2022 Holiday Gift-giving Guide

By Emily Rice, Debbie Kovalsky, and Kelle Cruz

Hello and happy holidays from STARtorialist HQ! In case we are new to you, STARtorialist was founded by professional astronomers to curate space- and science-themed products, support independent designers, and contribute to STEM education and outreach. After several years of pop-up ”BOOTHtiques” at AAS meetings, our online shop launched in summer 2020. We are grateful for the ongoing support of the astronomy research community, especially during the holiday season. 

For this year’s gift guide, we are sharing some of our favorite gift ideas, the majority of which are designed and/or produced by small businesses, many of them women- and/or minority-owned (read more here). Some of them are even designed by scientists (including fellow astronomers), handcrafted, and/or one of a kind! 

We hope this gift guide gives you ideas for your loved ones, seasonal tokens of appreciation, fun swaps, or even treats for yourself to celebrate the end of another year. For some products our inventory is limited and may sell out, so shop early or send a gift card in case that perfect gift is still waiting to be discovered. 

Sign up to receive our emails so you don’t miss our Black Friday/Small Business Saturday/Cyber Monday sale! 

Astro Accessories

For fabulously flexible astro-fashion, think beyond t-shirts and ties (though we have those, too!) and space out from head to toe! The great thing about gifting accessories like these is that you don’t have to guess someone’s preferred size or fit. 

This subtle space-y Moon Phases fleece beanie is also an ingenious teaching and learning tool! The tag inside features instructions for using the hat to find the Moon and a "cheat sheet" of phase names, timing, and other details. Check out the matching baseball cap!	Wrap your loved ones in the depths of space with a woven cotton infinity scarf made from a real space image of the star-forming region Westerlund 2 from Hubble's 25th anniversary image release!	Socks are surprisingly fun gifts, especially when they feature the galaxy’s most famous space agency logo and glow-in-the-dark stars!  Shop all our spaced-out socks.

A Black Hole Tote bag is perfect for the astronomer on the go - luckily this one doesn’t have an actual event horizon! We have versions featuring each of the supermassive black holes images by the Event Horizon Telescope: Sgr A* (aka Our Black Hole (shown here) and M87, plus even more backpacks, bags, & laptop sleeves!	Every explorer needs a towel, and this sunspot beach towel provides sunshine wherever you go! The pattern is from DKIST’s first sunspot image. Check out all of our Sun designs!	We’ve come a long way toward equity in human space exploration, and this Women in Space lunch tote celebrates the women who paved the way! Perfect for the advocate who wants to learn and share their stories with others.

Space for your Space 

Now you can outfit your home and office space with… space itself! These gifts are useful as well as beautiful and are sure to be appreciated for many cycles (lunar, solar, proposal, etc.) to come. 

Add SPACE to any space with a gorgeous Carina Nebula Throw Pillow Case. Choose from three different sizes and several other new JWST images.	Gift the glow of the full Moon on a clear night, every night, with a realistic moon wall clock that glows for approximately two hours after being charged with light, perfect for a gentle transition to deep space sleep, sans screens.	Perfect indoors and out, this gorgeous nebula cotton blanket is woven in the USA and based on a real Hubble image of the star-forming region Westerlund 2 in the Carina constellation.

Cosmic image knives https://shop.startorialist.com/products/cosmic-image-knife-set	Can you believe it will already be a year since the successful launch of JWST on Christmas?! Commemorate a job well done (or one just getting started) with stemless wine glasses, or champagne flutes, glass mugs, pint glasses, and more from our JWST celebration collection.	A Rocket Cocktail Shaker is a uniquely fun way to provide fuel for parties for the holiday season and beyond!

Babies, Kids, & Caregivers

In addition to astro-fashion for the budding scientists in your life, we have lots of new puzzles, games, and playsets, a portable play tent, and the ever-popular plush planet pals that are perfect for loved ones of all ages! 

We’ve stocked up on fun toys and playsets for the youngest space fans! Check out toys, books, and more for babies and bigger kids.	Nothing is more fun than kids’ imaginations, and this Spaceship play tent will have them exploring the Universe to infinity and beyond!	Scientists of all ages love the plush planet (and Moon, Sun, comet, North Star, and Black Hole) pals from Celestial Buddies! The hardest part is picking which one to give, and not keeping them for yourself!

Stocking stuffers & swap gifts

There is nothing like the satisfaction of bringing the most coveted swap gift to a party, or finding the perfect present for an unexpected visitor or host. These beautiful, useful, and fun ideas are sure to be appreciated all year long!

Find your favorite astronomer their new favorite mug! We have fun heat-changing designs, JWST mirrors, JPL travel designs, and more. Fill them with candy for an extra treat!	Galaxy-image notebooks are as beautiful as they are functional, and we have a huge selection of them (and other stationery) to choose from!	Puzzles are perfect for wintertime gatherings! Enjoy them with friends & family, then swap them once you’re done, or get duplicates for those far away and have a race!