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Need some gift ideas? We can help

| December 13, 2018 12:00 AM

With less than two weeks left, that gift-buying clock is ticking louder. Desperate for ideas? Got someone on your list who swears they want nothing?

Don’t panic. We’ve got this. Check out our two holiday gift guides for some unusual and creative tips, available right here in North Idaho.

To name just a few:

3-D tapestries: Along with its usual array of unusual stocking stuffers, this year The Long Ear on Government Way in Coeur d’Alene has tapestries with 3-D pop-out effects, and yes, you need 3-D glasses to see them. Cool.

Learning: If things aren’t their thing, you can help the environment and encourage something new with a starter kit and colony of honeybees (less scary than it sounds). Maybe arrange cooking classes (for kids, too), shooting and archery lessons, or instruction in dance, instrument and voice from a local music school.

I once bought a few flying lessons for a young man who said it was the best present he’d ever received. A brochure or homemade certificate in a box provides something to unwrap.

DIY jewelry: To tailor-make jewelry for a loved one, beyond the many options at local yarn and craft stores, JUNK on 4th Street has a jewelry-making bar for charm bracelets.

Unicorn-yoga, crazy cats, and other funnies: Lucky Monkey on Sherman Avenue has it all, from Bigfoot to Frida Kahlo, on shirts, mugs, socks and decals. The Dinner Party on Government Way sells local-themed items.

Socks, socks, and more socks. OK, this one dates the over-50 crowd. Yes, it’s a thing. Yes, most under 40 (and some older) really, really like them. No longer boring, socks have become fashion statements — a way to unobtrusively share personality even at work. Comedy socks, artist socks, hobby socks, pets, sports, movies, books, and pretty much everything is out there.

Art: Unique works by talented painters, sculptors, and photographers abound in area galleries (at a variety of prices) and create meaningful gifts which can last a lifetime. I once bought one on installments which still graces our home.

If that doesn’t satisfy, look for dozens more ideas in our gift guides published Dec. 12 (https://bit.ly/2DVpv1h) and Nov. 22. To find the Nov. 22 gift guide, click on “editions” on the right side of the page while viewing the Dec. 12 guide.

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Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Contact her at Sholeh@cdapress.com.