10 Stocking Stuffers for Scientists
Christmas songs are playing on the radio, lights adorn the houses on your way to work - there's even a Christmas tree in the lab! Yes it’s that time of year again, and we know that Christmas shopping can be stressful! Crowded stores, fussy friends, and tight budgets can make things tricky for many of us during the holiday season.
If you're looking for a low-cost Secret Santa gift for someone in your lab, we’ve got you covered. From science stickers to cookie cutters, plant pots to crochet kits, here’s our list of 10 affordable stocking stuffers that will put a smile on any science lover's face this Christmas!
1) Microscopy zipper bags
These stunning zipper pouch bags by Beata Science Art are created from real microscopy images of human cells. Each cell has a nucleus containing its DNA (blue), and other colours highlight the microtubules and actin filaments. A scale bar in the corner represents the actual dimensions of the structures. These unique pieces of science art can be used as a pencil case, make-up holder or purse!
More info: Cytoskeleton Zipper Carry-All Bag and Molecular Rainbow Zipper Carry-All Bag
2) Microscopic jewelry
Jewelry is a great way to express one's interests, and these science-themed earrings and pins would make a great gift for your scientist friends! Caro Gray Creates has a beautiful range of handcrafted jewelry, specializing in resin pendants. Using glitter, wire, microbeads and polymer clay, she creates the key structures found within each cell type. Woodsmoke and Willow are makers of incredibly detailed biology earrings, using polymer clay to create cell designs and much more! And for the chemists, we love the work of ChemisTree Crafts who stock an extensive range of science-themed jewelry, from different shaped beakers, to test tubes representing the starch test.
More info: Caro Gray Creates, Woodsmoke and Willow and ChemisTree Crafts
3) Science-themed cookie cutters
For the lab mate who's always bringing their latest baked creations to lab meetings, how about one of these cute science-themed cookie cutters? We found these fantastic test tubes and flask shapes by Fox Run, as well as a huge variety of neuroscience, cell biology and anatomical sets made by the brilliant team at Bakerlogy! These fun gifts will encourage your cookie-loving colleagues to bring even more delicious goodies in to work! It's a win-win for everyone!
More info: Fox Run Science Cookie Cutter Set of 4, Bakerlogy Neuron & Brain Axial Cookie Cutters, Bakerlogy Anatomical Brain & Heart Cookie Cutters and Bakerlogy Human & Plant Cell Microbiology Cutters Set of 2
4) Virus planters & pen pots
Usually, we wouldn't recommend giving your friend or colleague a virus at Christmas time, but this might just be the exception! These cute 3D-printed virus pots would pair perfectly with a nice house plant or a selection of pens and pencils! Available in a variety of sizes and colours, these pots make a unique and eye-catching gift.
More info: Virus Planter, Pen/Pencil Holder 3D-Printed Gift
5) Heart & microbe cross stitch kits
Do you know a scientist who's handy with a needle and thread? This might be a perfect gift for that lab colleague who likes to do crafts in their lunch break. These cute cross stitch kits allow you to create microbe diagrams (choose from salmonella, tuberculosis, cholera and many more) or an anatomical image of the heart to proudly display on your wall.
More info: Two Microbe Cross Stitch Kits and Anatomical Heart Cross Stitch Pattern
6) Women in Science postcards
These beautifully designed postcards are a great gift for anyone who loves to celebrate and amplify the work of women in STEM. Featuring 50 stunning illustrations of great women throughout science history, from Marie Curie to Katherine Johnson, and including interesting facts and inspirational quotes from each of them. This set would make a very thoughtful gift for any lab colleague.
More info: Women in Science: 100 Postcard Set
7) Science-themed stickers
These fun and colourful science stickers are a great option for researchers who like to express themselves and their love of STEM! These vinyl stickers can be bought in packs of 25 or 50, and can be used to personalise a laptop or a water bottle with funny science puns and cool cartoons - available via Etsy from DowntownDigitalCo.
More info: 25/50 Vinyl Science Stickers (Chemistry, Physics, Biology & Science Lab)
8) Pocket microscope
A portable pocket microscope is the perfect gift for any curious scientist. This microscope can attach to your smartphone, allowing you to easily see the world up close, wherever you are! With a powerful magnification range of 100x to 250x, it will allow the user to see even the tiniest details in high resolution. It even includes a built-in digiscoping clip to document your findings, making it a handy tool for medical students, researchers and teachers to easily share their discoveries with others.
More info: Carson MicroFlip 100x-250x LED Pocket Microscope
9) Galileo thermometers
These elegant thermometers will look beautiful at any work desk, and can be use to estimate the temperature of the surrounding environment by studying the five carefully weighted globes. Readings are based on Galileo Galilei's discovery that the density of liquid varies with temperature. When it is hot the coloured globes sink, and when the liquid cools, they float, therefore the lowest sphere in the top group indicates the ambient temperature.
More info: Tear Drop-Shaped Galileo Thermometer with Five Floating Globes
10) 3D skull anatomy kit
And finally, not many people would be excited to find a skull or brain model in their stocking this Christmas, but if you're shopping for a neuroscientist, they are sure to appreciate this fun building kit! Containing 39 pieces including the skull, meninges, the cranial nerves, venous sinuses, cerebral cortex and more, this great miniature model is easy to assemble and will look fantastic displayed on any scientist's desk!
More info: Human Anatomy Skull Model | 39-Piece Human Skull Puzzle
More Christmas gift ideas from Hello Bio
Over the years we've put together some great collections of Christmas gift ideas to suit any scientist! Take a look at some of our previous lists including books, sweaters, tree decorations, and more!
- Ten Cosy Christmas Jumpers for Scientist
- Ten Clever Christmas Decorations for Scientists
- Christmas gifts for scientists - my Santa list
- Ten Christmas Gift Ideas for Scientists 2021
- Ten Science Books You Need to Read
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