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. 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. You’re so much more than what’s been done to you and someone’s inability to see your worth does not decrease your value. Choose you for a change." —Brent Helm
Get it from Amazon for $7.32.
2. Or a copy of The Book of Myself: A Do-It-Yourself Autobiography in 201 Questions that's 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 $13.69 or from Bookshop (to support local bookstores) for $15.81.
3. A wireless, Bluetooth-enabled karaoke mic you can sync with preeeeetty much anything, including speakers, players, or singing apps on your phone. Now you can live out your Ariana Grande fan fiction in the comfort of your own home.
Promising review: "You don't understand TikTok made me obsess over this microphone. As a 30+ year old woman, I resisted purchasing it. I finally broke down and bought it because it was haunting me in my sleep. I'm so glad I did. When I am in a bad mood I start karaoke in my house and am instantly better. It has 'ruined' my teenage son's life because my performances can be heard through his Xbox microphone. This is a must have product." —Zane A. Undercoffer
Get it from Amazon for $29.99+ (available in 17 colors).
4. A gorgeous pastel paint-by-number with an intricate, deeply satisfying pattern 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, three brushes, and a set of numbered acrylic paints with extra to spare.
Promising review: "I’ve been doing a lot of paint by number paintings lately as a way to decompress from stress, and this one is by far my favorite one. It just looks so cool, and it was not as hard to do as some of the others I’ve done." —K Rivera
Get it from Amazon for $11.79+ (available in four styles).
5. 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.
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 $24.95.
6. 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. I was up until 2 a.m. stitching away! It’s fun, simple and it’s going to look very cute next to my collection of cacti!! Thank you for a great quality product, and for allowing me to add another hobby to my ever growing stack!" —Abby
Get it from Amazon for $7.99 (available in four different patterns).
7. 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.
UrbanCheesecraft 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 $22.
8. A book tracker bookmark to inspire you to get cracking on a reading challenge and use that TBR pile by your bed as more than just an aesthetically pleasing end table.
British Book Art is a UK-based Etsy shop established in 2021 that specializes in tracker bookmarks and book art.
Promising review: "Absolutely love my bookmark! So, so cute! Already made a start coloring in the books and writing the names on the spines!" —Chloe
Get it from British Book Art on Etsy for $3.26.
9. A mushroom growing kit that grows right there in the packaging, so you can add some sweet, sweet umami flavors to new dishes by sautéing, roasting, or air frying them up.
Back To The Roots is a California-based small business founded by two college friends that specializes in indoor gardening kits with a mission to reconnect families to food.
Psst — if you have not put mushrooms in your air fryer, my friend, you have not yet lived the full human experience. Also this growing kit comes with some recipes to get you started!
Promising review: "This product has been so much fun to watch! I followed the directions, exactly as written, and the mushrooms began growing within 3–4 days. I will say that I did soak them for close to 10 hours before putting them back in the box to grow and I believe this helped a ton. I also kept the box inside by a window with the blinds closed in order for them to get indirect sunlight. The mushrooms grew tremendously for almost a week before they started to shrink so I clipped them to cook with and they were DELICIOUS! This was such a fun product and process to watch. I am now in the process of trying to get a second batch of shrooms from the same box. Fingers crossed!" —Steph A
Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in four varieties).
10. Or a user-friendly Click & Grow Indoor Herb Garden Kit, which is basically a ~smart garden~ you can grow right in your kitchen window, thanks to the handy LED grow lights that keep your plants thriving no matter how gloomy outside gets. Plus, this is truly choose-your-own-adventure — you can select grow pods for cilantro, basil, lavender, wild strawberries, thyme, chili peppers, and more.
Each Click & Grow kit comes with three basil pods to start you off, and you can check out the full selection of grow pods for more options!
Promising review: "The Click & Grow Smart Garden is very easy to setup and has fairly minimal upkeep. Place pods in, fill up with water, and turn on light. The lettuce has grown exceptionally well. My grandkids love to check it out when they come to visit. I am considering gifting Click and Grow Smart Gardens to them. It is straightforward and sets you up to be a successful gardener no matter your experience level. I wanted to grow some herbs and vegetables in the winter. I love the Click & Grow!" —Kbaumg
Get it from Amazon for $74.95 (available in three colors).
11. A beginner-friendly fermenting kit complete with everything you need to "set it and forget it," so you can serve yourself lil' sides of pickled things with your dishes like a cozy farm-to-table restaurant.
Each kit comes with three fermenting lids with airlock valves, date setters, and an easy release tab, as well as an oxygen extractor. The lids are compatible with most wide mouth mason jars (you can snag two Ball mason jars on Amazon for $13.13).
Promising review: "I have now been using my Easy Fermenter for several months. I continue to be delighted with the results. My favorite recipes are a cabbage/carrot sauerkraut, and a blend of fermented peppers (some sweet, some hot). I have recommended these fermenting lids to many of my friends because they make fermenting foods so incredibly easy! You will NOT be disappointed." —K. Dixon
Get it from Amazon for $19.99.
12. 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 $10.73.
13. 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.
14. 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! Finally, I highly recommend this set. It comes at a small cost but don't let that deter you — the quality and overall aforementioned features is undoubtedly above and beyond excellent, thus (IMO), it is the perfect product! Loooooove it!" —Liza
Get it from Amazon for $8.99.
15. 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.
Choose Friendship is a small business that specializes in friendship bracelet kits designed for all skill levels.
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+ (available in six colors).
16. A mini macaron gel manicure kit for quick DIY gel manicures either in the comfort of your own home or on-the-go, so you can experiment with all kinds of fun colors and designs without breaking the bank.
Check out a TikTok of the mini macaron gel manicure in action.
Promising review: "I am beyond happy with this purchase! The set up is extremely small and lightweight so you can travel with it and basically polish your nails anywhere in less than 20 minutes. I followed the directions by applying an extremely light coat first and then immediately after setting that I applied a second coat. They have now been on for a week, no cracks/peels, and that’s even with me submerging my hands in hot water daily whether I’m taking a bath, washing dishes, etc. Highly recommend this item!" —Lauren Styron
Get it from Amazon for $37.99 (cavailable in five colors).
17. A five-year One Line A Day journal perfect for anyone who keeps starting journals and then abandoning them — one line a day is *super* low commitment, so it'll likely stick (and imagine the satisfaction of looking back every year!).
The book comes with 365 pages, each of which has lines for five days, so they'll write on the same page each year when the date comes around again. It's a really cool way to reflect on their ~journey~ — kind of like those "this time last year!" things your phone or Facebook does, except they're the ones in control of what gets written and saved.
Promising review: "This is a FANTASTIC journal centered on a FANTASTIC concept! I'm a hardcore journaler, keeping a detailed daily diary for many years now. And this journal fits right in. If I don't get to my primary journal for a day or two, this book reminds me of what I did on what day, etc. It's just a great little log. It's also great fun! I just finished my first volume of this book, and it was SO FUN to see what happened on each day from the previous years. Of course, it takes a few years for that aspect of fun to come into play, but if you're diligent and thorough, that payoff will eventually come to fruition. The journal has held up beautifully to the wear and tear of handling it for five years, overall. The gold lettering on the cover is long gone, but its imprint remains. So, cosmetically, it's dirty and worn and fading. But structurally, it's sound. And I looooove the worn look anyway; it means it's seen some days. I've started volume two now, and am so excited to keep going with these books, hopefully all my life. At this point, I have three more blank ones in storage; I hope they make these for many more years to come so I can keep going with them, and keep gifting them." —Sarah L Carnes
Get it from Amazon for $15.26.
18. Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, a classic cookbook so trusted and time-honored that it's now in its 30th anniversary edition. This features beloved standard and unique twists to Italian recipes designed for any reader to enjoy, whether they're a cooking newbie living alone or a seasoned chef feeding a full family. This book is truly an investment both in learning new cooking skills *and* delighting your palate for years to come.
Promising review: "Twenty-six years ago I bought a tiny paperback for my mother called Classic Italian Cooking. I recently retrieved the book from her things hoping to use it, but alas, the spine was broken and pages were missing. Obviously the book has seen good use. So I thought to replace it with a new copy, only to learn it is out of print. So I looked a little further and discovered Essentials Of Classic Italian Cooking. I fear it will, in time, suffer the same fate the original did. This book has only been with me a couple of weeks, but already I have made six of the recipes and have dozens of others I want to try. I own a copy of The Silver Spoon, but this book surpasses it in every way. Hazan doesn't just give you recipes — she gives us the spirit of Italian cooking. She shows us how to love the ingredients we are using and teaches us how to understand that putting them together as she does, we don't create a 'dish,' but rather, something we have put a bit of ourselves into, to share with those we care about. This is probably the best book we will ever have on Italian cooking. It sits on my shelf right next to The Joy Of Cooking. Don't buy this book, treasure it. It's that good." —Laura Anne Scaife
Get it from Amazon for $29.49.
19. A "Winning Fingers" flashing cube game beloved by kids and adults alike — it lights up on all sides for four different types of quick-coordination games involving speed and memory that are super easy to learn, but will give you hours of game play trying to beat your top scores. Psst — parents highly recommend these for road trips, especially because it's not super loud!
Promising review: "Great game. It takes the best of Simon, the Rubiks Cube, Bop It, and anything else and throws it into one beautiful little brick. My girls fight over it, and that's only after I'm done using it. Great great game, might as well get one for each kid. This is the kind of stuff that kids should be tinkering with over screen time. Nice job on this product." —CharlesF11
Get it from Amazon for $39.99.
20. A bonsai starter kit to help you grow not one, but *four* bonsai trees, so they can create their own squad goals when you perch them in every corner of your bedroom.
Each kit includes four types of organic seeds (Rocky Mountain Bristlecone Pine, Black Poui, Norway Spruce, and Flame Tree), four biodegradable growing pots, four expanding-soil discs, four bamboo plant markers, one bonsai clipper, and an instruction booklet.
Promising review: "I love this. My bonsai has already sprouted and it's coming along nicely. The best thing about this product is the customer service. They actually take an interest in how things are going and are willing to help you through anything. They respond personally, no form letters, and they give heartfelt responses to your questions and comments. This is definitely one of my best purchases." —G Eckberg
Get it from Amazon for $24.99.
21. 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.
22. A unicorn slime making kit, because truly the most universal human experience is that deep down inside we all just want to stretch out a big ole glop of bright pink glittery slime.
Each kit comes with clear written instructions and access to video tutorials to make over 100 different kinds of slime, from unicorn slime to glitter slime to fluffy cloud slime to floam putty. You can personalize the colors, textures, add-ins, *and* the smell — the box comes with beads, scents, glitter, ink, foam balls, the ingredients needed to make the slime, and containers to keep it in.
Promising review: "Purchased for daughter's birthday. She loves it. I was very apprehensive about letting her use slime but it has everything a parent could dream of to keep it all in one place and organized without the mess!" —Jay
Get it from Amazon for $26.99.
23. 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 $5.97.
24. A clear acrylic jigsaw puzzle in case your idea of fun is gently breaking your own brain. Luckily this comes with different versions with vary degrees of difficulty, so you can choose an option to only *lightly* boggle yourself, if you so choose.
Adeptus Designs is a California-based Etsy shop that specializes in puzzles, modern plant stands, and pet bowls.
Promising review: "Loved this. I never redo a puzzle once it's finished, but I think I've done this three times now already. My daughter is fascinated with it as well. Thank you!!!!" —rose C-S
Get it from Adeptus Designs on Etsy for $12.99+ (available in 9-, 49-, 100-, and 144-piece options).
25. 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.
26. An easy-to-use rolled and chopped ice cream maker — it's basically a mini at-home cold plate that turns any yogurt into frozen yogurt in five minutes flat, and lets you customize the flavor by mixing in your own toppings like chocolate, candy, cookies, and cereal. You can also use it for sorbets and gelatos 😋.
Promising review: "Our family loves this ice cream maker. It's easy to use, super easy clean up, and doesn't take up as much room in my freezer as the ice cream maker bowl. It took a bit to figure out the rolling technique but watched a few YouTube videos and we're getting the hang of it. Basically, make sure to freeze your choice of dessert product on the plate for the recommended time (three to five minutes), and freeze the spatula, too. Push away from you at a 45-degree angle and it rolls right up. We freeze yogurt right out of the container, and have used the soft serve ice cream mix at 2:1 water to mix and it turned out great." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $29.99+ (available in six colors).
Thriving with your homemade cheese after canceling your plans on a Friday night like:
