Keeping up with the Coal Crew | December 13 Creative Gift Ideas for The Creatives in Your Life
Do you have creative people to shop for this holiday season? Boy, have I got the gift guide for you! This list of suggestions are from the Coal Crew — our talented collection of creatives that includes videographers, developers and everyone in between. The team dropped recommendations that range from enlightening (this is a joke about lights) to the down-right practical. We also have suggestions that will make you say “aww” and help you support local businesses.
The following are 13 creative gift ideas for the creatives in your life by the team at Coal Creative.
1. Caffeinate Your Creatives with an Espresso Machine
Social Media Specialist Jesse Macko is a coffee fanatic, so it’s no wonder he skewed toward his favorite bean-based beverage.
“Since Creatives are constantly busy, it’s important for us to get our caffeine fix,” Jesse said. “That’s why I recommend a quality Breville espresso machine. It can be paired well with fresh roasted coffee beans from the Grateful Roast in Nanticoke, PA or Clarks Summit, PA or Abide in Downtown Wilkes-Barre, PA.”
Grateful Roast Coffee is located at 320 South State Street, Clarks Summit. They are currently remodeling their new location at 75 North Market Street, Nanticoke.
Abide Coffeehouse is located at 23 West Market Street, Wilkes-Barre.
2. Handmade Mugs That’ll Brighten Any Zoom Call
Our Content Manager & Design Specialist Samantha Bucher recommends a visit to Etsy for handmade mugs.
“I think handmade mugs are a great way to express yourself — with working from home, it’s always fun for me to see which fun mugs people have during our Coffee with Coal meetings,” Samantha said.
Two of Samantha’s favorite places to purchase unique mugs are Earth and State in Media and Mudworks in Effort.
Visit Earth and State at 23 West State Street, Media, PA for local and fair trade products from around the world.
Mudworks is located at 3278 Rt. 115, Effort, PA, where the Mudcrew handcrafts all their pottery. It’s also home to a gift shop. The Finn the Irish Unicorn Mug is available online for $50.
3. Light It Up with Custom Light Fixtures
Coal Creative CEO Holly K. Pilcavage suggested a custom lighting piece from Seven 810 Fixtures. Each unique piece, which ranges from tabletop lamps to hanging fixtures, are crafted by Scott Nichols of Meshoppen, PA.
“It’s always nice to be able to work with a bit of mood lighting,” said Holly. “What makes this sort of gift even better is it’s not your typical lamp, but rather something uniquely made for the creative in your life!”
You can contact Scott at the Seven 810 Fixtures Facebook page, to learn more about his custom lighting.
4. Custom Ornaments Bring Personal Touch
“My go-to gift is a custom ornament from Caroline at cpartkdesign!” said Camaryn Lokuta, Operations & Business Development Manager.
Caroline Khoury sells hand-painted custom ornaments on Etsy and Instagram. Her best selling products are pet portrait ornaments. Camaryn commissioned an ornament of her dog Chloe, shown above.
Visit the cpartkdesign Etsy shop for products and more information about custom orders. Custom pet portrait ornaments are available for $50.
5. Swing for the Fences with Defunct Baseball Team Gear
“This creative likes a good graphic tee or sweatshirt that sparks recognition in those who see it,” shared Content Writer Adam Roberts. “Coal Mine Tees has tons of clothes that fit the bill, including this lovely, vintage-inspired Red Barons Sweatshirt.”
The Red Barons baseball team — now known as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders — played in NEPA from 1989 to 2006.
If you’re into local nostalgia, but not baseball, Coal Mine Tees has something for you, too. Their Ghosts of Catholic Schools Past collection pays homage to the defunct Catholic Schools that once dotted the area. There’s even a shirt remembering 98.5 KRZ’s former mascot, Tookie Bird.
The Red Barons 90s Logo Crewneck is listed for $24 on coalminetees.com.
6. Join the Jam Session with a Harmonica
“As someone who has spent a lot of time with people who are musically inclined, I was always curious about how I could participate with as little practice as possible,” Coal Creative Director Sam O’Connell mused. “The answer? Harmonicas! With this starter kit, you can participate in any jam session you might find yourself standing by.”
“Any harmonica is created in a single key — for example the key of ‘C.’ So, simply squint your eyes and ask, ‘what key is this?’ as if it’s on the tip of your tongue and then select the proper harmonica accordingly. Blow air through any slot and you’re basically Bob Dylan*.”
*I think it takes more than a strong exhalation to become “basically Bob Dylan,” but this is Sam’s section of the gift guide.
The Fender Blues Deluxe Harmonica, 7-Pack with Case, is available on Amazon for $69.99.
7. Joykick Studios Caters to Anime Fans
“For those with otaku (anime fans) in their life, please check out the Etsy shop joykickstudios run by NEPA-local Shelby Farrell,” said Project Manager Jeremy Brown.
The Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask 8×10″ Cameo Art Prints shown above are available here for $10 per character.
8. The Gift of a Clean Workspace
Director of Strategic Communications Jon O’Connell admitted he struggles with the thought of receiving gifts. Nonetheless, his professionalism brought him to suggest: microfiber cloths and compressed air.
“They say don’t go grocery shopping on an empty stomach,” Jon said. “ I guess the same applies when you’re coming up with gift ideas surrounded by smudged and dusty gear. But I can’t think of a single thing I’d rather receive more than those right now.”
A six-pack of Magicfiber cloths are listed for $8.99 on Amazon. A can of Falcon Dust-Off is available for $7.97.
9. A Versatile ‘Cool Little Tripod’
Matt Simoncavage, our Lead Web Developer and Designer, offers a gift that has been useful in his daily work at Coal and as the drummer for The Human Beings.
“I picked up this cool little phone tripod last year,” Matt began. “I use it pretty much every day for work meetings since my iPhone is my webcam. My band also uses it as a stand for our Zoom mic, to shoot videos at practice, Facebook Live, etc. Overall, it’s a great tool to have for anyone who’s doing anything creative or anyone who’s made the switch to working from home.”
The UBeesize 67” Phone Tripod Stand & Selfie Stick Tripod is for sale on Amazon for $24.61.
10. Unique Tufted Rugs and Wallhangings
Post-Production Manager Will McHale recommends a piece from www.mahoganyhands.com.
“Morgan is a local artist with a background in animation, printing and visual art,” Will said. “She now has an awesome little shop of handmade tufted rugs and wall hangings that are super fun and unique!”
View more of Morgan’s work on Instagram. The You’re Not Trash rug, shown above, is a 24” x 16” tufted rug made with acrylic & wool yarn. It is available here for $220.
11. Smart Lights Brighten Rooms and Moods
Travis Antoniello, our Web Developer, shared an item that has his personal seal of approval. His Sylvania Wifi LED Smart+ Lights — connected to Google Home — delivers the right light for dreary work from home days or weekend jam sessions.
“I’m able to change my lights to daylight or candlelight and dim them, all with voice commands. It’s especially nice when it’s gloomy outside and I want to trick my brain into thinking it’s a nice sunny day. I can also change them to a bunch of different colors and vibe out while working on music,” said Travis.
Sylvania Smart+ light bulbs are compatible with Alexa, Siri Shortcuts and Google Home, but not the Apple HomeKit. You can power the lights, dim and adjust colors via voice commands. Four packs of bulbs are listed on Amazon for $34.99.
12. A Gift From the Heart, For the Stomach
“I would suggest giving food or gift cards from local eateries!” said Jay Nguyen, Video Specialist. “Sometimes we don’t always have time to cook, so it’s nice being able to support small businesses and eat out! One of my favorite spots I like checking out while I’m working at the office is Circles on the Square!”
Circles on the Square is located at 9 Public Square Wilkes-Barre, PA. If you drop in to Circles for a gift card, check out the Emporium for extra stocking stuffers. Aside from a delicious deli, Circles on the Square sells gifts like mugs, magnets and soap.
13. A Headstart on ‘New Year, New You’
Production Manager Alex Manganella suggests a one week pass to Odyssey Fitness.
“The holidays are coming, this is a great way to get a headstart on those New Year’s resolutions,” said Alex. “It’s a great facility with lots of equipment.”
Odyssey Fitness is located at 401 Coal Street Wilkes-Barre, PA. A weekly pass, like Alex suggested, is $39. There are several other short-term and yearly membership plans available.
The Coal Crew wishes you a happy and healthy holiday season. Good luck stuffing your favorite creative’s stockings and remember, stay Coal!
