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 cult-favorite for anyone whose coloring book nights need a delightful shake up. 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 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.
3. "The Secret Soup," yet another addition to the cult-favorite Magic Puzzle series so beloved on TikTok. Like the others before it, this isn't just a puzzle, but a whimsically illustrated, colorful journey — there are 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!.
4. 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).
5. A National Geographic geodes science kit for all the budding geologists out there, young and old — this kit lets you break open and discover your own crystals while keeping you up to speed with a learning guide filled with info on geodes, volcanoes, and gemstones. Next stop, a cameo in an Indiana Jones movie!
Each kit includes four natural crystal-filled geodes, one pair of safety goggles, one display stand, and one learning guide.
Promising review: "I’m an adult in my thirties, but I was such a rock nerd as a kid, so when I saw this kit I knew I had to buy it! I ended up buying it for myself and my adult siblings as a Christmas present — we had so much fun cracking open the rocks on Christmas Day, it brought be back to my childhood! Highly recommend this kit, you get a lot of rocks for the price, and it’s so fun cracking open a rock and discovering what’s inside." —Anna
Get it from Amazon for $18.98+ (available in four sizes).
6. A compact, beginner-friendly watercolor palette that comes with everything you need to start creating your own masterpieces, including 100 (!!) colors to choose from. Next stop, the Louvre.
Each set comes with a 100-color palette, a sketch pencil, a sponge, a swatch sheet, and three water brush pens.
Promising review: "Love collecting watercolor sets, and this one is amazing — so many exquisite colors to paint with. Creativity is everything, and imagination with all these colors is unlimited. Pure happiness!" —pve
Get it from Amazon for $35.99.
7. 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).
8. 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.
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." —Steph A
Get it from Amazon for $19.98.
10. Or a beginner-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 set up 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 $80.55+ (available in three colors).
11. 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 $12.60 (originally $14).
12. 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.
13. A beginner's sushi-making kit to 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 $8.98.
14. 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).
15. 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 beginners. 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).
16. 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 $13.88 (available in four styles).
17. A beginner-friendly vintage-style tarot deck reviewers love not only for its intricate, sophisticated designs, but its size — these are much larger than a traditional deck for a more visual, weighted experience. A helpful (and very pretty!!) guide is included.
Eighty Eight Miracles is a small business that specializes in tarot decks.
Promising review: "I've been reading tarot for close to 15 years and have had many decks. This deck is one of the most beautiful I have purchased. I love the simplicity and elegance of the gold on black. I also love the enormous size. Yes they are a bit more difficult to work with, but I've always loved larger decks. They give an air of mystery, glamour, and drama. I recommend shuffling sideways or doing a table shuffle." —K. Lily
Get it from Amazon for $26.
18. A ridiculously fun Tiki Toss ring game for anyone who wants to humble their jock friends REAL fast — this game is super easy to set up and learn, but tricky enough to get juuuust right that it will even the whole playing field. Reviewers love that is is a fun-for-all-ages game (but aren't not using it as a a drinking game too 👀 ).
Tiki Toss is a small business that specializes in family-friendly games for home and outdoor use.
Promising review: "We all love this game. Everyone who comes over cannot stop playing Tiki Toss. So simple and so fun. Quality and design of product is fantastic. Also makes a great gift." —jzek
Get it from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in three sizes).
19. A Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition in a matte "Agave Green" color that has captured the hearts of ALL of BookTok. Swoonworthy aesthetic aside, it holds thousands of books, and will let you the *chef's kiss* way you like best — you can customize it with all your favorite fonts and layouts and organize your virtual shelves to your precise standards. Bonus — its charge lasts weeks (plural!!), and it's waterproof, so you can take this BB in the bathtub 🍷.
Check out a TikTok of the green Kindle in action.
Promising review: "I am so happy to be reading more, and I find it easier to take around with me than carrying my book around. Easy to travel with, and battery life is amazing. I initially was skeptical because I love holding a physical book but ever since I received my new Paperwhite, everything has changed. Lightweight, and so functional and easy to use. I have been reading books and downloaded so much. LOVE LOVE LOVE THE GREEN COLOR it is so pretty." —eileeenie
Get it from Amazon for $189.99 (available in two other colors).
20. PLUS 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).
21. 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.
22. 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: "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 $34.99.
23. 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.
24. 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.
25. A DIY hot sauce making kit with guided instructions to help you start tailoring your *chef's kiss* perfect sauce, letting you experiment with spice levels and flavors with guided recipes so later you can go forth and make hot sauces all by your spicy self.
Each kit comes with ingredients and instructions to make six different hot sauces based on guided recipes, and includes the bottles and cute lil' stickers to put on them when you're done.
Promising review: "Lifetime of hot sauce. The very informative instructions not only guide you through making a few (very delicious!) hot sauces for now, they also teach you how to make them with your own ingredients in the future." —Gigi
Get it from UncommonGoods for $48.
26. A Stealth core trainer that turns exercising into a *game* so you can trick your body into working out by occupying your brain with the business of "stealth speed gliding" and "galaxy adventure," which are just two of the catchy games in this system that help work your core.
Stealth Fitness is a small business that specializes in unique at-home fitness equipment.
Here's what BuzzFeeder Mallory Mower says about this gizmo: "Getting a Stealth board was the very best thing that has happened to me during quarantine. Mixing the fun of games on your phone with the natural endorphins you get from exercising is, to put it lightly, genius. I have two in my home, and my husband and I compete daily to see who can last the longest. My favorite game is the paragliding challenge; he's into the planet-blasting space adventure. Nerd."
Promising review: "Fantastic purchase to solve the boring plank exercises after a year of doing them. This has a quick, easy, simple hit-it-and-forget-it daily with a game, three minute max, and great results. Much improved core strength, reduce lower back pain, and a high five from my doctor. Highly recommend this for those in need of core build up and help managing the time to fit this into a daily schedule." —James Corey
Get it from Amazon for $149.
27. A Gaiam starter set for yoga complete with all the basics, including a yoga mat, a yoga block, and a stretching strap, so you can tune into free yoga classes you gain access to with the set. Achieving mindfulness and flow in a chaotic world? Bring it om.
Promising review: "I am not very limber and I have chronic spine issues, so having a block and strap was essential for me to do yoga. Before using this, I always ended up hurting myself or feeling bad about myself because I couldn't complete the stretches and would just give up. This kit made everything go so smoothly; I can adjust the block or the strap to help me stretch without hurting myself (or falling over). And I highly recommend the sitting techniques in the DVD as well as the meditation." —blightheavy
Get it from Amazon for $31.99.
28. 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 ten 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, 48 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 $24.95.
29. 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 $41.95.
30. 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 $40.11+ (available in eight styles and three different kinds of kits).
31. 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.
32. 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).
33. 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 $29.99.
34. 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.
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.