12 ideas from the craft & hobby kits area of The Christmas Market. Nothing is sold here — pick anything up and it opens a pre-filled search at the retailer.
The cream-awning stall is the craft stall, with a pegboard and cakes of yarn behind the counter. On it sit a crochet starter kit in an open tin, a watercolour set, an embroidery hoop with a design half-stitched and a canvas roll of carving knives beside a half-carved bird. Craft kits for adults are a gift of a new evening habit, and they work because everything needed is in one box.
That is the difference between a kit and a box of supplies. A kit suits a curious beginner. Someone who already crochets or paints has opinions about their materials, and a starter kit can feel like a step backwards for them.
Choose by temperament. Crochet and embroidery suit someone who likes something to do with their hands while the television is on. Watercolour suits someone who would rather sit and look. Whittling uses sharp blades, so it is a kit for an adult.
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Crochet Starter Kit
A crochet kit is a gift of a new hobby, and a starter kit removes the first obstacle, which is knowing which hook and which yarn to get. The tin on the counter is open on three balls of yarn, a row of hooks, stitch markers and a small pair of scissors. Look for a kit with thick yarn and a clear first project, because stitches are harder to see in thin yarn and a beginner can lose heart. Amigurumi kits make small stuffed figures and suit someone who likes a finished object. A project kit suits someone who has already learned the basics.
Watercolour Set
A watercolour kit is a gift for someone who would like to paint without turning the kitchen into a studio. The set on the counter is a hinged tin palette with two rows of colour pans and two brushes across the lid. Watercolour is a clean medium to start with: water, a brush and a tin that closes. For a beginner, paper matters more than paint, so a kit that includes a pad of proper watercolour paper is the better gift. A travel kit suits someone who wants to paint on walks or on trips.
Embroidery Hoop Kit
An embroidery kit is a slow, quiet gift, and a good first kit comes down to the pattern. The one on the counter is a bound wooden hoop with fabric stretched tight, a design half-stitched, a threaded needle parked at the edge and skeins of thread fanned beside it. Choose a design the person would actually hang on a wall, since a finished piece often stays in its hoop as a frame. Kits with the design printed on the fabric are the easy start. Punch needle is a quicker, looser technique for someone who wants results fast.
Whittling Kit
A whittling kit is a gift for someone who likes to sit outside, or by a fire, with something in their hands. The roll on the counter is canvas, part-unrolled on three carving knives, a basswood blank and a half-carved bird. A beginner kit should include soft wood blanks and a simple first project, because hard wood and no plan is how people give up. The knives are sharp, so this is a gift for an adult, and a cut-resistant glove or thumb guard is worth adding if the kit does not include one. A project kit suits someone who has already carved a spoon or two.
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More rooms
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- His Closet
- The Board Room
- The Toy Shop
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- Shop by person
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Nothing is sold here — every pick opens a pre-filled search at the retailer, where the real listings, prices and stock live. How this works.