I need help with a birthday gift for my GF

[bslchump]

I've been seeing this girl for several months now, and her birthday is coming up in a few weeks. I am relatively stumped on what to get her. It can't be TOO expensive (A. because I don't have that much money and B. because we haven't been dating that long), so things like jewelry are out.

 

I know she enjoys drawing, scrapbooking, and general artistic stuff. I looked at some art sets on Amazon, but the are all incredibly cheap and fairly standard. 10 bucks for some pencils, 8 bucks for an art pad, etc. Nothing that really stands out in quality. I could get her all of them, but still, that's just a lot of mediocre stuff. I'd really like to get her some nice, quality art supplies, but I'm having no luck finding any.

 

If anyone could offer some suggestions, or even OTHER ideas of what to get her, that'd be fantastic.

 

Edit: Whoops. The title was supposed to be "I need *help* with a birthday gift.

Edited September 26, 2012 by bslchump

[Disenchantedly Yours]

Hi Bslchump. Usually I get my supplies just from Micheals. They usually have great coupon deals weekly. If you got to their website, you can print out coupons. Depending on how much time you have, you could buy one item of her gift with one week's coupon and wait until next week to use another one.

 

I personally really like Prismacolor products as well as Faber-Castel. Brands, Strathmore and Windsor & Newton were brands recommanded to us when I took art classes. They are pretty standard and good products. But my personal favorites are Prismacolor and Faber-Castell. Prismacolor can be especially expensive. However, their products sometimes come in different sizes and if you pair it with a coupon, you can get a good deal.

 

Michaels

 

Prismacolor

 

Faber-Castel

 

Strathmore

 

Windsor & Newton

 

Can you tell us more about what she is into? I could offer some other ideas if I knew little more about her.

[yoman38]

lol if she likes art so much why don't you explore your creative side and make her something like a picture book, or illustrated poems, or you can just draw something fun make her a sock I don't know be creative that is a present she will never forget.

[ChatroomHero]

lol if she likes art so much why don't you explore your creative side and make her something like a picture book, or illustrated poems, or you can just draw something fun make her a sock I don't know be creative that is a present she will never forget.

 

Please don't do any of this if you want to keep seeing her.

[ja123]

Flowers! Chocolates!

 

And perhaps an origame or calligraphy set.

[mortensorchid]

Make something artsy for her, and write her a nice note as well.

[bslchump]

Hi Bslchump. Usually I get my supplies just from Micheals. They usually have great coupon deals weekly. If you got to their website, you can print out coupons. Depending on how much time you have, you could buy one item of her gift with one week's coupon and wait until next week to use another one.

 

I personally really like Prismacolor products as well as Faber-Castel. Brands, Strathmore and Windsor & Newton were brands recommanded to us when I took art classes. They are pretty standard and good products. But my personal favorites are Prismacolor and Faber-Castell. Prismacolor can be especially expensive. However, their products sometimes come in different sizes and if you pair it with a coupon, you can get a good deal.

 

Michaels

 

Prismacolor

 

Faber-Castel

 

Strathmore

 

Windsor & Newton

 

Can you tell us more about what she is into? I could offer some other ideas if I knew little more about her.

 

That was extremely helpful, thanks!

 

Unfortunately she doesn't have many hobbies. As of now, she mainly just goes to class, hangs out with me, goes out with her friends, and occasionally does at-home art projects. I was hoping to get a super high quality sketch pad and really fine charcoal/pencils. She seems to like those best. Also, I totally forgot about Michaels! I've been shopping on the internet too long.

[Disenchantedly Yours]

Well Strathmore or Canson make really good sketch pads. Artist pads are specific to the medium the artist uses. Make sure to read the front of the pad to see what kind of medium they recommand for it. Because some pads will be for watercolors and others will be pastels and charcoals or other meduims. Charcoals won't work very well with a watercolor pad because charcoals are meant to be blended and the paper for some other mediums won't allow for that. Just read the front of the pad and it will tell you what medium best works on it.

 

Prismacolor and Faber are good for charcoal and pencils. This little set at Michaels is really cool : Prismacolor set

 

She will get a pencil, a blending tool, a sharpener and a kneading eraser which is a must for use with charcoals. Charcoals also come in different grades. Some are "hard" and others are called "soft" grades. If there is a way you can find out what type she likes, then you can get her the grade of charcoal she likes.

 

You also might want to throw in a medium she doesn't use. I love charcoals but I also love soft pastels. I started with charcoals then gravitated toward soft pastels becaues of how I enjoyed charcoals. These are good ones: Faber-Castell soft pastels. They have a very smiliar consistancy as charcoals.

[todreaminblue]

I've been seeing this girl for several months now, and her birthday is coming up in a few weeks. I am relatively stumped on what to get her. It can't be TOO expensive (A. because I don't have that much money and B. because we haven't been dating that long), so things like jewelry are out.

 

I know she enjoys drawing, scrapbooking, and general artistic stuff. I looked at some art sets on Amazon, but the are all incredibly cheap and fairly standard. 10 bucks for some pencils, 8 bucks for an art pad, etc. Nothing that really stands out in quality. I could get her all of them, but still, that's just a lot of mediocre stuff. I'd really like to get her some nice, quality art supplies, but I'm having no luck finding any.

 

If anyone could offer some suggestions, or even OTHER ideas of what to get her, that'd be fantastic.

 

Edit: Whoops. The title was supposed to be "I need *help* with a birthday gift.

 

 

 

buy her a little bonsai tree in a (little pot) some sketching charcoal and hb pencils and a large sketching pad..... that would be cute and thoughtful......smilin....good luck present hunting.....deb

[Disenchantedly Yours]

If you're near a college, there should be a decent art store nearby. Micheals is great and all, but as someone who sketches/draws/paints often, I find they are pretty much basic supplies. It's gotten to the point where I only go in there to browse for brushes because they occasionally have brushes that are fine enough. A smaller are store will have something a little bit nicer which may work better/last longer.

 

Just 2 pennies from an art person.

 

I have found that Michaels carries pretty much the same things as smaller art stores. I never really found that they had "nicer" things though they may carry one or two different brands. But that has just been my experience based on where I lived. I don't think supplies at Michaels are basic. I also pain/draw alot. There are certainly higher end art products available at more boutique like art stores but the OP doesn't have tons of money and he wants something "nice" but not outrageously expensive. Prismacolor and Faber are actually really nice products.

[xxoo]

Chocolate and a very unique sketchbook. Etsy has some nice ones.

[Disenchantedly Yours]

I love that website xxoo.

[bslchump]

You all have been amazingly helpful! Thanks to everyone. You've given me a lot to think about, and I'll head out and shop around tomorrow to see what I can find. I'll check Michael's first and then head to surrounding stores I can find.

 

Thanks again to everyone <3

[bslchump]

As an update, I just got back from shopping. I got her:

 

3 different pads for different mediums (charcoal pad, pastel pad, and a regular sketchbook)

 

1 enormous pack of extensive charcoal drawing supplies

 

1 large set of standard drawing pencils

 

1 large pack of nice colored pencils

 

1 pack of Faber-Castell pastels

 

1 can of fixative

 

several erasers for various mediums

 

and 1 24 pack of Derwent graphic pencils which were ridiculously nice.

 

She gets all this stuff in about 2 weeks. Lets hope she likes it!

[CptObvious]

As an update, I just got back from shopping. I got her:

 

3 different pads for different mediums (charcoal pad, pastel pad, and a regular sketchbook)

 

1 enormous pack of extensive charcoal drawing supplies

 

1 large set of standard drawing pencils

 

1 large pack of nice colored pencils

 

1 pack of Faber-Castell pastels

 

1 can of fixative

 

several erasers for various mediums

 

and 1 24 pack of Derwent graphic pencils which were ridiculously nice.

 

She gets all this stuff in about 2 weeks. Lets hope she likes it!

 

How much did u spend on that?

[Disenchantedly Yours]

As an update, I just got back from shopping. I got her:

 

3 different pads for different mediums (charcoal pad, pastel pad, and a regular sketchbook)

 

1 enormous pack of extensive charcoal drawing supplies

 

1 large set of standard drawing pencils

 

1 large pack of nice colored pencils

 

1 pack of Faber-Castell pastels

 

1 can of fixative

 

several erasers for various mediums

 

and 1 24 pack of Derwent graphic pencils which were ridiculously nice.

 

She gets all this stuff in about 2 weeks. Lets hope she likes it!

 

Good job! Good call on the fixative! Let us know how she liked it.

[Janesays]

Make something to go along with it! Like write a poem or a cd of songs that remind you of her or make a picture frame with the two of you framed in it.

 

I'm not much for material things, but stuff like that is the kinda of thing I brag to my girlfriends about!

[CarrieT]

As an update, I just got back from shopping. I got her:

 

3 different pads for different mediums (charcoal pad, pastel pad, and a regular sketchbook)

 

1 enormous pack of extensive charcoal drawing supplies

 

1 large set of standard drawing pencils

 

1 large pack of nice colored pencils

 

1 pack of Faber-Castell pastels

 

1 can of fixative

 

several erasers for various mediums

 

and 1 24 pack of Derwent graphic pencils which were ridiculously nice.

 

She gets all this stuff in about 2 weeks. Lets hope she likes it!

 

This is totally cool but add something completely quirky with it! I'd suggest Cost Plus Imports for their area of International food - you could get a few different, small items like a tin of French fruit candies, some Japanese gum, or a few unusual candy bars...

[TG1]

If I were you, surprise her with what she wants and if she tells you what she wants before her birthday, on her birthday tell her that you didn't get her anything but then when you guys come home, that is when you surprise her with her gift, she will totally not see it coming and she will be surprised in the best way LOL

[yoman38]

great now use some of those wonderful sides and make her something be original