Written by Katherine Severin. Graphic by Katherine Severin.
Adult coloring books are great and all, but art students are past the mandalas. This holiday season, gift your favorite art student something they will love and use. In this gift guide, I’ve listed eight perfect gifts for your artistic loved one. Follow this guide as you shop this year, and the artist in your life will love you for it.
- Quilted laptop case
No matter their specialty, every artist uses modern tools and programs on a laptop or tablet. These quilted laptop cases are trendy and practical. Baggu has many fun prints but I also recommend checking out the many handmade options on Etsy. - Converse, Footsouls, and Strechlace
Colorful hightop Converse are sure to be a hit with your loved one this holiday season but they aren’t always the most comfortable. Especially, after walking from class to class and around the city, the beloved shoes can start to take a physical toll. Consider throwing in Footsouls from the brand Feel Your Soul. Feel Your Soul creates inserts that fit Converse perfectly and promise to make them more comfortable to wear all day. If you really want to make this gift memorable, add in Strechlaces. These elastic laces make putting on shoes quick and easy for when they’re running late to class. - Airtags
Students are notorious for losing their IDs, among other things. Save someone the trouble and money of replacing their things with Apple Airtags or similar for other devices. Also, consider gifting fun cases to accompany the Airtags to make them easy to attach to lanyards or other items. - A Dash Cam
Driving in the city is extremely difficult. Between jaywalking pedestrians, one-way streets, horses, and tour buses, the chances of being involved in a car accident are high. A dash cam can’t protect your loved one in an accident but it can provide evidence for them if they ever fall victim to another bad city driver.
- Film/Disposable Camera
Film cameras are a fun way to capture the year. Disposable cameras are cheap and sure to be a hit this holiday. I personally like the Lomography Simple Use Reloadable Camera because the film can be reloaded but there are tons of disposables on the market that would work.
- Hard drive
Every quarter students churn out new work, much of it being digital. Having an extra hard drive on hand ensures that that hard work doesn’t get destroyed!
- Water Bottles
Everyone these days has a favorite water bottle that is used, abused and probably never cleaned. Art students love to cover their water bottles in stickers but after a while, that poor hydroflask can get worn out. Personally, my water bottle was hit by a bus this quarter so these are definitely on my list. Owalla bottles have so many fun colorways as well as straw and sip options but Stanley and Hydroflasks are also high-quality options.
- Experiences
These are my personal favorites because they continue the fun of the holidays well into the new year. A few ideas are escape rooms, pottery painting, Savannah Banana tickets, concert tickets, spa day, Film Fest Pass (SCAD Box Office gift card) or an arts/crafts workshop.
