pale pink and lavender and envelopes with gorgeous deckled flap edges!), Share Studios (pictured in no. 6 above), Fabulous Fancy Pants, Signora e Mare, and Silk & Willow, just to name a few.
8. Blocks of watercolor paper will always be a welcome gift to any watercolor artist. Calligrapher and watercolor artist Li Ward recommends blocks of Fabriano and Arches cold press watercolor paper.
9. Pretty pink and navy blue pens for lovely stocking stuffers
10. These Ikea storage boxes are perfect for keeping track of small tubes of paint, brushes, and other small art supplies, according to Ashley Buzzy. Ashley uses her boxes to store paint tubes, brushes, washi tape, calligraphy pens, ink pots, and more.
11. This beautiful Japanese watercolor set comes with 36 color pans, including bright neons and shimmery metallics!
12. Every studio or home office needs a pretty candle. I’m a big fan of these Clementine + Clove candles from Sydney Hale Co., while calligrapher Li Ward recommends this Smoke on the Water candle for lettering sessions. Li says it smells romantic and mysterious like a haunted house!
13. A couple essential paper tools: a deckle edge ruler and transfer tape gun (with plenty of refills)
14. This paper & book press is definitely a high end item, but Ashley Buzzy says it’s the single most useful tool in her studio. From Ashley: With the textural type of projects that calligraphers are being asked to do more and more, it’s amazing for flattening out watercolor-washed paper and flattening folded place cards. When I gold leafed a large order of invitations I pressed them afterward in a stack to make sure the leaf was securely adhered. If I do brush lettering on a sheet and it warps the paper, I just press it for a couple of days to flatten it out. Sometimes I’ll press lined envelopes for a couple of hours to flatten them out, etc. It’s just so so so helpful!
p.s. If you’re handy, you could probably DIY your own paper & book press at home. I found a few options here!
15. These simple and modern notebooks by Iron Curtain Press are perfect for sketching, writing down ideas, and so much more.
16. This Italian wood desk set is a beautiful gift for calligraphers and brush lettering artists! I also love these wood block pen holders for designers, illustrators, and hand lettering artists.
A couple additional ideas:
Online workshops and classes make a wonderful gift for both aspiring and established artists. There are classes to fit pretty much any and every need and interest, from Stationery Biz 100 to Tradeshow Bootcamp webinars for stationers interested in developing wholesale collections, to calligraphy and watercolor classes on Skillshare, Brit + Co., Creativebug, and of course the Modern Calligraphy Summit!
For artists that enjoy working with music playing in the background, consider a Spotify or music streaming subscription.
This post contains affiliate links. By clicking on these links, you’ll help support Oh So Beautiful Paper while also purchasing some wonderful gifts. I only recommend products that I truly love and trust that you’ll love, too. My full disclosure policy can be found here.
