Cover image: A Christmas-themed chromolithograph by an anonymous artist, 1874. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Are you looking for a holiday gift for an art lover in your life? Or perhaps you’re searching for something special as a treat for yourself. Look no further than my recommended selection of the best gifts for art lovers! In this gift guide, there are options for all different interests and budgets. I hope they bring joy to lots of people.
Note: This gift guide and its prices were last updated on December 3, 2024. Aside from my own products (the last item on this list), I do not receive money if you purchase any of the products recommended here.
Art-Inspired Puzzles
In my opinion, a jigsaw puzzle is always a great gift, and art-inspired puzzles can help any art lover see their favorite artworks in entirely new ways. Some of my favorite art puzzles come from the Metstore and feature iconic artworks from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collections. Although they are sometimes listed in the kids’ section of the website, there’s nothing simple or immature about these 500 or 1000-piece puzzles. In fact, the puzzles inspired by the Unicorn Tapestries and Monet’s Bridge and Water Lilies are among the most challenging I’ve ever completed. For a more entry-level gift, I recommend Hokusai’s The Great Wave or Adolf Dehn’s Spring in Central Park. There are even double-sided puzzles featuring two works by the same artist.
Details: Metstore puzzles are between $25 and $30 for non-museum members.
DailyArt calendars and socks
My friends and former colleagues at DailyArt have an entire line of art-themed goodies that would be perfect gifts for other art lovers or for yourself. When I was a contributor to DailyArt Magazine, I used to receive a selection of these goodies as holiday presents, so I’ve amassed quite the collection!
My top recommendation is the weekly calendar, which features an artwork image and short description for every week of the year. Generally, the selection has included a great mixture of famous and lesser-known artists from all different countries and museums, including many female artists. The calendar is printed on nice paper and includes a built-in cardboard stand. The spaces for each day are too small to use it as a planner, but the calendar is great for display and would really brighten up someone’s desk.
I also love the DailyArt shop’s small but awesome selection of quirky socks inspired by Picasso, Frida Kahlo, van Gogh, and the Mona Lisa. Plus, they offer gift packages that include various combinations of calendars, socks, postcards, and art-themed notebooks.
Price: The Essential Weekly DailyArt A5 Desk Calendar 2025 is $34.99. Many Mornings x DailyArt socks are $9.99-$14.99 depending on the style. Gift boxes range in price depending on the contents. DailyArt is located in Poland, so expect to pay more for shipping to the USA on orders under $150. DailyArt is currently running a 25% off sale, but I’m not sure how long it lasts.
Art Herstory cards
Created and run by my wonderful colleague Erika Gaffney, Art Herstory designs and sells note cards featuring artworks by historical female artists – something that’s difficult to find in most other shops. Some of the artists whose paintings and drawings appear in Art Herstory cards include Angelica Kauffmann, Artemisia Gentileschi, Clara Peeters, Rachel Ruysch, and Maria Sybilla Merian. (You can read about all these artists and more on Art Herstory’s blog, to which I have occasionally contributed. This website has done great work in raising awareness about historical female artists.)
In addition to the year-round selection, there is also a new Christmas card produced each year. The 2024 edition features an elegant, Art Nouveau Madonna and Child painting by 19th-century Austrian artist Marianne Stokes. I recently bought some copies of this card and was gifted a few other designs by Erika, and I’m so pleased with the high quality of the cards, their glossy paper, and the vivid colors.
Cards come individually or in small packs, always with envelopes. You could give a pack to an art lover who enjoys sending cards, but you can also follow my gifting plan, which is to buy someone a single card and put it in a little frame (you’ll have to buy your own) for display.
Price: Individual cards cost $3.95 each, while 10-packs are $17.95. There are two ways to purchase: through the website shop (US shipping addresses only) and through Etsy. Either way, Art Herstory will resume shipping after December 9th due to a trip.
The Stitch Patterns
For the crafty art lover, give the gift of artwork-inspired cross stitch patterns. The Stitch Patterns has hundreds of downloadable cross-stitch patterns based on famous works of art, particularly modern art. In addition to straightforward adaptations, there are some of the creative takes on modern masterpieces, like Starry Night in the steam rising from a coffee cup. Although there are options to purchase individual patterns or a year-long subscription to the entire shop (including both art-inspired and other designs), either of the two 60-page Mini Masterpieces ebooks would make the best gift.
I have the whole-shop subscription and have generally loved all the patterns I’ve downloaded from it, both art-inspired and otherwise. These patterns are visually appealing and easy to follow, with both colors and symbols to guide you. The art-themed patterns are pretty small and quick to complete, which is why I recommend giving a collection rather than an individual pattern. You can see a few of the projects I’ve made with these patterns in the photo above.
Price: The Stitch Patterns’ Mini Masterpieces ebooks are $25 each, though currently discounted to $12. A purchase is valid for one user only, and there is no gift option, so you’ll have to create a login for your recipient. Please note that these are not kits, so they don’t include the necessary thread colors or any other supplies.
Page of Art History coloring pages
Coloring books are popular gifts for both children and adults these days, and Page of Art History has a unique angle that’s perfect for current and future art lovers. The idea is to learn about art history by coloring famous masterpieces through their downloadable and printable illustrations. These include both images to color and some text about the artworks that inspired them. The website promotes it as an educational thing for kids, but the pages are sophisticated enough for adults to enjoy as well.
Page of Art History is available by subscription and follows a year-long syllabus. You get access to one unit each month, running chronologically from prehistoric art to Impressionism. While I don’t have a subscription to Page of Art History, I downloaded the special Wine in Art theme pack earlier this year and was impressed by the detail within each illustration. (See the example above.) There wasn’t a ton of information in this pack, but I get the impression that the regular syllabus contains more extensive educational material.
Price: A year-long subscription costs $75, and it’s valid for an entire household. Gift subscriptions are available. There are also six physical coloring books available from Amazon.
Books and magazines
I always ask for art books for Christmas, and I suspect most other art lovers also do the same. Unless your recipient has a handy Goodreads wish list somewhere, let me recommend something from my selection of favorite art books. In my opinion, all of them are interesting, informative, and enjoyable to read – there are no dry textbooks on this list! For a more expensive gift, you could also consider the exhibition catalog of a standout exhibition from the past year.
Alternatively, gift an art lover with a year’s subscription to an art periodical like Apollo magazine or The Art Newspaper. Both offer gift subscription options for digital and print versions. (Select the gift option at checkout for Apollo; click here for gift subscriptions to The Art Newspaper.)
Price: Depends on the book or magazine.
Museum membership
The gift of membership to your recipient’s favorite museum is perhaps the ultimate present for an art lover. The main attraction of museum membership is free admission throughout the year, so you’ll essentially be giving the gift of in-person art viewing. But that’s not all.
The benefits depend on the specific museum and also the level of membership, but they often include access to members-only events and hours, discounts in the gift shop/cafe/parking lot, and a members’ newsletter or magazine. Plus, the purchase of a membership helps to financially support the museum and its programs.
Price: This a pricier option, with entry-level memberships for larger museums often being $100 or more.
A Scholarly Skater Handbooks
Let me finish with a self plug, but I think it’s valid in this case. Consider giving someone the gift of confident art appreciation by purchasing them one of my four downloadable handbooks. Help them learn to interpret art intelligently, visit art museums with confidence, plan a memorable art-viewing trip, or better understand art museum exhibitions. Click here to browse the full selection.
Price: A Scholarly Skater art appreciation handbooks cost between $20 and $65 depending on the book. Purchases are valid for one user but it’s totally fine for that to be a gift recipient rather than the purchaser. I suggest downloading the pdf yourself and then conveying it to your recipient by whatever means feels best for your situation. Please feel free to contact me through my Etsy store if you have questions or concerns about gifting my handbooks.
Happy Holidays!
Feel free to comment on this post and tell me about any great artsy gifts I might have missed.
