Gift Guide 2021: Subscriptions!

The theme for this week’s Gift Guide is Subscriptions!

When stories about supplies and supply chains are as prominent as the holiday music inside every store (oy), arranging gifts that will deliver in intervals over the coming year or months ahead might be a great strategy! And there are so, SO MANY options.

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First, a cool piece of shopping strategy: if you want to support local artisans on Etsy, or near to your recipient, you can filter Etsy search results by location!

So, for example, say you search for “romance novel jewelry” on Etsy. 

At the top of that page, click the “Filters” button and scroll down to “Shop location.”

You can enter a city or town and it should autopopulate so you can search a specific location. (And many shops on Etsy have independent web storefronts that sometimes have more options to choose from!)

And now, on to subscriptions!!

One of my favorite gifts for people who I know love their planners, traveler’s notebooks, and paper goods: sticker subscriptions.

There are so many options! Some are general surprise or mystery collections, or themed collections like this hiking sticker subscription ($6-$30).

Six Month Sticker Subscription, $43, BowlerBearDesigns

I could go down the rabbit hole of sticker subscriptions for hours.

And then, brace yourselves, there are candy subscriptions.

Bokksu is a Japanese candy and snack subscription box that Amanda recommended for my younger child’s birthday this year. Hooooooboy it is awesome. We freaking love it. It’s a massive collection of Japanese snacks and sweets with a booklet to tell you what each item is, and it’s so much fun to receive each month.

Universal Yums is another international candy subscription box, with snacks and sweets. Each month is a different country, and if you’re feeling sad at the lack of travel at the moment, this is a clever and fun way to gift someone sweets from far, far away.

There are three price tiers, too, so this could be a gift for an entire family if you need something for a group!

And then there’s chocolate subscriptions. We love the Lake Champlain chocolate gifts, including their Chocolate Club, where each month there is a wonderful confection. And they have Hanukkah chocolates, too!

Usually, the word “subscription” makes me think of magazines, and that’s definitely an option. You can order gift subscriptions of a smorgasbord of magazines via Amazon’s magazine portal (tip: set a reminder for yourself to renew or cancel before the renewal date). I like this especially for folks with specific hobbies or interests like knitting, woodworking, sewing, or quilting.

One year I gifted an entire year of People and wow, was that a happily-received gift!

And speaking of hobbies, stores online that cater to a specific craft often have subscription options for things like fabric or thread or yarn!

I had a subscription to a fat quarter bundle from Fat Quarter Shop so that I had fabric to play with that I knew would work together while teaching myself to quilt. Some shops also offer quilt block of the month clubs, too! And there are Cross Stitch Clubs as well!

Knitting and crochet fans have so much to choose from, like KnitCrate, or Jimmy Beans, or Annie’s Kit Clubs.  

For young humans, I’ve heard absolutely marvelous things about Kiwi Crate, which sends kits to build and experiment that are tailored to different age groups. 

Amanda:  For books, I love FAIRYLOOT which is mostly YA fantasy but started an adult book only subscription without any extra swag.

Poppin Candy is not a sub but it’s a candy mystery box and they do their own gummy mixes. I’ve been really surprised by them.

Sophie and Toffee is a cute craft subscription, mainly specializing in resin crafts, though they just started a new one that is less on creating a craft each box and just sends you some cool monthly art supplies

Shana: The subscription that probably brings me the most joy is my membership in Brown Estate Vineyards. It’s a Black-owned winery in California, and they send you a box of (mostly red) wine every 3 months. It is really delicious wine.

(Ed note: it’s currently at capacity, but you can sign up for their mailing list to find out when it re-opens. And many wineries have clubs to join, too!) 

I’ve bought this monthly book + gift subscription from I Am Black Lit for other people. It’s a monthly subscription that highlights Black authors and entrepreneurs.

I’ve also been coveting this sock yarn subscription from Dye Hard Yarns!

Dye Hard Yarn Subscription

As you know, I’m also obsessed with cheese, so I’ve been eying this box from Rogue Creamery.

Catherine: So I just started learning to crochet and Toft has crochet subscription clubs. Their dye club sends you yarn and a pattern for a new mystery animal every quarter. The current one includes wool that glows under UV light and I am very excite….

So, what about you? What subscriptions do you love, or covet, or recommend? Any hobby-specific ones you really like?