Often, our hobbies are what we most look forward to on the weekend or at the end of a long day. They also make a great gift idea. Here to help the hobbyist in your circle of friends and loved ones is part four of our Experience Milton 2024 Holiday Gift Guide.
Top picks for Experiential Gifts
- Paint Nite: For the creative soul who wants to explore their inner Picasso, sign them up for a paint night at Shoeless Joe’s. Perfect gift for a beginner or someone wanting a fun night out with friends, instructor Aswini makes it a unique and enjoyable experience for all.
- Writing Retreat or Workshop: Firefly Creative Writing is a great option for the wordsmith in your life. They offer small and large workshops (often virtual for better convenience), writing coaching, and even retreats. Events are always being added; if what you see isn’t available yet, gift cards are available.
- Creative Projects: The Barn Door Studio offers more than just delicious drinks; they let you choose from one of their workshops, which you follow along with a class to create home décor, from signs to wine shelves. Can’t decide? Grab a gift certificate to put towards the project your recipient would love best.
- Cooking Class: Riposta Bistro has cooking certificates to help the foodie in your life elevate their cooking techniques with tastings and notes to bring home. Purchase a single ticket or try it as a couple for an immersive Italian cuisine experience.
- Pottery or Glass Fusing: Glazed Expressions is a creative arts studio where you can get lost making pottery, painting, doing some glass fusing, or reenacting the clay on the wheel scene from the movie Ghost. While they welcome walk-in visits, if you plan to give this to a group, they advise calling ahead to let them know you’re coming.
Top Picks for Wrappable Gifts
- Puzzles, Games, Books, and Models: Ideal for the problem solver, Puzzles Canada is a great option for all ages. They stock all sorts of puzzle brands, from Wasgij to Ravensburger, have lots of board games for family game nights, and model projects to keep your creator busy for hours.
- Sporting Equipment: For athletes who like to stay active and try out different sports, Play it Again Sports is your local option for keeping them fully equipped. A great option for kids who grow fast and need frequent replacement of equipment, you can bring your used gear back to upgrade the size.
- Musical Enthusiasts: Get Loud sells all sorts of instruments, from violins to guitars. Need some sheet music for piano virtuoso in your life, they sell that too. Not sure what they need or would want best? Pick up a gift card and wrap it in time for the holidays.
- Crafts… and More Crafts: Michaels is known as the craft and hobby store. It’s a great option for the hobby enthusiast in your life who can’t get enough of candle making, leather crafting, macrame, needlework, soap making, and more. Can’t decide? Gift cards make a great option for the unknown.
- Gardening: Taking care of plants is an act of love and doesn’t have to stop just because there is cold in the air. Pick from the many beautiful indoor plants at Terra and give them to the plant lover who is just itching to tend to something. Gift cards are also available and make a great option if you don’t have a green thumb like your recipient.
- Sewing: Oh Look, Fabric!, located on Main Street, is a fabric lover’s haven for all their quilting and clothes-making needs. Beyond fabric, they offer patterns for quilts and clothing and even a few workshops for those wanting to learn how to sew or create a specific project.
Gifts That Give Back
Knitted Knockers
Love to knit or know someone who does and is looking for a worthy cause? Knitted Knockers are soft, comfortable knit prosthetics for breast cancer survivors. They are free for all women who have undergone mastectomies or other procedures to the breast.
They love to receive donations, whether you choose to knit a prosthetic yourself or donate money to the cause. Here is a list of donation drop-off locations in Ontario. Most shops also carry the preferred yarn if you’re unsure what you should use.
Be a Volunteer
Hobbyists are often those who simply like to keep busy. Why not use some of that energy and skill set to volunteer your time in any of the following areas of Milton? You never know where a beloved hobby could help another in need.
- FirstOntario Arts Centre Milton
- Mattamy National Cycling Centre
- Milton Seniors’ Activity Centre
- Recreation and Culture Programs
- Special Events
- Swimming
- Youth Committees and Projects
Further Reading
For more great gift ideas from Milton businesses, check out our other gift guides:
