The trick with someone who has everything is to skip the categories they’ve already covered. These are the finds most likely to be genuinely new to them.
A cedar bee house, nesting reeds and accessories, plus live cocoons of gentle solitary bees. Choose spring mason bees, summer leafcutter bees, or both.
Good for Gardeners, kids who love bugs, and anyone with fruit trees or a vegetable patch.
A block of living shiitake mycelium in a box. Soak it, mist it daily, and edible shiitakes push out of it on your counter.
Good for Curious cooks, kids who like to watch things grow, and the friend who killed their last houseplant.
A soft, padded, cocoon-like pillow that goes over your head to block out light and noise, so you can nap at a desk, on a plane, or anywhere else.
Good for Frequent flyers, night-shift workers, and champion nappers.
A handmade bamboo cabinet that stores cheese the way cheesemongers do, with humidity control, so it ripens instead of drying out or sweating in plastic.
Good for Serious cheese lovers, hosts, and the person who truly has everything.
A laser-cut plywood kit that becomes a working mechanical cash register — with a code-locked money drawer, a coin counter and a coin detector. No glue required.
Good for Tinkerers, puzzle lovers, and kids learning about money (with a grown-up helper).
A wooden build-it-yourself jewelry box with five amber stones set in the lid. Opening it triggers moving blocks that reveal hidden drawers.
Good for Puzzle lovers, steampunk fans, and anyone who keeps small treasures.
A slim add-on that installs under your toilet seat without electricity or a plumber, with two adjustable nozzles and a pressure knob.
Good for New homeowners, people with a sense of humor, and anyone tired of buying toilet paper.
A hand-built Pacific Northwest cedar house designed for mason and leafcutter bees, with room for nesting tubes and a built-in cocoon hatchery area.
Good for Gardeners, fruit-tree growers, and nature lovers.
Rennet, citric acid, cheese salt, a reusable thermometer and cheesecloth — enough for four batches, which the maker puts at about 6 lb of cheese. Add milk and a pot.
Good for Pizza nights, curious cooks, and couples looking for a weekend project.
Everything needed to brew a gallon of honey wine except the honey: a glass fermenter, airlock, tubing, sanitizer, yeast and nutrients, plus instructions.
Good for Home brewers, beekeepers, and history nerds.
A cloth-bound book with a plausible, dry-sounding title — like a machinist’s memoir or a laser safety manual — that’s actually a lined box with a magnetic closure.
Good for Bookshelf decorators, people with a dry sense of humor, and anyone who needs a spot for spare keys.
Four identical brushed-steel pieces that lock into a compact solid. Easy to take apart; surprisingly hard to put back together.
Good for Engineers, puzzle fans, and desks that need something to fidget with.
A suction-cup window gadget with a small solar panel that slowly turns a crystal, sending moving rainbows around the room.
Good for Kids’ rooms, sunny kitchens, and anyone who needs a little cheering up.