I may be hearing the sound of big, floppy ears and giant, furry feet. But even if you don’t celebrate, there’s always a time where you need a smaller gift – and fast. Art supplies make the perfect gifts for birthdays, holidays – and just because. So here are 10 artsy basket fillers that may just sneak into your normal gift-giving routine.
Crayola Neon Oil Pastels
Oil Pastels aren’t just a supply for professional artists, these are fun for kids, low cost, and offer a different art experience.
First, oil pastels are usually more vibrant than crayons and with less pressure. If you’ve ever been like me and tried to get your pale colored crayon to color vividly and fallen short – oil pastels might be your best friend.
Unlike crayons they do leave a residue on the page – and on the fingers.
If they are new to you, or you already love oil pastels and are looking for a change, Crayola’s neon oil pastels offer a huge pop of color. The colors take you back to the 80s and even better, they glow under a blacklight. If you’re an art teacher, say hello to the most fun art show yet. If you’re a homeschooler, grab a blacklight flashlight and study the science of light!
This batik project uses neon oil pastels on white paper but then uses an India ink wash to bring out those popping colors!
Ooly Rainbow Sparkle Gel Crayons
Gel crayons are another fun way of coloring more quickly and easily with vibrant color. But they aren’t just for coloring. If you add water to them, they turn into watercolor paint. That makes the a fun and easy alternative to regular watercolor projects.
Ooly’s Rainbow Sparkle Gel Crayons offer beautiful colors, and a mild shimmer. What this means is all of the joy of glitter – and none of the annoyance of it everywhere. That’s a huge win-win!
Mr. Sketch Gel Crayons
Did you grow up smelling Mr. Sketch markers and wondering what the light blue was? Now it’s been changed, but I think it was mango when I was a kid! Mr. Sketch has brought their fun scents to their gel crayons and the colors don’t disappoint. Like Ooly’s, and all gel crayons, they dissolve into paint when you add water.
Sparkle Pop Pens
For older kids (and for you), these metallic gel pens are the perfect gift. They write smoothly, look beautiful on black, and they change colors depending on if you’re writing on white or black paper.
They’re also perfect for adding those metallic and sparkly embellishment to artwork by coloring in only a portion, or adding some lines. They’re used inside a few squares of this disco ball and when the ball hits the light – it really sparkle pops!
Model Magic Neon
Crayola’s Model Magic is a great way to build hand strength, without much of the mess from traditional clay.
It comes in packages and is a bit like a cross between clay and a marshmallow. One of the fun properties of Model Magic is that you can use markers on it to color it, and you can also mix the marker color into the Model Magic to create beautiful pastels.
Although coloring is best done with the white version, Crayola also has this fun neon set and it’s perfect for creating through spring and summer, such as these tropical fish.
Construction Paper Crayons
I’m not going to lie – I thought these were a gimmick, and a clever packaging ploy. But no, Crayola has really hit the ball out of the park with these.
These sticks of color will color on just about anything, especially those darker paper colors you have lying around. They also color beautifully on painted paper – or paper painted with watercolors. And. onblack, these colors look positively stunning.
Sargent also has a set now, and they’re equally as beautiful, so pick up whichever you can find. Bonus that the Crayola comes in a class pack.
Gelli Plate
These aren’t the cheapest, but for kids (and adults) who love process art, gelli plates are an incredible art supply to have. These squishy rectangles can be used again and again for a printmaking experience like no other. Use what you have around the house such as bubble wrap, fly swatters, lids, stamps, string – the possibilities are endless.
Pick up an inexpensive brayer here and use these with any craft or acrylic paint you have on hand. Even the Apple Barrel craft paint sold in this huge set here or the MontMarte Neon Set of acrylics here are great and inexpensive ways to have fun with these plates.
Use them to make cards, as backgrounds for larger art projects, or to have fun creating a stash of painted paper.
Ooly Neon Chromablends Watercolors
If you’re going to invest in watercolors that aren’t your traditional colors, these neon pan watercolors are my favorites. They glow under a blacklight, the colors can be used as pastels or as vibrant fluorescent colors.
They also paint over black paper with a couple of coats, and I’m a huge fan of neons next to black.
Big Kids Choice Paintbrushes
The round 8 with a green handle is my favorite all purpose paintbrush for kids. I even use these myself when painting and designing lessons for our membership. The handle is smaller so it’s easy for kids to grip and feel successful when painting.
Sakura Moonlight Gel Pens
It’s hard to find a good gel pen. They often clog or don’t work at all, and they don’t go over darker paper the way that we want.
These do. Their neon set is my favorite, but these come in a variety of packs of other colors and they work beautifully for writing, adding details to art, or zentangling.
Join the Glitterbombers Membership!
We would love to welcome you inside the Glitterbombers Membership. Hundreds of art projects, videos, and resources at your fingertips for whatever you’re studying, or whatever art concept you’re ready to teach. Head here to hop on the waitlist and find out when we open next!
What’s your favorite artsy basket filler?