gifts for somewhat practical aesthetes

































An efficient all-in-one hat and scarf by Xenia Telunts, available at Folk

tree curtain by random clichés, for greenery that never needs watering.

Fleurs D'Hiver herbal tea lollipops, for a particularly lovely cup of tea.

An aluminum coffee pot by knindustrie, to add flourish to a daily ritual.

Kumihimo silk-braided eyewear straps by Noriko Yuki, for keeping readers close.

A minimalist cookie zine
 with just four recipes, each inspired by an artist: Halva af Klint, Sonia Dough-lanay, Anise Albers, and Almond Thomas.

paper fan that recalls a sunlit forest canopy, for lo-fi a/c.

spiraled basket made of coppiced willow by Rachel Bower Baskets, for corralling a collection of handmade wooden spoons.


An easy-to-find-at-the-bottom-of-bags Caro pen by Craighill, and an Ina Seifert lanyard to keep it (and keys) handy.

chair by Cultivation Objects that recalls telephone seats, for texting and word games.

A cherry wood cable wrap by Naoto Yoshida, for keeping cords neat.

Miriam Murri's dog-waste bag dispenser for Alessi, for putting a little shine on a most unpleasant chore. 

A cheery and sturdy Hender Scheme tissue case, because tissue manufacturers seem driven to choose THE WORST patterns for tissue boxes. Why?!!!!

gifts for the spaced-out
























A glassy glimpse of celestial bodies by ilikoiart, for extraterrestrial gazing.

An eclipse viewer made for the total solar eclipse of January 4, 1925: "Of all the wonders of astronomy, there is no spectacle more fascinating than the total eclipse of the sun."

One solar system for suspending (Tour D'Horizon solar system mobile) and another one for wearing (Kapital Universe gabbeh scarf).

A bottle of ink the color of moon dust—Jacques Herbin Pouissiere de Lune

A Keplerian solar telescope, for spotting sunspots.

A dish of stars, by Astier de Villatte.


The 2025 Sora daily calendar, for keeping track of lunar phases.

A top made of vintage Japanese embroidered silk Obi that shimmers like starlight, from Stitch and Tickle.

Marking Time by Chris McCraw, for seeing the mark of the sun, or this book by Emily Sheffer, for seeing the mark of the moon.

An Astroblaster, for demonstrating gravitational rebound (and understanding supernovas).

fragrance based on a scent NASA developed "to train astronauts on how Outer Space actually smells."

Dendera's double-layered shifting maze, for navigating ancient constellations.

A card by Noat that tells it like it is. (There are stars inside.)

gifts that warm






















Nippon Kodo's porcelain animal incense burner, for wafting scents. (In addition to this dreaming rabbit, there is also an extremely charming cat.)

Twelve pieces of Grasmere gingerbread, plus a jar of rum butter, for gentle heat.

Handmade and reusable Mino Washi paper snowflakes, to make any day a snow day. (Photo found here; also available via the Cooper Hewitt shop.)

A draft-proof lantern, for a steady glow. 

A basket-making kit from Underwater Weaving Studio, because handcrafts counteract doomscrolling's chill.

Sheepskin slipper boots, for toasty toes. 



Kinto's Aqua Cuture vases, because a glimpse of green and growing things is always a light.

The Details of Our Escape, a roleplaying game that encourages players to think about communities and possible futures as they guide a caravan of 2,000 people searching for a new home. (Discovered thanks to Karissa's newsletter.)

A paper fireplace with sea-salt chocolate logs, to keep the home fires burning.

gifts for wild swimmers



























Endura's oversized insulated dryrobe, for quick changes in cold weather. (Voited's and Vivida's cozy insulated changing robes also caught my eye, as did Sand Cloud's terry poncho for warmer days.)

A Irish crofter's storm kettle, for brewing warming drinks.

Barbara Bosworth's Diana's Baths: a collection of photographs that "evoke the mythological ambiance of a woodland pool."

wooly Donegal hat, always useful.

Neoprene boots, to keep away the chill.

Extra-cozy and plush Pendleton x Snow Peak towels, for drying off. 

A lightweight chair with a square base designed to sit solidly on sandy and pebbly shores.

Charles Sprawson's absolutely mesmeric and singular cultural history of swimming (I love this book) or Waterlog, Roger Deakin's chronicle of swimming "the seas, rivers, lakes, ponds, pools, streams, lochs, moats, and quarries" of Britain.

jumbo nylon bag, for schlepping wet towels and gear.

A sink-or-float thermometer, for calculating how long to stay in.


A handy Geoffry Fisher brush, for knocking off dried-on detritus.

Delicious coffee toffee, as a reward for taking the plunge, if the endorphins are not enough.

A trip to Iceland to snorkle in the gap between two continents.