Gift Guide: For the hobby hopper 🎨

Something for the serial hobbyist who's "really into [insert obsession here] right now"

This one’s for that one person* who announces a new life-altering hobby approximately every quarter. Last year, it was a ceramics class paired with a brief cross-stitch stint, then spontaneously signing up for a marathon (though they’ve never once run more than a 5k), and now you’ve somehow ended up in a group chat with their new competitive pickleball league.

We’re not sure what they’re distracting themselves from, but we’re opting to trade in our mild concern for the gift of enablement, because ‘tis the season.

* If nobody is coming to mind immediately… your friends are all either a smidge boring or extremely mentally stable.

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Gifts

Food-Related Hobbies

Unlike the overly ambitious home chef (we have a gift guide just for them), the hobby hopper should not be trusted to get through a bottle of Black Urfa Chili. And though we know they watched exactly one episode of The Bear and immediately bought a mandolin they’re too scared to use, that doesn’t mean they can’t have nice (approachable, user-friendly) things.

For the eager baker, we’d recommend a nice baking dish from Great Jones ($45—on sale now) paired with something to inspire their baking journey, like Oh So Easy!’s globally-inspired, incredibly high-quality baking mixes—Ube Blondies, Miso Caramel Brownies, and Spiced Yellow Cake ($40 for three mixes) or this lovely Focaccia Mix ($15) from Jennie’s House!

Farm Steady’s kits were essentially made for the hobby hopper. These beautiful kits include everything your recipient needs to make anything from bagels and from-scratch cream cheese to semolina pasta in six different shapes (each kit is $35).

Green Thumbs

If your recipient is already dabbling in green thumbery, the greatest gift for them is a gift for their plant babies. Flourish Plant’s All Purpose Plant Food Kit ($35) includes Flourish’s beloved plant food (plants need the very best supplements, too!) and a dilution vessel. We recommend pairing it with a handmade planter—like this beautiful pot ($16.50-$30.50, size dependent) from Chive, a store in Toronto.

For the newbie plant heads, we recommend gifting a plant subscription (from $29/month, but you can change the duration) or a single plant (from $26) from Hey Rooted.

Puzzling

Jigsaw puzzles are one of those gifts that someone just wouldn’t think to get for themselves. But when you receive a puzzle that looks like a work of art, it’s impossible not to turn puzzling into a new hyperfixation.

Whiled has the most beautiful collection of 100-piece puzzles ($34 per puzzle), each thoughtfully crafted by talented illustrators, printed on recycled paper in a soft matte finish (no glare), and made with irregular pieces for “extended play.”

Fits’ 1000-piece puzzles ($27.50) are made from recycled cardboard, and are also made by talented independent artists. There are a few unique designs to choose from, but we love Thingamajigs (rated “easy”) and Cheers! (“hard” in difficulty).

Pair your puzzle gift with a set of puzzle glue sheets, so once your recipient finishes, they can display their gorgeous puzzle like a true piece of artwork (and hang it in the hobby graveyard…).

Photography

For the OG photogs out there: A cool camera bag. We love this retro vibe sling from Moment ($32.50—on sale) which is perfect for a smaller film camera or point-and-shoot.

For camera nerds with larger equipment, we recommend a WANDRD Rogue Sling, which comes in a 4L, 6L, and 9L capacity and in a few cool colors. ($110-$152, size dependent—on sale).

For total newbies: Skip the part where they blow $3k on DSLR gear they don’t understand, and get them Manual NYC’s Reusable Film Camera ($50), which comes with film and a voucher for film development. No one feels cooler than when they’re wielding a film camera at the function.

Fitness and Sports

If they’re not already talking about pickleball, they will be. Picklish’s Pickle Paddle ($89)—yes, with an actual pickle on it—is for the friend with a sense of humor about their newfound obsession. For the one who’s taking this a tad more seriously, Recess Pickleball’s Custom Bundle ($165) lets you build a whole matching set

If they’re on the marathon/ironman/hyrox grind:

• The Active Skin Hydration Vests from Salomon don’t just look cool (though they look really cool), they also are the most functional gift you can get for a runner ($100-$145, dependent on features).

• The gift of optimal recovery. A few years ago, Theraguns were all the rage. But now, there’s a new kid in town: Rally. Rally ($399—currently $100 off) is the first orbital massage gun, which gives users full control of pressure, angle, and intensity level. It’s lower vibration, so your whole hand isn’t shaking while you use it (and us ticklish folks can catch a break…).

For the general at-home fitness guru, the Stakt Mat ($75.50—on sale) is probably already on their wish list. This 2-in-1 fitness mat doubles as a yoga (or pilates, or calisthenics) mat and a block.

Crafting!

If you’re dealing with a hobby hopper who has yet to try needlepoint, spoiler alert: They will be trying needlepoint in the near future. Elizabeth Bradley’s needlepoint kits ($45) are a lovely option, but if your recipient is on the sillier side, we recommend Craft Club’s “Duck Duck Goose” Pouch Kit ($34) for some whimsical hobbying.

As for the ceramics curious, Sculpd has you covered. Their Pottery Kit ($69—on sale) comes with air-dry clay, paint, and a specially formulated waterproof varnish (no kiln needed), plus all the carving tools needed and a guide on how to use it all.

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Remember: The best part about serial hobbyists is that even if they abandon this interest in 3 months, they’ll never forget you supported their journey. :’)