The Ultimate 2021 Holiday Gift Guide for Creative Women

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Sleigh Bells are ringing, and here at Ladies Who Design, we are READY to celebrate the Holiday season. Since we’re all preparing for the holidays, we know how stressful it can be getting gifts for the creative women in your life.

Luckily, we’ve worked with and bought from some amazing brands, so we know exactly where to start your shopping list. If you’re like us, you love creative gifts that not only have a meaningful touch but double up as being very functional –– so we’re putting together the ultimate gift guide for creative women to help you find the perfect gift that ticks those meaningful boxes.

This gift guide isn’t for just anyone, though –– it’s for the creative woman who wants to take her skills to the next level while supporting female driven businesses. We’ve broken this guide down into clothing, female-owned businesses, books, snacks, WFH essentials, and more. Happy shopping!

P.S. If there’s something we should include, let us know in the comments! We’re always on the hunt for feminist brands and women-owned businesses to support.

CLOTHING AND FASHION

Tuesday of California
Tuesday of California is an independently owned lifestyle brand that designs and produces clothes in sizes XXS-7X with an emphasis on adjustable fit for comfort and style. Tuesday Bassen, the illustrator and designer who founded Tuesday of California, also believes in sustainable business practices and works with Latinx owned factories to manufacture her clothes in California. We love this brand! Check out the best sellers, like the Dining Dress and Audrey Skirt.

An-Nhien Nguyen Art
An-Nhien is an illustrator and designer with a love for the whimsical and a slight obsession with florals. We love that her custom made apparel caters to grown ups who still dream about mermaids, unicorns, and witches. Check out her comfy Carpe Noctem Pullover!

Armoire
As much as we love fashion, sometimes we don’t have the time or patience to shop sometimes, so I use Armoire. Armoire is a clothing rental service that gives client unlimited access to endless styles for a monthly fee. Armoire is a sustainable and affordable way to switch up your closet. Enter code “ladieswhodesign” at checkout or use our referral link for 50% off your first month and a bonus item!

Ladies Who Design Merch
Our shop launched in 2017, and we’re currently in the process of creating more products! Check out some of our most popular items, like The Future is Female Shirt and Chin Up! Fangs Out! Shirt. If you’re looking for the famous “A Woman’s Place is in the Resistance” poster, you can find that here.

Check out the whole Ladies Who Design shop!

SHOP SMALL/WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES

And Studio
This small design studio and print shop is owned by two women, and it produces quality goods including art prints and fine jewelry in Chicago's Roscoe Village neighborhood. They now offer workshops ranging from printmaking to fiber art. We recommend checking out their Fuck The Patriarchy Keychain! Be sure to follow And Studio on Instagram @_andstudio.

Eugenia Kids
Founded in 2021 with savings bonds from her late grandmother, Ali Koehler started Eugenia Kids to celebrate childhood imagination and humor. Her shop features adorable hair clips, astrology nursery prints, and more! We recommend the Pet Name Hair Clip Pack! You can also find Eugenia Kids in these shops across the country. Be sure to follow Ali on Instagram @eugeniakids.

Rainbow Babe
Jax Goswick operates this woman-owned business, and it features a lot of wonderful mental health and fat inclusive art. We recommend checking out her Never Perfect Print and Fat Babe Ornaments. Be sure to follow Jax on Instagram @jax.rainbowbabe.

Reset Reality
Vanessa Lee operates this woman-owned business that features unique, original, abstract watercolor figure paintings and bird illustration drawings. We recommend grabbing one of her gorgeous bird prints! Be sure to follow Vanessa on Instagram @_resetreality.

Unraveling Arts
This Black, woman-owned small business is operated by Marielle Lamothe. She has an amazing collection of art prints, pins, stickers, and Christmas cards for sale that would make excellent stocking suffers! We recommend checking out her gorgeous Minimalist Girl Print. Be sure to follow Marielle on Instagram @unravelingarts.

Wing On Wo & Co 永安和
This is one of the oldest continuously operating stores in Manhattan’s Chinatown boasting a five-generation long legacy. They sell primarily porcelain ware and cultural goods. Wing On Wo & Co. hopes to breathe new life into cultural craft by reinterpreting tradition through an Asian American lens. We recommend checking out their Double Fish Vase and Handpainted Wine Cups. Be sure to follow them on Instagram @wingonwoandco.

BOOKS

Libro.fm
One of our favorite discoveries this year has been Libro.fm! It’s an online service that splits the profit of audiobook purchases with local, independent bookstores. Use our referral link or enter the code lfm328492 and get a free audiobook with your new membership!

Art Inc. by Lisa Congdon
If you’re wanting to start an art business, this is the perfect book! In this book by Lisa Congdon, you will learn how to set actionable goals, diversify your income streams and much more. Grab your copy from our Amazon list!

Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace (recommended by our Patreon supporter, Lavinia)
This book is amazing because it touches not only on creativity as inspiration, brainstorming or ideation, but it also teaches a valuable lesson on managing, and keeping creative when things get complicated. All women can benefit greatly from this book!

Everything I Know So Far About Running a Freelance Illustration Business by Taaryn Brench (recommended by our Patreon supporter, Lily)
Are you new to illustration and feel totally lost when it comes to freelancing? In this 72 page e-book, designer and illustrator Taaryn Brench, shares everything she knows (so far) about running a freelance illustration business with the aim of demystifying the whole thing. You’ll become empowered when it comes to dealing with clients and certain situations. You’ll also have a clear and direct actionable plan to attract your dream clients. Grab this book now!

Graphic Artists Guild Handbook
We recommend this book all the time, because it’s a valuable resources for people who create art and those who buy it. Grab your copy from our Amazon list!

GOOD EATS

GoldBelly
Want to try a cupcake from Magnolia Bakery but you live across the country? No worries, because this is your lucky day! Goldbelly is a curated online marketplace for regional and artisanal foods crafted by local purveyors throughout the United States. Goldbelly's staff also curates products from restaurants, bakeries, and delis to feature on their website, and they have facilitates shipping across all 50 states. Get $15 off your first purchase when you use our link!

HelloFresh
The Holiday season can get hectic! Take some of that pressure away by meal planning with HelloFresh. They offer meal kits with pre-measured ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes. Use our referral link to get $110 off your first order. Pro-tip: If you have college students in your life, they can also get 15% off every box by signing up through their Unidays Page.

Mike’s Hot Honey
You can literally put this on anything! Mike’s Hot Honey is great on pizza, wings, cheese, and even tea. Word of warning…It is addictive!

Old Dominick Huling Station Bourbon
Alex Castle is the Master Distiller or brew master at Old Dominick Distillery in Memphis, Tennessee. She was promoted to the role in 2019, and she has a real passion and dedication to the craft. We recommend checking out the Huling Station Straight Bourbon. It’s the perfect Christmas Bourbon due to its hints of cinnamon and rich caramel.

WORK FROM HOME ESSENTIALS

These are just a few items from our Work From Home Essentials list. You can check out all of the items from this list on our Amazon page.

Keyboard Cleaning Gel ($6)
If you’re working from home, your laptop is working even harder, both as your keyboard and as a lunch tray. This keyboard cleaning gel is perfect for getting out crumbs, dust, pet hair, and more out of your keyboard. You can also use it for general dusting and car detailing. It’s a worthy investment, for sure. Grab yours from our Amazon list.

Mini Fridge ($49)
When you’re working from home, you’re going to want snacks and cold drinks. If you’re sharing a space with others and don’t want to distract them, a mini fridge is perfect to limit your trips to the kitchen. This little fridge has just enough space to stock your favorite seltzers, sodas, and snacks throughout the day. Grab yours from our Amazon list.

Portable Dual Monitor ($300)
Let’s be real…A dual monitor setup is the best way to get work done! This portable dual setup for your laptop can help you tackle your to-do list even more quickly, and it’s a real perk now that your home office situation might change from room to room. This portable dual monitor is also compatible with Mac, PC, and Chrome laptops between 13 to 17 inches, and it attaches with device save metal plates. Grab yours from our Amazon list.

Takeya Patented Delux Cold Brew Coffee Maker ($19.95)
One of the easiest cold brew coffee makers to use! All you have to do is stick your favorite ground coffee in the filter, seal the airtight lid, and place it in the fridge overnight. Then, you’re good to go in the morning (or afternoon in our case). This coffee make promises to make smooth and delicious iced coffee. Grab yours from our Amazon list.

ONLINE CREATIVE COURSES

Domestika
Domestika is one of the fastest-growing international creative communities where experts share their knowledge through professionally produced online courses. You can learn about software, crafts, design, illustration, photography, and much more. Enter code LADIESWHODESIGN-PROMO for 10% off any course (valid until 12/11/2021). Domestika always runs amazing promos so be sure to check back often!

Calligraphy and Lettering for Instagram with Procreate
In this Domestika course, Nubia Navarro, who has worked with brands such as Marriott, Adidas, Samsung, Coca-Cola, and UNICEF, teaches you how to combine photographs with lettering in Procreate to create Instagram-worthy pieces.

Exploratory Sketchbook: Find Your Drawing Style
This Domestika course with Sarah van Dongen takes you on an inspiring journey through her illustration universe. Discover her methods for creating unique illustrations and finding your drawing style. Learn how to use color, composition, texture, and anatomy to draw from observation and tell the stories you want to tell.

Digital Fantasy Portraits with Photoshop
In this Domestika course, Karmen Loh will show you the soft, glittering ropes to her polished technique for creating digital fantasy portraits that narrate an ethereal atmosphere, with precision and skill. Her use of Adobe Photoshop has an easy to follow structure, that will give you all the necessary tools to fuse your imagination through this program to create your own unique fantasy narration into your digital portraits.

Modern Watercolor Techniques
With Ana Victoria and Domestika, you will learn how to master watercolor step by step and use it in a fun way to create unimaginable results. There are times when the technique itself, because of its nature, acts on its own. In this course, you will discover how to take advantage of these unexpected "mistakes" for your own benefit.

Skillshare
If you’re looking to learn new skills or brush up on old ones, you should join Skillshare’s online learning community for creatives. When you sign up using our link, you get two weeks of Skillshare for free!

Hopefully, this gift guide will help you find the perfect gift for the creative women in your life this holiday season. Happy shopping!