We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. The Reverse Coloring Book, a soothing cult-favorite activity book with a delightful twist. Instead of adding the color to these, you add the lines — sort of like a Rorschach test, but make it whimsical. Reviewers love the "mindlessness" of it allowing them to get into a stress-free flow.
Each book includes 50 pages of watercolor art for you to add lines, along with suggestions for what to add if you want a jumping off point. Bonus: the pages are perforated so you can easily tear them out and frame them!
Promising review: "Changed my life. So I get anxious doing the adult coloring books. This was so much fun and made me really think outside of the box. I'm not the best at drawing but I felt like I was when I was a kid doodling in my textbooks in school." —Carley C.
Get it from Amazon for $9.90.
(Psst — check out these cult-fave black fine point pens for $9.99 on Amazon for a good doodling option!)
2. A rose-shaped silicone mold reviewers love to use for everything from ice in ~aesthetic~ cocktails to floral soap to gummy and chocolate roses. They're also a Big Mood to use in a cooler for events like weddings and showers!
Psst — you can use these to freeze iced coffee or juice to add to your morning iced coffee or cocktails to cool them without watering them down!
Promising review: "I was at a restaurant and they put one of these roses in my cocktail. I knew right then I had to make these at home and ordered these while at the restaurant. These are easy to fill and have rubber snaps that lock them tight. They come right out and you can even take just one out and leave the others for the next time. These are a hit at all of my dinner parties too! I have already ordered more as my friends all want these in their drinks!" —Siri US
Get it from Amazon for $6.99.
3. A copy of The Book of Myself: A Do-It-Yourself Autobiography in 201 Questions perfect for any stage of life, if you're looking for something structured and soothing to do on a night off that will also help you preserve your favorite memories.
This book is a kind of DIY memoir — it goes through three phases of "Early," "Middle," and "Later" years, and has 201 different prompts based on your memories, experiences, and views on the world. Prompts include things like what you would have switched careers to midway through if given the chance, or a present you got from your parents that sticks in your memory, or who you think the funniest person in your family is. This also makes for a lovely gift for family members, so you can all preserve each other's memories!
Get it from Amazon for $11.69 or from Bookshop (to support local bookstores) for $15.81.
4. A set of Shrinky Dinks sheets to transport you so immediately to your childhood pastime of Making Everything Very Small that you'll be gifting every single person you know a kitschy keychain against their will.
If you are unfamiliar with this glorious witchcraft, Shrinky Dink paper lets you color designs on it that you can then cut out and bake to shrink them down, giving them a stained glass effect that makes them great for keychains, suncatchers, and little trinkets.
Promising review: "Fun for ALL ages! Recently remembered how fun these were. I have a smaller daughter, so it gave me an excuse to buy these. They're secretly for me — half kidding. These are so simple to use and create great crafts. These will keep your little one's imagination going, occupied and helps practice fine motor skills. I would definitely recommend to ANYONE, not just little humans." —Alex Soper
Get a 25-sheet set from Amazon for $10.34 (available in three styles).
5. A bright, oh-so-cheerful "Book Club" reading journal complete with pages to wax poetic about your next 80 reads, whether they're thrillers chilling you to the bone or rom coms melting your heart. This even includes ~bonus pages~ like future reading lists and logs for specific reading goals.
Lamare is a Florida-based small business that specializes in planners and journals.
Promising review: "I love love LOVE this book journal! I’ve been looking for one since like last year and this one caught my eye in the beginning of 2023. I finally decided to bite the bullet and buy it and I am so glad I did! I would buy this book journal a million times over, I love it!" —Maddie
Get it from Amazon for $22.95 (available in two styles).
6. A gorgeous pastel paint-by-number you can get in all kinds of intricate, deeply satisfying patterns for anyone who is looking for an activity that pairs perfectly with a screen-free night in.
Each set comes with a detailed numbered outline, four brushes, and a set of numbered acrylic paints with extra to spare.
Promising review: "Colorful and fun! This is the third paint-by-number I’ve done, and by far the most challenging. Lots of fine point detail, and the paint brushes included were adequate, unlike other PBN sets I’ve bought." —Emily cox
Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in 12 styles).
7. "The Secret Soup," yet another addition to the cult-favorite Magic Puzzle series so beloved on TikTok. Like the others before it, this whimsically illustrated, colorful addition isn't just a puzzle, but a journey — there are over tons of Easter eggs in it, a collection of miniature scenes full of optical illusions and surprises, *plus* a magical twist at the end. You'll have to solve the puzzle to find out!
Check out a TikTok of the magic puzzle in action.
Promising review: "This puzzle was delightful from start to finish. The oddly shaped pieces, the story being told within it, the surprise ending puzzle, the checklist hunt, the mobility of the sections, and the characters and design all gave it — and me! — such life. Regular puzzles tend to bore or frustrate me but each time I worked on this I was full of joy." —Brittany
Get it from Amazon for $22.99, and check out the rest of the Magic Puzzle lineup for more options!.
8. A copy of Burn After Writing, a guided journal that tens of thousands of reviewers swear by — through a series of questions and thought experiments, it encourages people to take time away from their screens to explore their feelings, both new and old, so they can embrace meaningful ones and try to let others go.
Promising review: "I first saw this book on TikTok and decided to look more into it. I purchased four total because I know some people holding onto things that are difficult to let go of. It’s a great way to look at things from a different perspective and truly hold yourself accountable to different things in your life. I love what it stands for and I look forward to when I burn mine after I’m done. Self love, self care, and meditation for a better state of mind tomorrow is always the goal. I definitely recommend it to those susceptible to change and the willingness to try things different." —Brent Helm
Get it from Amazon for $7.32.
9. A set of eye-popping fine point pens designed for planners and journals, so you can — gasp — color code all your to-do lists, fun plans with friends, and scrapbook pages.
Perhaps most importantly for anyone out there planning to go full Leslie Knope on these is that they're designed not to bleed through thin pages!
Promising review: "I love how this pen feels to hold and it writes beautifully! I am very picky about how the ink looks from the pens I use and I don't remember having one that writes so smoothly and beautifully! I will buy these whenever I need more. I actually just purchased another package of all black!" —Marcia
Get a set of 18 from Amazon for $8.99.
10. A flower press kit so you can preserve your favorite leaves and petals and use them for scrapbooking, decorating, gift wrapping, or generally asserting yourself as the woodland nymph you are.
Promising review: "This is my first time flower press and I am very happy and satisfied with this item. I love the logo design at the front and how it’s the right size for any beginner or expert. The wood and tweezers are high quality for the price. Highly recommended!" —Krissy H.
Get it from Amazon for $29.99.
11. A beginner-friendly diamond painting coaster set perfect for anyone who has ever thought to themselves, "You know what the only thing better than cat coasters would be? Glittery cat coasters." The universe has delivered.
Promising review: "The designs and colors are the same as shown on Amazon. Finished coasters sparkle, and the vibrant colors create eight very cute cats. There were plenty of beads to complete the project and adhesion was excellent. Letters and numbers were sharp and easy to follow. I am delighted with these coasters." —PackLeaderJ
Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in five styles).
12. And a family-friendly punch needle coaster set — these are so simple and fun to make that kids *and* adults can get in on the fun. As a bonus there are adhesive magnets included, so if you're good on coasters you can make everyone admire your glorious craft work on the fridge instead.
Promising review: "This was my first time doing punch needling and this kit is perfect for beginner's. It came with plenty of yarn as well. 100 percent would recommend buying this. Was fun to do and entertaining and relaxing." —Sara smith
Get it from Amazon for $24.99 (available in four themed sets).
13. A delightfully wacky spin and paint art set that yes, is designed for kids, but will *absolutely* thrill any adult looking to make 2024 their unrepentant colorful chaos era. I'm not NOT saying your kitchen deserves to be revamped in bright rainbow neon splatter colors after you frame these gems ....
Promising review: "I'm an adult artist. I got this on a lark to have some fun with it. I think a child would have a lot of fun with it. I've discovered you can use any tempera or acrylic paint (just put some in small squeeze bottles). I'm actually having fun experimenting it." —Lynn M.Farkas
Get it from Amazon for $15.98.
14. A set of cat-themed tarot cards purrrfect for first-timers, complete with a guide on how to pull the cards and how to interpret them. You'll be doing readings for everyone from yourself to your BFF to your actual cat by the end of the week.
Promising review: "I'm new to tarot, so I grabbed some cute looking cards that promised a guidebook. I love the artwork that the artist has done and I like their take on some of the cards. Helps the meaning stick a bit more (at least in my semi cat obsessed mind). All the cards have a lot of detail to them. I've shown three major arcana and four minor arcana cards that have come up in my readings and the cards made it easy to 'get it' when I read the meanings and have studied the card meanings outside of this guide book. Would definitely recommend for the artwork alone and as a good starter deck for anyone interested in learning tarot." —Averey
Get it from Amazon for $17.95.
15. A beginner's guide to calligraphy that is far more thorough and specific about technique and ink types than other versions, and will have you writing inspirational messages to your friends and drafting fancy invitations to your dog's birthday party in NO time.
Paper Peony Press is a Texas-based boutique publishing company that specializes in purpose-driven books.
Promising review: "I’ve tried several instructional books on hand lettering. This book is the best by far. I won’t say the names of the other books but suffice it to say they are all at the top of the list when you search for hand lettering. It is the only book that gives practice for the base strokes and also discusses posture and how to hold the pen and at what angle to the paper. It is also a lovely book to work with; nice art work/illustrations. I recommend this book to other beginners out there!" —Karen Rorick
Get it from Amazon for $25.19.
16. A wine coloring book designed specifically for people whose dream Friday night involves pinot and pencils. Each of these pages has a fun wine illustration or saying that will pair *perfectly* with the vino of your choosing.
Bonus: it comes with colored pencils included!
Promising review: "Very cute, sayings were accurate and funny. Pictures provided a lot of variety from simple to more complex, and provide plenty of stress relief while watching a movie and coloring and drinking wine of course." —Tegyn Dustin
Get it from Amazon for $14.95.
17. A teensy DIY cheese kit with everything you need to learn to make four batches of farmer's cheese and live your most delicious life in a half hour.
Urban Cheesecraft is an Oregon-based Etsy shop established in 2009 that specializes in make-your-own cheese kits in a variety of cheeses, including vegan options. Each kit comes with a cheesecloth, citric acid, flake salt, instructions, and "email support for life" — all you need is milk (and a mouth to consume it all).
Promising review: "These kits are great gifts for the cheese lover and the person 'who's already got it all.' The packaging looks nice and gift-worthy and it's a perfect price range. I love that the recipient gets an experience as well as a tangible product and I can personally attest that the actual process is easy." —amyleannbohner
Get it from Urban Cheesecraft on Etsy for $10.
18. Or Small Batch Bakes, tailor made for folks who live alone *or* for people who want to broaden their baking horizons, but don't want to deal with the mess of big batches (or the leftovers!). This book takes you through a bunch of delicious recipes for one to six people using minimal equipment, so you can have hassle-free treats and live your most delicious life.
19. Wreck This Journal, a full color journal with prompts for you to write, paint, shred, and, in the words of Taylor Swift, "have a marvelous time ruining everything."
Some of the prompts include one to close the journal and scribble on the edges; another to cut out colors from a magazine and tape them all over the page; another is a "Stain Log," which you can use to classify stains in your life, from red wine to nail polishes to food dyes. Basically, if you turn the page in this journal, odds are it's going to look *nothing* like it originally did by the time you're through.
20. A beginner's embroidery kit for adults, so you can have something soothing to do with your hands while you binge yet another podcast full of murder, murder, and a side of...well, murder. (At least now your stitching will be tighter than the main suspect's alibi!)
Each kit comes with a simple design, a cotton cloth, a bamboo embroidery hoop, a little scissor, colored threads, embroidery needles, and instructions, so you should be raring to go when it arrives!
Promising review: "I’ve never done anything like this before ... but I like to try new things, and I’ve just recently moved and wanted to decorate my house with some handmade decor. This kit is a great value for the price! It came with the hoop, more than enough thread, and two needles! The printed pattern is very clear and easy to follow, and the little sheet of instructions on what stitch to use and how to do it is clear enough (and anything I don’t understand I just watch a tutorial on YouTube). I’m about three hours into the project already and I didn’t want to put it down last night" —Abby
Get it from Amazon for $7.99 (available in four different patterns).
21. A pack of mini rainbow scratch art notes that will transport you back to your youth so fast that you will suddenly have a craving for Goldfish crackers and apple juice so aggressive it CANNOT BE IGNORED.
Promising review: "I love this little scratch art pad. Sometimes I just need a break and a little distraction to let my brain breathe so I pull this out and make all sorts of designs. You do get a little of a mess by scratching the black off but I usually have a big mess cause I end up scratching the whole thing off. Can't help it. Kid at heart I guess." —Jane
Get a pack of 125 notes from Amazon for $12.99 (available in five styles).
22. A beginner's sushi-making kit that'll let you take the fate of your rolls into your own hands by working with whatever ingredients you have on hand, so you can have hours of delicious sushi experimentation.
I'm definitely going to sushi jail for this, but I've started putting peanut butter in my avocado rolls. Don't knock it until you try it. Anyway, each kit comes with two sushi rolling mats, five pairs of chopsticks, a paddle, a spreader, and a PDF of instructions, including recipes for six popular rolls.
Promising review: "The entire Bamboo Sushi Kit is absolutely well made, easy to use, easy to clean, high-end restaurant quality, and durable. it was very nicely packaged, and instructions clear, in-depth and very easy to follow. No one (myself included) in my household has ever made sushi before but (thanks to the enclosed instructions), there were no issues making it. My daughter did an awesome job utilizing these products to make 'FISH-FREE SUSHI' with Pickled Ginger on top, was delectable! Loooooove it!" —Liza
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
23. A shea butter lip balm DIY kit so you can create a customized one for every single day of the week *and* gift a few of them to your friends to match.
Urban Kangaroo is a small California-based, woman-owned business that specializes in DIY kits with all-natural ingredients.
Each kit includes materials to make eigh lip balms, including beeswax, shea butter, grapeseed oil, peach flavor oil, vitamin E capsule, eight lip balm tubes, two aluminum tins, filling pipettes, stirring sticks, stickers, and instructions.
Promising review: "I was interested because of the clean ingredients. My daughter and I have very sensitive skin so most lip balm doesn't work or is unreasonably expensive. This seemed like a good way to control the ingredients at a great price. The product exceeded my expectations for sure and the kids had fun doing the parts they could do (ages 7 and 9). Probably better for kids over 10 or who have long attention spans and good fine motor skills. Lip balm turned out smooth and silky. Love it!." —UKjane
Get it from Amazon for $9.95.
24. A game of "Bards Against Profanity," which merges present day scenarios with Shakespearean insults that will have you calling everyone in the group chat a "rampallion" before you know it.
You basically play the same way you'd play Apples To Apples or Cards Against Humanity — someone puts down a prompt scenario card, and players complete with the insult cards to fill the prompts to see whose is the funniest. Whoever wins the most scenarios wins the game. Four or more players are required.
Promising review: "THIS GAME IS IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO ENJOY, whether you know anything about Shakespeare or not — it makes no difference. I had no idea how much wit, and how much 'inappropriate' language, is in his plays. It's extremely easy to learn so you aren't wasting time reading instructions. In fact, the very-brief instructions say to just play until you get bored ;-) Nothing serious about this game." —Long Beach Native
Get it from Amazon for $28.95.
25. A beeswax candle kit so you can finally live out your "Serenity By Jan" destiny and create an entire shelf full of scented goodness.
Each set comes with materials to make six candles, including a melting pot, four bags of beeswax, six candle tins with lids, six scents, 10 cotton wicks, six dye blocks, 10 glue dots, six labels, six stirring sticks, two wick clips, a storage bag, a thermometer, and a user manual.
Promising review: "I purchased this kit because I always wanted to make my own candles. This candle making kit looked like it had everything I needed and it definitely does. I am so pleased with it that I will be buying more scented oils and wax so that I can make candles as gifts this holiday season. It's a very nice kit." —Tracie Craig
Get it from Amazon for $35.99 (clip the 10% off coupon on the product page for this price).
26. A beginner's butter churner complete with a recipe book so you can finally become the captain of your own condiment ship. Your fridge will be full of so many butters (raspberry butter! truffle butter! CHOCOLATE BUTTER!) that there won't be enough bread in the world to satisfy you.
Promising review: "I am delighted with this product. The accompanying instructions were very helpful. I made my first hand-churned butter, which I consider being a homage to my grandparents, who were dairy farmers. The process is really surprising when the butter seizes up — I think it was very important to me to see and experience that moment. Subtle, but crucial... At any rate, I used it, cleaned it, so have experienced both. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with this little yet sophisticated butter churn." —Nanci Hamilton
Get it from Amazon for $49.95.
27. An unofficial Disney Parks cookbook so you can live your best Mickey Pretzel life without it costing an arm and a mouse ear to book plane flights and park tickets.
Promising review: "Beautiful hardcover cookbook with so many yummy Disney recipes from the parks! There is lots of Disney foodie history in it, plus recipes that look easy to follow with high quality ingredients. There are fun maps of each of the parks inside where the food is located from, which makes it fun. As an avid Disney fan I have never seen a cookbook like this." —Nicole
Get it from Amazon for $11.99.
28. A 5-pound bucket of Crayola Air Dry Clay to let you finally follow your inner pottery dreams without all the mess and effort of taking classes. After you pull the clay out to shape it, it'll harden on its own — no oven or any effort required! From there you can leave it as is or paint over it for a fun vibe.
Psst — a lot of reviewers use silicone or plastic molds to get specific shapes!
Promising review: "It’s honestly just a really nice material to work with! If you want to create things with clay, this is definitely a good choice! It’s definitely not for professional use, but i feel like that’s a given? I mean, it is Crayola. But all in all, great for those who want to use it for fun!" —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $10.62.
29. A paint-by-sticker set made up of vintage travel posters you can hang up on your walls when you're finished, essentially letting you travel the world without getting up from ye olde couch.
30. A set of miniature moon and star crystals to introduce some calm and mindfulness into your life — this lovely, beginner-friendly set includes explanation cards for what qualities each stone possesses, and how you can apply them to your life.
Promising review: "This set of crystals is so beautiful. All of the crystals are gorgeous and cut into the shapes of moon and stars. There are accompanying cards that give you more information about each crystal. I love this little set and I think it is a great gift idea." —Amanda K.
Get a set of 14 Amazon for $10.99.
31. A friendship bracelet making kit so you can live your best Babysitter's Club life and start sending them in personalized colors to everyone you know.
Each set comes with the holder mount and 20 pre-cut threads in 10 colors as well as access to an online instruction manual for all kinds of different designs.
Promising review: "I bought this for my daughter for a craft night. I made friendship bracelets when I was a kid but could not remember how to make them. This helped so much! I had to buy another one for me so we can work on them at the same time. Love this product!" —hollyhock
Get it from Amazon for $22.99.
32. Cocktail Codex: Fundamentals, Formulas, Evolutions, a bartender-beloved book for beginner- to intermediate-level cocktail enthusiasts that breaks down six iconic "root" cocktails — the old-fashioned, martini, daiquiri, sidecar, whisky highball, and flip — to show you how to improvise and riff your own creations based on what combos work with the ingredients you have.
Check out a TikTok of the cocktail book in action.
Promising review: "This book has easily become one of my favorites. Great base knowledge and would recommend to anyone seeking to further educate themselves on spirits and cocktails. Even the first few pages is full of useful information. Purchase this for yourself or even as a gift. I cannot say enough good things about this book." —Adriana
Get it from Amazon for $22.49.
33. Plus an shaker of edible cocktail glitter, because why go through life without taking advantage of every opportunity to make it sparkle??✨ Reviewers add a touch of it to glam up their Prosecco or jazz up colorful themed cocktails.
Bakel is a small business established in 2016 that specializes in edible glitters for food and drink.
Promising review: "Don’t think any further and just buy it. This was so cool and everyone loved it! I got the clear one because it will go with any drink. I will be the one to put this in all my friends drinks. Also had no taste so it was just the look. Sooooooo cool!" —gigi
Get it from Amazon for $11.99 (available in 17 colors).
34. A string art kit so you can create art with a genuine pop! of dimension in your bedroom that'll have everyone on FaceTime going, "Oooh, where'd you get that?"
Or at the very least, get "WHO LIVES IN A PINEAPPLE UNDER THE SEA????" stuck in your head until the end of time.
The kit comes with a crafting board, small hammer, a holder, nails, glue, screws, cotton string, a frame, a pattern, and a detailed instruction manual, so there's no need to buy other supplies.
Promising review: "These instructions are easy to follow — I finished it in two hours. This was so much fun and I love my finished results! It looks so beautiful. It was a gift for my friend. I would buy it again and recommend it to others." —yuyantan
Get it from Amazon for $29.99 (available in ten styles).
35. A starter's weaving kit to make gorgeous pastel tapestries and help il-loom-inate you to what just might be your coziest hobby yet.
Wool Couture Company is a UK-based Etsy shop established in 2014 that specializes in knitting, crochet, weaving, and macrame craft kits.
You can get one of three kinds of kits: a Basic Kit, which comes with a loom and instructions; a Starter Kit, which comes with a loom, two weaving needles, instructions, a mounting bar for hanging, and a cotton ball of warp to hold your work; and a Quintessential Kit, which comes with everything in the Starter Kit, plus the merino wool for weaving.
Promising review: "It’s simple to use, the wool I received in the set is of a high quality and the service was smooth and communicative. Can not recommend this highly enough from a first-time weaver." —DivineDerbyshire
Get it from Wool Couture Company on Etsy for $31.71 (available in eight styles and three different kinds of kits).
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.