10 Affordable Gifts for Creatives (That Don't Suck!)

It's about that time! Holiday season is fast approaching and it's all too easy to leave your gift buying till the last minute, especially during the last end-of-year business push! 

Coming up with fantastic, fun, useful-yet-unique gifts for all the creative people in your life who have loved and supported you as you learn and grow can be overwhelming (not to mention, expensive).
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Here's a handy dandy list of a 10 affordable gift ideas to get you started when shopping for the creatives in your life! I made sure to include multiple options at every price point. It's a GREAT place to search for your bestie, your classmate, or your office Secret Santa (Or, you know, scope out some stocking stuffers for yourself- you've earned it!).

I personally own or have gifted every single item on this list and stand by them as great buys. Click the photos to go directly to their amazon item page and read full product descriptions, reviews, or to buy!

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Top 10 Affordable Gifts for Creatives (That Don't Suck!)

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 Hourglass Sand Timers: 30 min & 5 min $27.99
One of my FAVORITE gifts ever is my sand "hourglass" timer. It can be incredibly distracting to use your phone as a timer because inevitably you end up checking email/texts/etc. and before you know it, the time you set aside for your creative project has slipped through your fingers. Sand timers are an amazing way to de-tech the timing process! I use the 30 minute one for writing and th 5-min one for breaks/calls/texts. It's truly done wonders for not only my productivity, but also my mental health!

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Funny Writer's Mug $12.95
It's a mug AND a public service announcement! Give the gift of laughter with this hilarious (and accurate) mug for the writer in your life. Just don't ask her any questions till she's finished her coffee. Trust me on that one.

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Gray Felt Letter Board $23.99
There's a reason these babies are poppin' up all over social media! It's a super easy and fun way to express a thought, quote, funny line, or deal without just typing out boring text on a colored square. Help the creative in your life uplevel their online style and have fun doin' it!

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AquaNotes Waterproof Notepad $8.95
I don't know about you, but some of my BEST ideas come to me when I'm in the shower! That used to be extremely inconvenient- until I got this waterproof pad at an office Christmas party. It's designed to be mounted and used in the shower for whenever a creative idea hits! No more running through the house dripping trying to find a pen!

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Good Vibes Adult Coloring Book $6.84
For the person in your life who could use a little extra encouragement! I know, I know...coloring books are so 2017... BUT as a creative professional, I love having these babies lying around as a meditative "re-set" for my brain. Not only has it been shown that adult coloring books help with stress reduction, but you get a double whammy of goodness when you're focusing your mind on positive affirmations like "don't give up" and "good things are going to happen"!

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Non-Boring Laptop Case $16.99
You're walking to the coffee shop to finally work on your novel. Or you're heading to a meeting with a new design client. Or you're just going to the office and are sick of all the office supplies being gray and boring. You need a laptop case that matches your creative work! Switch up your boring case for one of these awesome patterned canvas babies that protects your precious computer without sacrificing any creative expression! Florals, stripes, patterns, you name it, they got it.

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Chic Gold Desk Organization Set $32.99
If you work from home, your desk is Mission Control. But many creative types (me! me!) have a hard time keeping things organized. Having a chic desk set helps keep things feeling clean, uncluttered, and like there's just a teensy bit more "method" to the madness!

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Funny "Plan of Attack" Notepad $6.95
Speaking of staying organized, it's much more fun when you think of your "to-do" list as a "plan of attack"! Help your creative friend stay on top of their goals while also helping them feel like they're getting closer to world-domination. 

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Essential Oil Diffuser in Woodgrain $19.99
One of the quickest ways to set the scene for a creative environment is to tap into our sense of smell. This chic, non "weird-looking" essential oil diffuser is small but mighty! It makes the whole room smell amazing without looking like a spaceship has landed on your desk. It's also an amazing option because rather than giving someone a candle that only smells one way (and hoping they like it), essential oils can be changed according to the user's mood/preference!

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Simple Desktop Phone Stand $8.99
This tiny little stand is SO helpful when I'm talking to a client on facetime and trying to look at my computer screen at the same time. It's great to be able to answer messages, see how things are going to look on mobile as well as desktop, and generally have your hands free as you need to use your phone throughout the day. It also makes face recognition super easy when your hands are busy making/drawing/typing and you can't punch in your unlock code.

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STILL  NEED  IDEAS?

Just in case you need some more inspiration, here's a link to my public "Idea Lists" on my Amazon account page. It has even MORE gift options for every budget including the best non-cringe-y business books, more gift options, and helpful tools for your social media:

Amazon Gift Idea List

*full disclosure, these are amazon affiliate links, HOWEVER, I have personally tested each and every product listed and genuinely do recommend them all!