The most meaningful gifts are often hand-made ones. Infused with personal touches and reflective of time spent thinking about the recipient, these types of presents easily burrow into our hearts and memories.
if you want to make an artful gift but are tapped out of creative ideas — an understandable predicament, especially in 2020 — this guide might help. We’ve compiled project spaces and tutorials that encourage adaptation and personalization, along with our favorite picks for DIY-gifts. Don’t worry if you’re not an adept craftsperson or artist; there’s something to accommodate every skill level below. And, when in doubt, remember the old adage: it’s the thought that counts.
Open Studio
Open Studio offer participants the opportunity to create thoughtful artworks, guided with instructions from professional contemporary artists. Browse the full roster of SFMOMA’s projects here. We recommend starting with Mark Bradford’s tutorial on creating art from song lyrics, which can be adapted to include your recipient’s favorite song and positive memories or words you associate with them.
SFMOMA’s Education Department Art Projects
Best suited for young learners, these art projects draw inspiration from famous works of art, like Georgia O’Keeffe’s Lake George or Frida Kahlo’s Frieda and Diego Rivera. Select projects have video instructions, and most require just a few materials, like construction paper and glue. Pro-Tip: By borrowing skills from Max Lamb’s chair-assembly guide, you could build a wooden picture frame to add an elegant touch to the finished product.
Project Space by Open Space
An image from Sadie Barnett’s “How To Vol. 3,” commissioned by Open Space.
Open Space, SFMOMA’s commissioning platform and blog, has a handful of project guides available for free download. You’ll find original creations from artists like Jeffrey Cheung, Charlie Leese, DROUGHT SPA, among others. Sadie Barnette’s “How to Vol. 3” lends itself especially well to gift creation; following her flexible and adaptable framework, you’ll end up with an irreverent “manual” fit for a friend.
Artist-Designed Chairs: Option 1 by Max Lamb and Option 2 by Joris Laarman
Artist-designed chairs: Left from Joris Laarman Labs and Right from Max Lamb.
Perhaps best suited for people with a touch of assembly experience, these chairs designed by SFMOMA collection artists Max Lamb and Joris Laarman are easily replicable and customizable. What’s more, the materials needed come cheap at your local hardware or craft store.
Photo Weavings + Other Projects from the San Jose Museum of Art
One of many projects created by the San Jose Museum of Art, this particular craft draws inspiration from Dinh Q. Lê’s photo-weavings. Select a photo of you and your recipient and follow the instructions to create a vibrant piece of art to hang in a home or office — or work-from-home-office, as the case may be.
We’d love for this list to keep growing. Have a project or idea you want to share with SFMOMA? Tag us on social media @SFMOMA.