Everything here was under $50 when we last checked.
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 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 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.
Five 2 ml vials of Robert Oster shimmer inks — golds, rose golds and violets that leave a glittering edge on every line you write.
Good for Fountain pen users, journal-keepers and letter writers.
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 card game where you collect sets of three — and then duel by throwing two squishy foam burritos at each other.
Good for Family holidays, game nights, and groups that get loud.
A little bird-shaped whistle: add a splash of water, blow into the tail, and it warbles like a real songbird.
Good for Kids at bath time, birders with a sense of humor, and stocking stuffers.
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.
A notebook-planner with 60 erasable pages and 11 page templates. Write with the matching erasable pens, scan pages to the cloud with a free app, then wipe them clean with a damp cloth.
Good for List-makers, students, and anyone who fills a notebook a month.
A glass jar planter that grows basil, mint, parsley, rosemary or lavender with no soil — the roots sit in a water-and-nutrient reservoir.
Good for Cooks with a sunny windowsill, apartment dwellers, and new homeowners.
A palm-sized embroidery kit with a bamboo hoop, pre-printed canvas, threads and a needle — enough to stitch one tiny toadstool in an evening.
Good for Stocking stuffers, first-time crafters, and anyone who doodles mushrooms in margins.
A small terracotta pot with a built-in hydroponic reservoir that waters the roots for you. Flower options include daisies, lavender, poppies, sunflowers and dahlias.
Good for Desk gardeners, thank-you gifts, and people who keep killing plants.
A beginner crochet kit that comes pre-started, with chunky beginner-friendly yarn and step-by-step video lessons. Finished result: one small, round penguin.
Good for Anyone who has said “I’ve always wanted to learn to crochet.”
Eleven gear wheels, three pens and a 40-page booklet for drawing looping, geometric spirograph-style patterns.
Good for Restless doodlers, long car rides, and adults who want a screen-free wind-down.
Small, medium and large cotton wraps coated in beeswax. The warmth of your hands molds them around cheese, half an avocado or a bowl.
Good for Home cooks, hosts, and anyone trying to use less plastic.