30 unique and unexpected gifts from UncommonGoods they haven't seen before

Connie Chen,Connie ChenAug 28, 2019, 20:19 IST

We highly recommend shopping UncommonGoods for any gifting occasion.
Its unique products are made by independent makers from around the world, saving you from generic and unmemorable gifts.
UncommonGoods is one of the few places we know we'll always find something cool for our loved ones, whether they're hungry home cooks, die-hard sports fans, or classic old souls.

Shopping is time-consuming and stressful, so it's no wonder many of us often default to buying generic, unmemorable gifts just to get the whole process over with. We've all been guilty of it, and part of the reason is the lack of unique options that live in one, easily shoppable place.

UncommonGoods, an online shop inspired by the founder's experiences roaming craft fairs and trade shows, highlights the best of independent makers from around the world. Selling thousands of unique products, it's one of the few places we know we'll always find something cool for our loved ones, whether they're hungry home cooks, die-hard sports fans, or classic old souls.

If you see a lot of gifts from the site that you like, or you think you'll shop UncommonGoods beyond the holidays for other gifting occasions, sign up for its Uncommon Perks shipping program. Shipping prices ordinarily start at $4.95 and depend on your order value and desired shipping speed, but this $14.90 annual membership will get you free standard shipping on all US orders, regardless of order value.

Before you dive into the treasure trove that is UncommonGoods, check out our 30 top picks from the site:

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Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.

See 30 unique and unexpected gifts from UncommonGoods they haven't seen before >>

A beautiful and unconventional puzzle

Geode Puzzle, $65, available at UncommonGoods

If regular puzzles just aren't challenging enough for them, these nature-inspired ones exercise their brain in new and exciting ways.

A pair of lamps made for long-distance relationships

Long Distance Friendship Lamp, $85-$170, available at UncommonGoods

Everyone is busy these days, and it's not as easy to keep up with loved ones as we all wish. A set of paired lamps, one of which lights up when the other is touched, lets them know you're still thinking of them even when you don't have time to talk. Our editor uses them to keep in touch with her parents.

A cheese board shaped like their home state

USA and State Serving Board, $48, available at UncommonGoods

State pride and an excellent cheese and charcuterie spread go hand in hand with these beautiful bamboo boards.

A mini flip-cup setup you can bring anywhere

Mini Flip Cup Game, $40, available at UncommonGoods

Containing 20 mini cups, a game board, mesh bag, and eight flippers, this game should delight any overly competitive guest who always wants to play party games.

A creative lamp that takes advantage of magnetic attraction

Wood Magnetic Balance Lamp, $85, available at UncommonGoods

They won't find a standard switch on this lamp. Instead, lift the bottom sphere to its partner to create light, and lower it to turn it off.

Soap that looks like gemstones

Birthstone Mineral Soaps, $20, available at UncommonGoods

They almost won't want to use these pretty soaps that look like birthstones. The handcrafted soaps are made with safe, vegetable-based dyes and vitamin E oil.

A personalized print to commemorate a couple's first dance

Wedding Waltz Personalized Art, $300-$500, available at UncommonGoods

Aside from playing the song over and over, another way to remember their first dance is with a sophisticated, classic print that incorporates personal details like location and dates.

A game that lets you write the captions to New Yorker cartoons

New Yorker Caption Card Game, $30, available at UncommonGoods

The New Yorker's cartoons are iconic, but if you've ever felt like you could write a better caption, now's your chance. Like in the game Apples to Apples, one person will be the judge and decide which caption is the funniest (or worst).

A hot-sauce making kit

Make Your Own Hot Sauce Kit, $35, available at UncommonGoods

It's easier than they think to make their own hot sauce. All the appropriate ingredients and equipment set them on the path towards artisanal condiment greatness.

Cufflinks made from subway tokens

Subway Token Cufflinks, $170, available at UncommonGoods

Though subway systems often disappoint riders with their poor infrastructure and frequent delays, they'll still love the nostalgia of these old-school tokens-turned cufflinks. Styles include New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, and Chicago.

Earrings made out of vintage dimes

Vintage Mercury Dimes Earrings, $39.99, available at UncommonGoods

These cool earrings celebrating freedom and liberty are carved out from real Liberty dimes minted between 1916 and 1945.

A kit that turns your favorite fruit into a working keg

Fruit Keg Tapping Kit, $22, available at UncommonGoods

My research shows beverages that come out of a real fruit taste ten times better than those that do not.

A wine rack made from a reclaimed ski

Snow Ski Wine Rack, $58, available at UncommonGoods

The perfect addition to their winter cabin, this wine rack gives old skis a second life. Since different skis are used for each product, your gift will be truly unique.

A way to make fresh butter

Butter Churner, $39, available at UncommonGoods

A dab of fresh butter made with this quaint contraption brings their pancakes or toast to the next level.

A jar that looks deceivingly similar to a plastic bag

Unzipped Glass Zipper Bag, $17, available at UncommonGoods

Only upon closer inspection do they realize that this ordinary bag is in fact made from glass, not plastic.

A chess set for anyone who loves New York

NYC Skyline Chess, $120, available at UncommonGoods

All the NYC buildings they love, from the instantly recognizable like One World Trade and the Empire State Building to the brownstones they walk by every day, make up this novelty chess set.

A Bluetooth speaker that bridges old and new listening habits

Vintage Vinyl Bluetooth Speaker, $225-$275, available at UncommonGoods

This speaker marks the intersection of analog style and modern sound. You can request a specific album, create your own album artwork, and create a custom label for the vinyl record design.

Socks that look like burritos when rolled up

Burrito Socks, $15.50, available at UncommonGoods

They'll instantly pick out this burrito style from their drawer of socks in the morning. Even unrolled, they're unique and interesting.

A case that sanitizes dirty phones

PhoneSoap Smartphone Sanitizer, $59.95, available at UncommonGoods

Most of us carry our phones with us everywhere — and we mean, everywhere. PhoneSoap kills 99.9% of common household germs, including bacteria that leads to E.Coli, Salmonella, Staph, Flu, and the common cold. Germaphobes will love knowing that their phones are squeaky clean.

A Pantone chip ottoman for artists and designers

Pantone Storage Stool, $80, available at UncommonGoods

This storage stool lets them appreciate the iconic Pantone system and adds a pop of color to their living room or bedroom.

Soothing eye stones made from Finnish bedrock

Orbits Eye Stones, $20, available at UncommonGoods

Don't bother with an overpriced spa. When they're feeling stressed or suffering from puffy eyes, they can bring out these cooling stones at home.

A build-it-yourself light sculpture

Sound-Activated Light Blocks (240-piece), $100, available at UncommonGoods

There are no guides to this set of light-up, sound-activated play blocks. Be prepared for the room to light up with creativity.

A build-it-yourself light sculpture

Sound-Activated Light Blocks (240-piece), $100, available at UncommonGoods

There are no guides to this set of light-up, sound-activated play blocks. Be prepared for the room to light up with creativity.

Quarter guitar picks

Custom Repurposed Quarter Guitar Picks, $30, available at UncommonGoods

Coin guitar picks not only look cool but they also change the feel and sound of the music-playing experience. For this gift, you can choose one commemorative state quarter and one quarter minted during your choice of year.

Fleece fortune cookies that are actually baby booties

Baby Fortune Cookie Booties, $29, available at UncommonGoods

These creative, handmade fleece booties couldn't be more adorable. Each curls into a fortune cookie when not in use and comes with its own fortune slip.

A zodiac-inspired vase topper

Zodiac Constellation Vase Topper, $20, available at UncommonGoods

This personalized gift is useful, too. You can create a unique flower arrangement by placing stems in the perforated pattern. The brass topper develops an eye-catching patina over time.

A working boxing bell

Classic Boxing Bell, $80, available at UncommonGoods

It's not difficult to catch someone's attention with a ring of this boxing bell. Mount it to the wall and they'll be able to signal any important event.

A card game for lovers of Shakespeare

Bards Dispense Profanity Game, $25, available at UncommonGoods

It's like Cards Against Humanity, but for English nerds. There are 375 response cards that quote word-for-word from the works of William Shakespeare.

A bike-chain bottle opener

Bike Chain Bottle Opener, $10, available at UncommonGoods

A group of artisans in Oregon scour bike shops across the country to find used bicycle parts and give them a new life. The ones they can save are donated to a local non-profit group that teaches bicycle repair to children, but the ones they can't are turned into cool accessories, like this bottle opener.

A watch that runs on regular tap water

Revolutionary H2O Powered Watches, $40, available at UncommonGoods

Fill the backs of these watches with water and they become fully functioning time tellers.

Delicious lollipops that can then be grown into herbs or flowers

Blooming Lollipops, $20, available at UncommonGoods

After consuming one of these eight delicious lollipops (flavors include lavender-lemongrass, strawberry-basil, and peach-marigold), you can then plant the stick to grow the lollipop's ingredient.

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30 unique and unexpected gifts from UncommonGoods they haven't seen before

Before you dive into the treasure trove that is UncommonGoods, check out our 30 top picks from the site:

A beautiful and unconventional puzzle

A pair of lamps made for long-distance relationships

A cheese board shaped like their home state

A mini flip-cup setup you can bring anywhere

A creative lamp that takes advantage of magnetic attraction

Soap that looks like gemstones

A personalized print to commemorate a couple's first dance

A game that lets you write the captions to New Yorker cartoons

A hot-sauce making kit

Cufflinks made from subway tokens

Earrings made out of vintage dimes

A kit that turns your favorite fruit into a working keg

A wine rack made from a reclaimed ski

A way to make fresh butter

A jar that looks deceivingly similar to a plastic bag

A chess set for anyone who loves New York

A Bluetooth speaker that bridges old and new listening habits

Socks that look like burritos when rolled up

A case that sanitizes dirty phones

A Pantone chip ottoman for artists and designers

Soothing eye stones made from Finnish bedrock

A build-it-yourself light sculpture

A build-it-yourself light sculpture

Quarter guitar picks

Fleece fortune cookies that are actually baby booties

A zodiac-inspired vase topper

A working boxing bell

A card game for lovers of Shakespeare

A bike-chain bottle opener

A watch that runs on regular tap water

Delicious lollipops that can then be grown into herbs or flowers