The best gifts have a job to do and do it well. I remember an unusual gift my friend Leslie gave me once: It was a bundle of tall reeds in my favorite shade of red. I stood them up in the corner of my living room, where, to my mind, they added a crucial bit of visual interest. Leslie knew I loved cherry red and knew I’d find a use for them.

But sometimes one person’s use is another person’s mystery. Another friend, Kai, a practical thinker, took one look at my red reeds and asked, “What’s the purpose of those?” “Their purpose is to add beauty,” I said, trying not to sound too smug. “No, really,” he said, “what will you do with them?” I didn’t know how to convince him I’d already put them to use.

At the American Craft Council, we believe adding beauty is a perfectly reasonable role for a gift to play.

You’ll find many items on the following pages that can add luster to a home, a wardrobe, a life. But we also love gifts that serve more clearly pragmatic functions. You’ll find a bunch of those among the four dozen gift ideas in this holiday gift guide – bags and hats and mugs and even a bicycle.

Whether you’re buying for a Leslie or a Kai, whether you’re aiming for the unexpected or the unexpectedly useful, we hope you’ll find some great ideas in this guide. Happy holidays.