Christmas Gifts for Readers

Hello Hello, welcome to a little festive post! I have noticed lately I've seen more and more posts about practical gifts for people. Honestly, I am all for giving people more practical gifts that relate to what they do in their day-to-day lives (honestly my Christmas wishlist includes parts of my classroom wishlist this year). So I figured I would throw my two cents out here and make a list of gift ideas for a reader aside from a book because let's be honest books are nice but if all you get for Christmas is books it can be a little bit overwhelming.

1. Bookmarks: So this one might be more of a stocking stuffer idea, but hear me out. Bookmarks are what every reader needs, but most of them don't have enough. In the checkout lanes of just about any bookstore, you can find some pretty nice bookmarks made of durable materials like leather or fabrics. Many of these also have really gorgeous designs. You can also find on Etsy sellers who make them using beads, which also are pretty and durable. If you have access to a laminator and find some nice cardstock or other material you can even make your own. I even have one a friend made using a Polaroid of us. This can be a creative little gift for the reader in your life.

2. Journals: I know there is a cliche about giving journals and that a lot of readers and writers have tons and tons of unused journals. Here's how you could mix it up a little. Set up the journal for them. Make them a little reading log using any type of journal. On Pinterest, you can find plenty of inspiration for how to set up a reader's journal out of any notebook (but many do recommend a bullet journal). To further personalize it you can get scrapbook stickers to decorate the outside of it or add to certain pages (if you set it up as a monthly journal you can get really creative with seasonal stickers and decor.) You can also leave a little affirmation or dedication on the front like you would if you were gifting a book.

3. Candles: Alright, this one is less literal but I'm arguing this is often a great gift for the readers in your life. While there are many types of readers, cozy reading is pretty common. Reading is an escape for many and they enjoy the ambiance of a relaxing evening at home. Nothing sets the mood like a nice candle. You can get fancy with it and find plenty of independent and small businesses that make literary-themed candles. You can even go for unscented ones and look for fancier designs.

4. Coffee Mugs: Here's another one that isn't directly related to reading but could be a great hit as a gift. Coffee mugs are versatile gifts as they can be good for small gift exchanges and Secret Santas, but could be dressed up to be a bit more personal and work well for the occasion. Plenty of places will do custom designs for mugs so you could make it custom fitted to their favorite books and authors. Of course, there is no shortage of reading-themed coffee mugs and some authors sell their own merch with coffee mugs themed after their works. We will also share later how to make some great combinations with these gifts and dress them up.

5. Book lights: A nice little reading light is needed by most readers. A small battery-powered light that clips onto the book is perfect for late-night reads. It's a small gift but one that directly of course relates to what they love to do. It also is good for those who do other small crafts (My grandmother did beadwork and used book lights to help her see the small beads on the table she worked on). So these can be pretty handy for many situations. You can also find them that are USB rechargeable instead of batteries which I prefer.

6. Book or Kindle Stands: You've got to love modern conveniences. However book stands are pretty old, but they still can be a really great present. This one is thankfully tailored for our e-readers as well. You can find wood or metal ones but if you're getting one for a book I would advise getting a wood one that will hold the book open. With Kindles, it is a little easier to find a good stand for it. These are [pretty easy to find on sites like Amazon, just be sure you're getting the right size. You wouldn't want to get a phone-sized one for the Kindle user in your life.

7. Book Ends: This one is again tailored to those who read physical books. Especially for those that have a surplus. Book Ends thankfully are both practical and decorative. You can find some really pretty ones that will still keep everything nice and organized. These also come in a variety of designs and materials and can get many different sets of them to accommodate the person's interests or styles. The perfect balance of practical and decorative.

8. Lap Desk: Much like a book stand this tool is tailored to any type of reader, but can help outside of their reading time. Some are free-standing and some just rest on the person's lap. There are even some that come with a bookstand built in which is bonus points for the reader in your life. They can come fitted with other parts too, like a cup holder or phone holder (some really fancy ones can even charge phones). This again is multifunctional and can be used for a variety of reasons (as a teacher I use my lap desk to help me finish grading papers while I can watch TV comfortably). While these come in a variety of materials, wood top ones are going to cost the most, but I would argue they are well worth the price. I've had a few plastic ones before (if you go for plastic make sure they are ones that just sit on the lap and have a padded bottom) and normally the plastic ones chip or wear out quickly. I bought a wood top one and have had it for about three years now and still going strong. Worth the investment considering the plastic ones only lasted about a year or two.

9. Book Totes: This is another gift that can pair well with others (Think about how cool it would be to get them a book they've been wanting in a nice tote or case). These come in a variety of sizes though the most common ones you will see will be Bible cases, but there are plenty out there that don't have overtly religious images or designs. The design of most of these would allow them to carry along their favorite pens or notebooks as well. Making it an even better gift for the reader/writer in your life. There are also versions made for Kindles so this works for all types of readers.

10. Annotation Kits: If you've got a reader in your life who loves to mark up books you should consider getting them an annotation kit. Some places sell really fancy ones, but these are also super simple to make. All you would need are some good pens, highlighters, and sticky notes. You can of course add more flare to it or add more tools but those three make it work well. I've been making some for the English Department at my school this year. I got a set of nice multicolored pens and gave everyone 3. Then I got a big pack of multicolored highlights and gave everyone 2. Finally, I got some multicolored sticky notes ( I got just the standard square ones and cut them into small tabs. If you do this be sure that all the tabs will have a sticky part still.) The ones you can find online tend to just have pens and highlighters but can be set for color styles like pastels or neons. You can of course package it up differently and add in sticky notes or other tools. This gift can be great for college/high school students as well to air more on the practical side. This is another gift that can range in price and can be versatile for the occasion. As well as combining well with other gifts.

Gifting Combos:

Gift-giving is a tricky thing. Sometimes we may feel like a gift is too simple and sometimes we worry about going overboard (My school is doing a "Secret Staff" where each month we give gifts to our assigned staff member. These are meant to be very small gifts, but it can feel overwhelming even with a $5 limit). So making little combos of small gifts can be impactful. Here's one idea: if you can make a bookmark, add a couple of pens and highlighters to make a small annotation kit and a coffee mug you can wrap them all together and present it as a cute little gift set, especially if you color coordinate it all together. Just about any of these small gifts can be paired well together. Although I highly recommend the previous idea or a journal with an annotation kit. You can get pretty creative with the presentation of these gifts.

I hope this list helps you find some inspiration for gifting this Holiday season. Comment below what you're hoping for this year or any other good gift ideas you have.

-Sincerely Raven