Not sure what to get your loved ones this holiday season? From foodies to athletes and everyone else in your life, this roundup is full of niche gifts that’ll show them how well you know them.
For the Foodie
When customers walk into The Cupboard in downtown Fort Collins looking for something special for the cook or baker on their list, owner Jim Hewitt has several recommendations.
For shoppers with a larger budget—and those looking to invest in their own kitchen—his top pick is the Swedish-made Ankarsrum stand mixer.
“They’re powerful mixers that work extremely well for bread dough, which is sometimes hard on mixers,” he says. “We did a bread-baking demo here, where we made 100 loaves of bread, and it never even got hot.”
Another popular (albeit spendy) gift is a Breville espresso machine, Hewitt says, though it’ll save the recipient money since they’ll be able to make their own $8 lattes at home. Staub Dutch ovens are a great alternative to the coveted but more expensive Le Creuset brand, he says, and a Henckels steak knife set can make a great gift if you have around $50 to spend.
The Cupboard has lots of unique kitchen gadgets, too, which Hewitt suggests as smaller gifts or stocking stuffers. Those include rolling pins with fun patterns engraved in the wood, onion goggles to keep you from tearing up and clawed “pickle pickers” to grab pickles out of a jar.
He also sells the trending Geometry tea towels, which he says are incredibly absorbent despite the fact that they’re made from recycled plastic.
“They’re one of the best-rated kitchen towels by Better Homes & Gardens,” Hewitt says. “People just keep coming back for them.”
For the Music Lover
If you’re looking for a gift for a musician or music enthusiast, Don Jensen has you covered. His shop, Willow River Music in downtown Loveland, has everything from home audio equipment to acoustic and electric guitars.
As a luthier of more than 35 years, one of Jensen’s favorite gifts in the store is his collection of AXE HEAVEN miniature guitars, which are tiny replicas of the guitars played by Jimi Hendrix, Jerry Garcia, Stevie Ray Vaughan and other famous musicians. He even has models of iconic Fender and Gibson guitars, each with its own little stand.
“These are collectibles,” Jensen says. “You don’t have to be a musician to get one; you could just be a huge [Janis] Joplin fan.”
For fellow guitar players, Jensen recommends handmade leather pick guards and high-end capos—“These are like jewelry for your guitar,” he says. He also carries bracelets made from guitar and bass strings by Christina Lacey, a Colorado artist and owner of Retuned Jewelry.
Music lovers will appreciate Jensen’s wide range of vinyl records, turntables and speakers, which can elevate any home audio setup. His records range from classic rock artists like The Doors to modern musicians like John Legend, and he’s constantly adding more jazz, country and hip-hop to the collection.
His stocking stuffers include music-themed cookie cutters, color-changing lights and fun instruments, like steel tongue drums (often used in music therapy) and Native American flutes made in Longmont. Music note mugs, scarves and mouse pads line the aisles of his store as well as enough musical Christmas ornaments to fill a tree.
“I keep ordering and ordering, but I can’t buy everything I want,” Jensen says. “It’s like a toy store for adults who love music.”
For the Athlete
When holiday shoppers are out looking for gifts for an athlete or outdoorsperson, often one of their first stops is SCHEELS in Johnstown. Assistant store leader Hannah Leiker has many gifts in mind for them.
For women, her top recommendation is the Free People Movement Mountain High Half-Zip Fleece, a soft sherpa pullover that comes in a range of bright colors.
“It’s on my wish list, so I’m hoping to be able to snag that for myself before we sell out of them,” she says.
She also suggests the Vuori Performance Jogger—“It’s quite literally the softest jogger you’ll ever buy,” she says—as well as Patagonia’s fleece Better Sweater. The Better Sweater is available for women, men and kids, she says, so the whole family can match.
One of SCHEELS’ top sellers for men is the UNRL Elevation Hoodie, Leiker says, since it’s made with a high-quality, textured fabric and can be worn with jeans or with shorts on a run. On Cloud’s Cloudsurfer Max is one of the hottest running shoes on the market for both men and women, she says, so those can be gifted with the hoodie.
Leiker likes to point customers to gifts that enhance the experience of exercising or being outdoors. She recommends the Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses, which can capture videos of outdoor adventures, as well as Bucket Golf, a yard game that comes with oversized golf clubs and pop-up buckets to make a miniature golf course. Her family played the game last Thanksgiving.
Another popular recreational item is the Turtlebox speaker, Leiker says. It can be linked to others to play the same music at a distance, and it’s waterproof and extremely durable.
“It can endure all the elements, so it’s great for the rugged, active lifestyle,” she says. “The smallest one even has magnets on it, so you can magnet it to a golf cart, the side of a cooler or the side of a camper.”
For the Nerd
If you’re shopping for a self-proclaimed nerd but aren’t one yourself, finding a suitable board game, comic book or collectible toy can be a challenge. That’s where Trax Parry, owner of The Nerd Store in Greeley, comes in.
“We have a lot of games people my age like to play,” says Parry, who is in his early 40s. “But we also cater to teenagers and kids.”
The Nerd Store has dozens of games, the most popular being Wyrmspan, a standalone expansion of the Wingspan game but with dragons, Parry says. Players get to learn about dragons, collect their eggs and raise them, making it a fun fantasy game.
Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering have always been fan favorites, Parry says, so those are great gifts for anyone who doesn’t have their own setup. If you really want to wow them, he recommends getting the highly anticipated Magic: The Gathering Avatar The Last Airbender cards, which come out this month.
For those who prefer more artistic activities, Parry recommends a variety of paint sets and models. Recipients can build and add color to different characters in games such as Warhammer.
“You can then turn them into a war game, where you build little troops and go out and battle on the table,” he says. “We have one of the largest selections of those in Colorado.”
Gundam models are a common ask (replacing Funko pop figures) as well as Blokees transformers.
Other toys Parry suggests are blind boxes containing different figurines and capsule toy machines—you just don’t know what you’re going to get until you open them. He also points customers to STEM toys, including a robotic hand from Thames & Kosmos that kids can build while learning about mechanics.
Then there’s manga and comic books, which Parry loves for their beautiful artwork and engaging stories. “Chainsaw Man” is the most popular manga series currently, he says, and for the graphic novel lover, he recommends “Monstrous,” which came out in 2023 but never gets old.
For the DIYer
When Misty Richmond lost her job during the pandemic, she turned to crafting. Now she helps others express their creative side at Planks and Paint NOCO in Loveland, a franchise she owns with her husband, Jeret.
DIYers of all mediums can work on projects there, from decorative signs and doormats to charcuterie boards, planter boxes, sun catchers, cornhole boards and sea glass art. Richmond also has materials for people to make blankets, pillows, totes and hats. All of those experiences make nice gifts for the crafter on your list, she says.
Unlike typical paint-and-sip businesses (yes, you can bring food and drink), DIYers don’t have to make the same thing at Planks and Paint. Richmond encourages them to choose something different.
“They get to pick their own thing and make it,” she says. “We can pretty much customize anything.”
One of Richmond’s most unique offerings is a flower arrangement in the folded pages of a book. Around the holidays, she has guest teachers put on wreath, garland and cookie-making classes. She’ll even have a Grinch cookie-making day, where the Grinch himself will make an appearance.
Aside from experiences in the store, Richmond offers kits for gifters who would rather offer the recipient the chance to make their creation at home. Customers can also shop Richmond’s art supplies, including Dixie Belle chalk paint, which she uses for wood signs because it dries fast and doesn’t leave brushstrokes behind.
If you don’t know where to start with someone’s gift, she suggests identifying their preferred medium, whether that’s paint, textiles, heat (for hat burning) or something else.
“Come in with them and look around to see if anything sparks their interest,” she says. “Then you can be like, ‘they were really loving those sun catchers,’ or ‘they’ve always talked about trying to do some resin pours.’”
For the Pet Parent
Pet parents likely won’t forget to buy a gift for their furry friend, but if you want to treat them too, Teri Segelke has plenty of options. The owner of J & T Feeds in Greeley carries a range of name-brand toys and treats as well as ones that are locally made.
Around the holidays, she recommends toys that keep dogs and cats busy during family get-togethers. Dogs in particular get more stir-crazy when it’s cold outside, she says, so “stuffable” toys that can be filled with treats, peanut butter or maybe even a little CBD are great gifts for pets and their owners.
Her top choices are West Paw’s Qwizle, a long rubber toy that’s ideal for wedging in pieces of jerky, and TOPPL, a bowl-like rubber toy she fills with wet food and freezes. Feeding mats are a great idea too, she says, as you can spread peanut butter on them for your dog to lick off.
She also suggests snuffle mats, a shag carpet-type toy that owners can hide treats in and have their pet “snuffle” through to find them. She steers anyone shopping for cats toward a range of catnip toys that will keep them entertained for hours.
Segelke doesn’t carry ropes because she’s known too many dogs who’ve ingested the strings, but she does have toys that are nearly indestructible (some even come with a guarantee). Those types of gifts are more interactive for owners and their pets, she says, since they can tug or fetch with them.
Pet coats and boots are her suggestions for those who want to keep their dog warm on winter walks. Segelke offers fleece sweaters, jackets and booties that prevent snow from clumping in between their toes. She also has heavy-duty leashes and collars for strong dogs to make walks more pleasant.
When it comes to treats, Segelke says people often gift raw bones and bully sticks.
“On Christmas Eve, we probably sell thousands of dollars of just toys and treats,” she says. “It’s always a bully stick craze.”
