Christmas gift ideas for your crafter: Part 1

December 9, 9:50 AMDenver Craft ExaminerKayleen Burke

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My supercool friend Julie K. Miller is writing three about gift ideas for your crafter. 

You: A person with a crafter in your life.

Problem: The bottom of your tree looks empty, the malls are horrific and give you nightmares but you must make up for the disaster of a gift you gave last year: Novelty oven mitts.

Solution: The gift that gives all year long! MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS!

For a relatively low price and with the tremendous effort of signing up online, you can provide your very own crafter with a treat that will remind them of your love and admiration for all of 2009.

For me, part of the joy of being an artist, is the community. These magazines, from all walks of craft are a window into that community. A way for me to see new styles, new techniques and new tools.

I've spent more hours than I can count standing in front of the magazine racks of my local giant bookstore conglomerate debating which magazine I will splurge on, stock pile and pour over for months to come. And if I'm being honest, that decision would be so so much easier if I knew that my options were smaller because someone special in my life made sure I got one delivered, like clockwork, into my mailbox. ( I won't mention any names, but you know who you are...)

I've compiled a list of my favorite regulars, the standards that always bring my joy to guide you on your subscription options. And now, in no particular order:

ReadyMade: Instructions for Everyday Life
1Year (6 issues) $9.95
www.readymade.com/magazine
I enjoy this magazine for it's projects that include a wide variety of craft and construction. The website this month advertises a variety from home made holiday gifts, reusing carpet samples, stitching together a cashmere blanket and making your own donuts at home.

Martha Stewart Living
1 Year (12 issues) $24.00 and a second gift of 1 Year (12 issues) for $18.00
www.marthastewart.com
The queen of home overwhelms me and makes me feel like a complete failure. However, her magazine covers just about any popular home craft these days - paper, fabric, home, food. There isn't anything she doesn't cover (hence why she makes me feel like a lazy failure).
 
Craft/ Make
1 Year (4 Volumes) Print plus Digital Editions $34.95
www. craftzine.com/magazine/
www.makezine.com/magazine/
On the pricey side of my list, these a two different 'zines from the UK that, between them, hit every crafter button and provide me with more inspiration and easy projects than I know what to do with! My favorite from CRAFT is the portable .mp3 speakers made out of an altoid tin. From MAKE it would have to be the instructions on how to make your own outdoor movie projector for backyard screenings.


Papercrafts
1 Year (12 issues) $15.97
www.creatingkeepsakes.com/content/viewmagazine/10/63/
Not just cards or scrapbooking, this one takes the art of paper to a whole new level. They showcase the more popular paper artists with small examples and whole projects while using the tools we all wish we had.
 
Creating Keepsakes
1 Year (12 issues) $19.97

http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/content/viewmagazine/9/63/
Just as it says, this one provides inspiration and instruction on making your memories into something more than just a 4 x 6. They often focus on the memory itself by documenting the event, not just a moment.