Our sincere thanks to the tribe at Wise Ink Creative Publishing for this fun post full of great gift ideas for all us bibliophiles. Sure, give a copy of your book to everyone but these nifty items all need to find a place in our homes somewhere, without a doubt… Enjoy and share your own ideas below, too!
If you’re anything like us, you’re in the midst of frantically finding holiday presents for friends, children, coworkers, and family.
I always like to inject some of my own personality into the gifts I give—within reason, of course—to really communicate to my loved one that what I’m giving them is more than just a transaction of stuff—it’s a testament to our relationship and has a lot of thought invested.
As a book person, that means I often give books I know my recipient will love. But we each have someone on our list we wouldn’t know how to BEGIN to buy a book for. The solution? Book-themed things!
For the voracious reader, you know that there are never enough bookshelves. A handy solution? Book ends! They’re decorative, fun, and allow you to put books away (and not in piles you stub your toes on). My favorite is the odd, slightly hipster-y rhino book ends, found on etsy.
If you’re at all crafty, you might like cross stitch. Etsy again has many, many sellers offering custom bookish patterns or already-stitched designs. Turn their favorite book into a piece of art!
As Minnesotans, we can’t resist a shout out to the local Frostbeard Studio, your fine, nation-wide purveyor of book and geekery-themed candles. I’m a huge fan of Book Cellar. They also have Harry Potter candles. Excellent.
As far as home goods go, displaying symbolic letter (initials are the most popular) is a good way to go. We love the letters cut from old hardcover books, available at Anthropologie.
If you’re a t-shirt person, you might have already heard of Out of Print, a wonderful online retailer for apparel that gives a nod to classic books. For those of you who like more subtle fandom, Out of Print has a small but beautiful selection of book-themed necklaces we would love to own!
Even for non-book things, I can’t resist making everything I can look like a beautiful old book. I like to keep my change in a compartment hidden in a book. Buy one from American Science and Surplus, or build your own.
If your givee is a mac user and a technophile, consider giving a Book Book case from Twelve South. These are real leather cases for your iPhone, iPad, and iMac that look like antique books. Also makes a good sleeping place for cats.
A different kind of bookmobile than the one you remember as a kid—etsy has multiple sellers with mobiles made out of old books. Perfect for kids and adults!
And if your book is out, consider creating a poster with your cover artwork or a quotation. The people who helped you with your book, as well as your family and close friends, would love a piece of fan art!
Readers, what are you getting the book lovers in your life?
*Confession: most of these ideas came from my house or the Wise Ink office. Who says you can’t gift to yourself?