A grandma who crafts often has a favorite hobby and a well-stocked supply shelf. What she may not have is the gear that makes crafting easier now: better light, a magnifier for threading needles, scissors that open on their own, or a puzzle board that keeps a project safe between sessions. Those are the gifts she will use every day. This guide is sorted by what each gift does.
If you know her craft, our per-craft guides go deeper: quilters, knitters, crocheters and cross stitchers. For everything else, see our gifts for crafters.
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Quick picks
- The big gift: an OttLite EasyView floor lamp with magnifier.
- For needlework: a Clover desk needle threader.
- For cutting: Fiskars Easy Action scissors.
- For puzzlers: a rotating puzzle board with drawers.
- Something new to try: a loom knitting or weaving kit.
Light and magnification
Good light is the gift that helps with every craft, from knitting to reading a pattern.
OttLite EasyView LED Floor Lamp with Magnifier
The OttLite EasyView floor lamp combines a daylight LED floor lamp with a rimless 1.75x magnifier on a flexible arm, plus a 3x spot viewer for threading needles. The arm adjusts from 48 to 64 inches high, and a touch switch sets three brightness levels. It stands beside her chair, so the light and the magnifier are where she sits.
OttLite ClearSun Floor Lamp and Brightech Desk Magnifier
Without the magnifier, the OttLite ClearSun LED floor lamp is a slim daylight lamp with a 95+ color rendering index, a flexible neck that adjusts from 47.5 to 64 inches, a weighted base and three touch-controlled brightness levels. For a craft table, the Brightech LightView Pro desk magnifier clamps to the edge of a table and holds a 2.25x glass lens with LED light on a swing arm.
Easier on the hands
- Fiskars Easy Action Micro-Tip scissors have a spring-assisted handle that opens after each cut, a soft grip and sharp micro-tip blades for fabric and detail work.
- The Clover desk needle threader threads a needle at the press of a button: drop the needle in, lay the thread in the slot and press. It works with most hand needles and handles floss and metallic thread.
- The SINGER needle threader assistant is another one-push threader for hand sewing needles, with a thread cutter, a needle size switch and a magnetic base for storing needles. It is not for embroidery floss.
Puzzles
The ALL4JIG rotating puzzle board holds a 1,000-piece puzzle on a wooden board that spins on a lazy Susan, with six sliding drawers for sorting pieces and a cover so the puzzle can be put away mid-project. For the puzzle itself, the Springbok Cardinal Couriers 500-piece puzzle is a Christmas scene of two cardinals with wrapped gifts, made in Kansas City with a reference poster, and a 4-pack of 300-piece garden puzzles has larger pieces with birds, butterflies and flowers. Our guide to the best jigsaw puzzles for seniors has more.
Coloring
Large Print Easy Color and Frame: Garden is an adult coloring book with bold, simple garden designs. Our guide to the best coloring books for seniors compares others.
A new craft to try
If she is curious about something new, choose a craft that is easy on the hands. The UCDRMA loom knitting kit has round looms in several sizes with the pegs built in, a pom-pom maker, yarn and instructions, so she can make hats and scarves without holding knitting needles. The Lily and Oak weaving loom is a beech wood frame loom that works on a lap or a table, with yarn, tools, a printed manual and video tutorials. Paper crafts are another gentle option; see our guides to quilling and origami for seniors.
Comfort
The Loddie Doddie foldable lap desk weighs 2 pounds, has a storage pocket and two accessory trays, folds flat and wipes clean, so she can craft from her favorite chair.
How to choose
Start with what she already does. A magnifier lamp or a needle threader helps with almost any needlecraft. Easy Action scissors suit anyone who cuts fabric or paper. If she loves puzzles, a rotating board with drawers is a bigger gift than another puzzle. A loom kit or a weaving loom makes a good gift for trying something new.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good craft gift for an older woman?
Something that makes her current craft easier: a daylight lamp, a magnifier, a needle threader or spring-assisted scissors. These help with every project she already enjoys.
What crafts are easy for seniors to start?
Loom knitting, weaving, coloring, quilling and origami are good places to start, since they need only a few simple tools. Our guides to quilling and origami are good places to begin.
Is a puzzle board a good gift for grandma?
Yes, if she does jigsaw puzzles. A board with drawers and a cover keeps a puzzle in progress safe and lets her put it away when the table is needed.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice; consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting any supplement. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
