Stocking Stuffers and Gifts Artists Will Adore This Christmas

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.

Below are some of the gifts and art stocking stuffers that any artist can appreciate finding in their stockings or within gifts this Christmas.

1. Mess Protection
Charcoal drawings and graphite pencils often create dust. Oil, acrylic, or watercolors can splatter, glues drip, clay can get gloopy, and calligraphy and ink pens may drip. Whichever medium your Artist enjoys, there is probably some aspect of it that can get messy, fast. Protection for clothing or surfaces is always an excellent gift idea to help the artist's in your life save several of their favorite shirts or areas they enjoy creating in.

Aprons or Smocks
An artist's apron that can house art supplies and protect their clothing, also called a smock, is a simple but helpful art stocking stuffer that will save your favorite artist's clothing and prevent unwanted stains.

Artist's Hand Soap And Hand Protection
Many of our artist's favorite mediums stain clothes and hands, too. Several excellent tools are to gift your creative loved ones this season to protect their hands. You can gift them with gloves, bottle moisturizer, and SkinSafer Concentrated Barrier Cream—which works as a lotion to protect the skin from all kinds of art materials like paints, inks, resins, and so much more.

Floor and Surface Protection
Help them keep paint off their floors (or yours) with a heavy-duty, Leakproof Canvas Cloth, a thick and absorbent canvas with a tough coating to prevent leaks and staining. These can be draped over furniture, floors, or any surface.

2. Easel
Whether it's for sketching, painting, or planning—almost every artist needs an adjustable surface to help them create. Easels have come a long way and are now available in many different designs and styles. They work seamlessly with traditional and digital mediums. Easels are perfect for in the studio, Plein air, standing or sitting, providing extra storage space, converting a small area on a table or desk into an easel, folding down, being lightweight for travel, and so much more versatility. Easels make creating easier as your artist can work vertically, helping them create more accurate artwork, assist in perspective, and lessen the risk of spilled paint.

3. Art Supply Storage
Ask any artist at any stage, and we bet you'll hear them tell you the woes of finding places to stash their art tools and supplies safely. Brushes need to be stored, bristles up, paint needs palettes that can be stored, pens, pencils, paint tubes, papers, canvas, and more—where to put it all?

All-in-One Storage
The Studio Designs Swivel Organizer might be the perfect gift for the artist with a smaller studio or space. The Studio Organizer comes with nine shelves of various sizes that can store everything from art supplies to finished pieces or papers and more. It comes with handy and sturdy casters so the organizer can be rolled and moved quickly.

Paint Brush Storage
Keeping their paintbrushes stored and safe from accidental bending or damage to bristles is essential, especially for artists who paint. Cheap Joe's offers a variety of dependable nylon-constructed brush holders with reinforced sides for easy storage. Many brush holders can be folded and set on a surface so an artist can easily see and choose which brush they may need.

Supply Storage
Cheap Joe's will have your gift ideas covered in our Storage and Organizers section, whether for pens, pencils, markers, paint tubs, erasers, and more. Select from hardy boxes and containers with adjustable dividers, marker cases, pastel storage options, pencil cases and storage, print and document protectors, and even flat file storage for in-progress or finished pieces.

4. Palettes
If your loved one or artist friend works with oils, watercolors, acrylics, pastels, encaustics, or any other medium that requires mixing, they undoubtedly need a palette. A palette can be a personal choice, yet we at Cheap Joe's don't know any artist that isn't thrilled to be gifted a brand new one to try. Many artists love their too-well-used old palettes so much that they may not realize it's time for a new one or how much it is needed, from porcelain palettes to air-tight, travel compact, single trays, canteens, etc. There is a palette suitable for all artists here, and they come in sizes perfect to be art stocking stuffers!

5. Portable Portfolios
Significantly few artists can drag their studio with them. Does your artist have a portfolio when it comes to sketching, painting outside, or even meeting with a client? A portfolio offers a range of art supply storage and art piece protection in portable, lightweight bags or cases.

6. Studio or Workspace Lighting
There are only so many hours of natural light a day, and not every artist can be blessed with gorgeous, large windows to work with sunlight. On the other hand, having too bright and harsh or dim lights can strain an artist's eyes. The solution is to ensure your artist has the gift of perfect studio lighting! Check out our collection of full-spectrum lamps that reduces eye strain but lights up a work area perfectly for painting, cross-stitching, reading, and more.

7. Drawing Tool Basics

Drawing Pencils
For some of us, a pencil is just a pencil. Ask an artist what's the difference between a pencil and a sketching pencil, and you might find yourself surprised at just how many differences in pencils there are. Did you know that sketching pencils can come in: 9xxB, 9B, 8B, 7B, 8B, 4B, 3B, 2B, B, HB, F, H, 2H, 3H, 4H, 6H, 6H, 7H, 8H, and 9H, just to name a few different lead types?

Okay, that may seem confusing as to what to purchase for your artist, but thanks to Cheap Joe's, we have an easy solution! Head on over to our Sketch Sets section in Pencils, and you'll find many options of the most popular and most used sketching pencils and their lead types already packaged and ready to go.

Erasers
Sure, there are erasers for pencils and graphite, but did you know there are special erasers for removing masking fluid, kneadable erasers, soft erasers, and erasers made for charcoal and pastels? Take a look at our array of erasers and find one your artist will fall in love with. For instance, the General's Tri-Tip is perfect for pastel, charcoal, and graphite, while Cheap

Joe's Extra Soft Erasers are multi-purpose and adored by the artist community.

Ruler
Rulers are necessary for artists of all kinds. Rulers create straight lines and edges, allowing an artist to draw parallel lines easily and quickly and are used for measuring, something an artist will undoubtedly encounter any matter what medium they create.

8. Sketchbook
The ideas and inspiration could flee at any moment, so where else would an artist put it? A sketchbook is a must-have for any artist, not just for drawing or painting. Writers need a place to jot down lightening fast ideas, concept artists quickly create panels for inspiration later, and comic artists might need layout practice—the ideas a sketchbook can capture are nearly endless.

One of our most popular sketchbooks alone or purchasable in a set is our American Journey Hardbound Sketchbooks. They're available in many different sizes, and with 70 lb. paper, they're perfect for on-the-go or anywhere.

And what do you do if none of these gift ideas speaks to you, or you worry they won't fit your artist? You get them the gift of a Cheap Joe's Gift Card! Any amount can be placed on the card, allowing your artists to get the art supplies they specifically need or want without worrying about getting it wrong. Ordering from Cheap Joe's means skipping the crowds at major chains and no running around for last-minute art stocking stuffers.

With these great suggestions, you're sure to bring a smile to the artists in your family this Christmas. Merriest of Christmases to you and Happy Holidays from all of us at Cheap Joe's Art Stuff!