RPG Evolution: Gift Ideas for Crafty Gamers

This list is for gamers who take their miniature, terrain, painting, and modeling seriously. The investments are significant, but there may be discounts during the holiday season.

Please Note: I'm a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to http://amazon.com. Amazon regularly posts and delists items so these may not all be in stock, and if you plan to purchase these for the holidays check delivery times as some may be shipped from overseas. Listings are in price order from lowest to highest.

Magnifying Glasses for Painting ($25)​

Depending on the availability of natural daylight, your vision, your age, and how steady your hands are, painting miniatures can be a real challenge. These glasses are a must. They're lightweight, have multiple lighting modes and lenses, and make painting and modeling so much easier. A staple for any serious hobbyist with vision challenges.

Model Painting Station ($30)​

Like the magnifying glasses above, these pincers will help you paint models. But it goes beyond vision; if you have shaky hands or mobility issues, these "helping hands" can be a real time saver.

Magic House Book Nook ($45)​

These book nooks are a test of modeling and painting skills, but they make for fun projects that have an end date (as opposed to most miniature painters, who have more miniatures than they will ever paint). They also look great on bookshelves when streaming or in your game room. A lot of the tools listed below can be put to good use assembling these nooks. This one is Harry Potter-inspired but there are many variants.

Dungeons & Caverns Core Terrain Set ($60)​

This set includes tools and foam to sculpt a dungeon. For game masters who are willing to invest the time, nothing beats hand-sculpted terrain.

Miniature Hobby Set ($70)​

A great companion to the above terrain set, for game masters or players who are just getting into the hobby, this set has everything you need to get started: paint, brushes, files, cutters, and glue.

Miniature Painting Set ($85)​

This set features a wide variety of brushes plus a guide. It's a step up above the starter set for more advanced painters and wargamers who are investing in painting their miniatures.

Modeling Tools Set ($90)​

A companion to the painting set, this set is for gamers who aren't just painting their miniatures but assembling and customizing them. It includes precision cutters, drills, and files.

 

[tmanbeaubien]

I own too many books to have room for a 'book nook'! They are cute though.

 

[kronovan]

Just my 2 cents...but a quality base mounted magnifying glass is a gift of gold to any miniatures painter nearing, or in, their senior years.

 

[phuong]

wow, no shame at all in what you post, just straight up advertising. At least you pretended you were writing an article before, even if they were aimed at children.

 

[agrayday]

i would add, that on amazon there is a USB chargeable pen drill that is a great item for craft and miniature mounting.

 

[collin]

I will say that I own a pair of those magnifying glasses exactly like the ones the guy is wearing in the opening photograph and they have made a big difference in my being able to paint in detail, especially with my old eyes.