The holidays have arrived (like it or not), and the clock is ticking. Time to start shopping! Thanks to the Internet, it’s easy to find beautiful and useful geography-themed gifts made by artists all over the world. You’ll find some of our favorites here in our annual holiday gift guide for geo geeks!
For the cartographer
WOODCUT MAPS: Give your map lover a beautiful piece of custom wood-inlay art commemorating a special spot. Just go to the Woodcut Maps website and select your location, your materials, and size, and the San Francisco company sends it to you! (Order soon to get it before the holidays are over.)
Find them here: Woodcut maps (prices vary)
THE CARTOGRAPHER’S TOOLKIT: With chapters on color, typography, and composition patterns, the Cartographer’s Toolkit is a great gift for map makers of all skill levels. The book includes explanations of relevant theory, key definitions, and tons of visual demonstrations to equip any cartographer with the skills they need to create maps that are as inspired as they are informative.
Find it here: Cartographer’s Toolkit ($40)
GREYSCALE MAPS: Add some drama to your favorite cartographer’s walls with a greyscale map of their favorite city. Displate’s maps are printed on metal and mounted on magnets, which means there are no tools required to hang them. The company also plants a tree for every piece sold (they’ve planted more than 6 million so far)!
Find them here: Greyscale Maps ($44 and up)
For the world traveler
CORK GLOBE: Encourage your loved one’s wanderlust with an interactive globe made of cork. They can stick a pushpin in the places they’ve traveled — or the ones they simply cherish the most — and even attach pictures, tickets, and mementos.
Find it here: Cork globe ($80 and up)
TRAVEL JOURNAL: The I Was Here travel journal guides users to explore the often-overlooked details while traveling. Accented by colorful illustrations, it has plenty of space to jot down itineraries, reviews, tips, addresses and more, and a back pocket for collecting tickets, maps, and other ephemera.
Find it here: I Was Here Travel Journal ($17)
VINTAGE TRAVEL POSTERS: While a real vintage travel poster would set you back hundreds (if not thousands), you can find a variety of stylish reproductions on Etsy. Travel & Leisure magazine published a collection of some of their favorites to get you started.
Find them here: Vintage travel posters ($7 and up)
For the practicalist
GLOBE PENDANT LAMP: We all have someone on our list who insists that you don’t buy them anything frivolous. Problem solved! Who couldn’t use a lamp? This hanging light, made from an upcycled desk globe, brings a charming ambience to any kitchen, bedroom, or office.
Find it here: Globe pendant lamp ($35)
CUSTOM CUT & PREP BOARD: Bring the world into your loved one’s kitchen with a tempered glass board featuring the location of your choice. Designed in vintage map style, it can be used as a prep board, trivet, or just a charming decorative touch.
Find it here: Custom map cut & prep board ($50)
TRAVEL MUG: A watercolor map of the world painted on a 20-ounce travel mug is the perfect combination of beauty and practicality. Mugs are designed with lightweight stainless steel and double-walled to keep drinks hot or cold!
Find it here: Watercolor world map travel mug ($29)
For the hobbyist
BASEBALL PARK MAP: Give the baseball fanatic in your life an interactive keepsake that inspires them to travel the United States. This screen print map comes with stickers to attach as they visit each of the 30 Major League Baseball stadiums.
Find it here: MLB map ($55)
BREWERY MAP: For the beer aficionado, check out this map of more than 5,000 breweries, microbreweries, and brewpubs across the country. The decorative piece will serve as a heady reminder of past trips and inspiration for future ones, whether your recipient prefers sours, stouts, or IPAs!
Find it here: U.S. breweries map ($65)
MIDDLE EARTH MAPS: The fantasy lover in your life will enjoy these maps drawn in the cartographic style of J.R.R. Tolkien. London-based artist Owen Delaney creates maps of the world’s cities, states, countries, and parks, along with mythical locales like Westeros, Gallifrey, or any place you can dream up, Lord of the Rings style.
Find them here: Middle Earth Maps($32 and up)
For the young geographer
HELLO ATLAS: Inspire the next generation of cultural anthropologists and explorers. Created for kids ages 7-10, Hello Atlas features children in their home countries doing ordinary things, providing a glimpse into the lives of kids all over the world and sharing more than 100 different languages.
Find it here: Hello Atlas ($17)
We hope this helps you find the perfect gift for the map-minded person on your list. Want even more ideas? Check out our 2017, 2016, and 2015 gift guides.
Happy shopping!
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