10 Creative Art Gifts Your Child Will Instantly Adore and Actually Use for Years
Every year, around the winter holidays, I get asked by a lot of parents what kinds of art materials would make good gifts for their art-loving children. Well, talk about a complicated question. I mean, there’s just so much!
An art gift doesn’t have to be frivolous or temporary, especially if you buy the right one. Here are 10 creative art gifts that your child will instantly adore and actually use for years to come.
1) Notepads
This is one of those gifts that may seem a little boring in comparison to more flashy offerings, but if you know what they’re into—or you can get an idea of what they might like—you’ll discover just how much your little one will love their new notepad. Whether it’s images or quotes, their favorite character or sport—whatever their interests are, there are notepads out there to match!
Encourage them to use the notepads as sketchbooks. This is cheaper than buying actual sketchbooks. Kids tend to make a few marks on a page in a notebook and then start over on a new sheet. It is maddening. If you purchase a cheaper option, you won't feel as though you've wasted your money when that happens. Additionally, just encourage them to erase or turn the mistakes into something completely new. I have even just drawn right on top of a page where I made a mistake. If you have an older child, they can slap some gesso or white paint on top of the mistakes and continue drawing with markers.
Lots of options here, but I do highly recommend buying cheaper notepads for young artists. I know it seems like an official artist sketchbook would be something special for them, but there's really no need for it.
2) Mixed Media
This gift is fun because it offers variety, from markers to crayons to colored pencils. Art supplies are one of those classic gifts that children (and adults) will use again and again, often in new creative ways. Mixed media art kits offer everything you need—all you have to do is add imagination! These kits come in a variety of themes, including animal-inspired sets that incorporate paints, stencils, stickers, stamps, and more.
You can also get sets of scrapbook papers that are fun to create with. I love looking through all the different colors and patterns to find just the right combo of papers for my project (and so do kiddos).
Finally, let me tell you about Gelli printing kits. Gelli printing is a major thing on its own. There’s so many different styles of plates and ways to create textures. This can quickly become overwhelming for someone that isn’t familiar. However, Gelli makes small kits that contain just a few plates and some random items to get you started creating textures. These are great for beginners, can be used repeatedly for years and years, AND spark creativity for further printmaking. The gelli plates can be reused for endless printing too.
3) Storage
Storage boxes are fantastic gift ideas. And, to be honest, they make great gifts for yourself, too! They can help you organize a cluttered space or simply serve as a permanent place to store your child’s favorite art supplies. With so many styles and sizes available, it’s easy to find one that works with your child’s specific needs. I mention this next as a gift idea because giving your child a storage box specifically to house mixed media items is a great idea. They can collect things like old bits of fabric, worn out hair bows, random scrap paper, etc. All they have to do it shove it in the box. Then, you won't have to look at it lying all over the house. The contents of the box don't necessarily have to be organized, just cram it all in there. When they get ready to create, all these items are right there together. It makes the creating and clean up much easier.
I also really like these paint storage shelves. You can just sit them on a desk and put your paint right in those holders. It makes it easy to keep up with the paint. It also makes it easy to access which leads to more art-making. Finally, these prevent spillage. Have you ever seen anyone just throw all their paints into a tub or box? That’s a mess. It is hard to find the right color that way. And, the paint almost always leaks out. This is the perfect solution to paint storage!
4) Clipboards
Did you know clipboards come in all kinds of sizes? We use the regular, standard paper sized ones all the time. Those are great, but let me tell you about two other sizes that make great gifts.
I use a small clipboard for doodling when I am out and about. It works well for my little notebooks (see #1). It is easy to transport and makes it SO much more convenient to doodle. Your child could keep it in the car, in their backpack, or even in your shared living areas in the home. Since it is small, it won't junk up your living room and kitchen.
I also use a large clipboard when I plan outings specifically for art-making. For instance, sometimes I will visit my parents and sit in their backyard. I like to take some arts materials and create while I'm outside. A large clipboard will hold large paper. It also makes it easy to spread out on the ground. If you have a child that likes to sit on the ground while they work (or even if they like to sit at the kitchen table), I recommend one of these larger clipboards to protect the surfaces underneath.
5) Washi Tape
Washi tape is a paper-based tape that comes in all sorts of fun designs. It’s perfect for kids, as it can be used on just about anything, from gift wrapping to classroom decorations. It comes on a small roll and is easy to tear so kids won't have trouble using it. The beautiful thing about Washi tape is that it often comes in sets of multiple designs and colors. Use it for collage, mixed media, displaying artwork (it won't damage your walls), making doll clothes, and more!
6) Adhesives
You might not realize just how many different types of glue there are. In reality, you can do A LOT with plain ol' white school glue. And, that's fine if what you are making is just going to end up in the trash eventually. However, learning about how adhesives work and what they work best with can be fun. It will also increase the life of anything you make.
These artistic adhesives will allow your child to stick all kinds of things to paper, and won’t damage most surfaces. They also come in a ton of different colors, so you can pick up several for different art projects. Make sure you are okay with your child using some of these that are more heavy-duty. Some of these won't come out of hair, clothes, fabrics, etc. You know what your child can handle. I will say, though, that I have used most of these in a classroom with elementary students at some point. So, if the expectation is set that care will be taken, kids can do it!
7) Displays
When you have a place to display your work, you will always be inspired to create more work. These grid racks make it easy to display artwork and to change it out as needed. Think of this as a way to store the work as well as display it. They make clips that work specifically on these grid racks, but any kind of clip will work, even clothes clips. These hanging, clothesline-type display systems are great as well. All of these options will help your child take care of their works, hang things that inspire them to create more work, and keep junky messes out of your floors! Win-win-win!
8) Markers & Pens
A great gift for an artist is a pack of high-quality coloring markers or pens. These are easy to carry around, so your kid can play with their new art supplies at home or on their way to school.
I love alcohol ink markers for many reasons. When I think about these as gifts, they just feel special. I honestly think any brand of alcohol ink markers will work for kids in middle school and below. Every brand I have ever tried has lasted a really, really long time (like years). So, go find any brand you can afford and let your child get started drawing.
These Arteza-brand, grayscale markers are some of my favorites, though. There’s a range of cool grays and warm grays to choose from. These are amazing tools for anyone who likes to draw. In particular, if your young artist truly wants to improve on skills, working with these grayscale markers to show value will help them better work with color in the long run. Plus, using markers for grayscale value is a totally different experience from using any sort of pencils. Its so much fun!
(Note even kidding! These grayscale markers are the greatest thing I ever did see! You have GOT to give them a try!) P.S. Sharpies are alcohol markers. Don’t be fooled because they are more common. They are the same as any of the others and last just as long. In my opinion, though, they just smell much more strongly and sometimes bother my asthma where the others don’t. So, there’s that to consider.
9) Paper
One of my favorite art supplies to give as a gift is art paper. It can be used as part of an art project or as a piece of flat, blank space. Art paper is also great because it’s inexpensive and doesn’t require any tools to work with—it’s ready-to-use right out of its packaging. In other words, you don't have to prep it like you do some canvases. You also get to choose how to frame it. You don't get that with canvas either. Sometimes frames really make the artwork pop.
Some popular brands of art paper are Canson, Strathmore and Vellum Bristol. These are my specific favorites! However, don’t underestimate plain tagboard or cardstock. Each of those will hold many different media very well.
10) Paint
Paint is a great creative gift idea because it can be applied to almost anything. I really prefer buying paint in sets. It is just more convenient and usually a lot more cost effective. There's a lot to know about buying paint.
The three main kinds of paint are acrylic, oil, and water. Oil paints are super permanent. Acrylic paints are fairly permanent. Watercolor paints tend to stain, but come clean over time. Of course, the brand matters on this too. Some brands have more pigment than others, which makes it harder to clean up.
There are also things like poster paint, finger paint, tempera, and goache. Think about your child and their ability to be responsible with paints. If you need something that can 100% be cleaned up, stick with poster/finger/and tempera paints. Just know these tend to be very transparent and weak in pigment. They also smell strongly in my opinion.
Also, think about pearlescent, metallic, pastel, etc. when purchasing paints. Here are several of my favorites.
Conclusion
All of these ideas are designed to give kids tons of room to be creative while also giving them a way to express themselves. Help your child do just that with one of these awesome art gifts. What other ideas do you have? Share them with me in the comments below!
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