20 Stocking Stuffer Studio Staples

If you find yourself struggling to decide what to get the artist in your life this Christmas, we are eager to help with recommendations for gifts artists will love any time of the year, especially during the holidays. With Christmas quickly approaching, some of us may be trying to finish shopping for the perfect art stocking stuffers for our friends and family. Looking for gifts that will be appreciated and cherished by an artist may be a bit of a challenge, and that's why we wanted to share a few ideas with you!

As artists, many of us tend to be very particular when it comes to choosing the materials we use. We usually know what brands of paint and brushes work best for us and what paper, canvas, or substrate we love to paint on, and we usually buy these materials for ourselves when we need them. This may make it feel as if purchasing a gift for us at Christmas is difficult, but Cheap Joe's will help make it easier for you to find a universal gift that works for almost every kind of artist.

We’ve collected a list of practical stocking stuffers for artists. While these humble art supplies may not be the stars of the show, they’re the unsung heroes of the studio. Any artist will appreciate finding these in their stockings or as little extras within gifts this Christmas.

1. Sketcher Strap - This simple contraption straps around a sketchbook and holds pens, pencils, markers, and brushes It’s an easy and inexpensive solution for carrying art supplies on the road.
   
   
2. Brush Soap - This brush cleaner not only clean brushes but brings them back to life. If they don’t have some already, then encourage them to get in the habit of taking good care of their brushes.
   
   
3. Cheap Joe’s Crossback Apron - An artist's apron that can house art supplies and protect their clothing is a simple but helpful art stocking stuffer that will save clothing and prevent unwanted stains. With so many pockets, it’s especially helpful for plein air painting.
   
   
4. Alumicutter Ruler - We use these rulers often for cutting. It takes less effort to hold it in place than a thin cork-backed ruler, and the blade won’t skip over the protective barrier and hit their fingers. If you know, you know - every artist has an Xacto wound story!
   
   
5. Xacto Gripster Knife - Xacto knives are ubiquitous in art studios, and the Gripster is the best version. The soft handle cover makes it soft on the fingers. But the best part is that the blade-tightening screw is at the end of the knife instead of at the grip, so they don’t inadvertently loosen the blade as they cut. 
   
   
6. Cheap Joe's Tube Wringers - Get every bit of paint out of that tube with these practical but pretty paint tube wringers. It saves money to save paint. The large turn key on these are easy on the fingers. (Plus, they’re made of durable metal – because we’d like to bring less plastic into the world). Works well for toothpaste too.
   
   
7. Micron Sets - For writing, sketching, and making art, these fine felt tip points with fade-proof, waterproof ink are super useful and beloved by many artists. They’re one of the best drawing pens out there for detailed work.
   
   
8. Thumbnailer Sketching Template -  This stencil makes it easy to draw composition boxes in sketchbooks. The windows are sized to standard canvas and paper ratios so they can translate their composition study onto the right size canvas or paper without having to use math!
   
   
9. Niji Premier Waterbrush Set - Brushes that have water in the handle are a sketching essential because they’re more portable than a brush and water container, and are simpler for sketchbook drawings. The design of these waterbrushes is a step up from the standard squeezable handle, with an easy-to-control water release button on the grip.
   
   
10. Itoya Profolio Midtown Pouches - These small colorful pouches carry along a surprising amount of supplies to encourage a robust sketchbook practice. The divider is helpful for organizing the contents.

11. Cheap Joe's Waterproof Dry Bag - While this bag is commonly used to keep water out, it can also be used to keep water in. For example, to keep leaky paint tubes and water containers from accidentally spilling into the rest of their art kit when they’re out and about.
    
    
12. Magic Palette Color Matching Guide - This tool not only allows easy color and value identification to find just the right color to mix but can be used to preview how well a particular color intensity or value will work on works in progress.
    
    
13. Stuffit Towel - You’ll often find artists with a towel in hand or nearby when working. Because they’re washable and reusable, these are more eco-friendly than using lots of paper towels. They start out the size of a hockey puck but expand to handtowel-size when moistened, which is just plain fun to watch.
    
    
14. Itoya Hikigiri Scissors - These are the kind of scissors they’ll reach for often. They’re a sharp design with sharp blades that make it easy and pleasant to cut with precision.
    
    
15. Bullet Pencil Sharpener - With a satisfying heft, ergonomic design, and sharp replaceable blades, this handheld pencil sharpener is a simple yet functional design that makes it easy to hold straight on the pencil, reducing accidentally broken points.
    
    
16. Golden Gripr Tube Opener - Instead of chewing up stubborn paint tube caps with pliers or teeth, this paint tube opener grips stuck screwtops with ease. Its simple design fits multiple cap sizes and offers more leverage, preventing stuck cap and twisted tube rages.
    
    
17. Canson XL Recycled Pocket Sketch Pad - We love the size of this chunky sketching pad. It has lots of sheets to encourage lots of sketches, and it’s super portable at only 3-1/2" x 5-1/2". The perfect palm-sized pad for dashing off ideas anywhere.
    
    
18. Zig Glue Pens - Many artists like to paste inspirational clippings into their sketchbooks or use collage to plan compositions. Zig Glue pens offer more precision and less mess than glue sticks. The glue can be used as permanent or repositionable.
    
    
19. Factis Pencil Eraser Stick - This pen-stye eraser is a huge help when sketching in a sketchbook where drawings are smaller so erasers need to be too. With its small tip, it can erase or blend with precision.
    
    
20. Frixion Erasable Pens - These are a favorite with Cheap Joe’s staff for both writing and sketching. They offer the clarity and cleanliness of a pen with the reversibility of a pencil. Plus, the ink doesn’t smear when erasing like other erasable pens.