It’s the 2025 Maker Shed Gift Guide!

Ideally, all your gifts are handmade, complete, and ready to give away for the holidays. But back in this world, help is usually appreciated, which is where Maker Shed steps in. There’s so many gifts for the makers in your life in the shed, narrowing down just the right one is tricky. So we’ve picked our favorites to help ensure you’ll find something great. Here, in no order, are our staff picks for 2025.

Make: Very Useful Monsters Robotic Workshop Kit

What better way to get your kids engaged in robotics and electronics than with creating their own cute monsters?? Sold! – Juliann Brown

I love this kit! It’s such a fun and easy way for kids to explore coding and robotics. I had a great time putting it together and driving it around the house, though my dog was a little suspicious of our new robot friend! – Jamie Agius

Maker Faire Hoodie

I love my Maker Faire sweatshirt! It’s soft, cozy, and perfect for cool mornings on the road. It always sparks conversation wherever I wear it. – Kelly Marshall

The material of this hoodie is amazing. Just the right material to not be too hot but still warm enough! – Cathy Shanahan

The EMF Explorer Kit

The EMF Explorer kit is an excellent way to learn to solder, as well as discover the fascinating world of hidden electromagnetic frequencies that surrounds us every day! – David Groom

Makedo Kits

I used the Makedo kits at a summer Maker Camp. It was great for young kids, allowing them to cut cardboard safely and attach different pieces of cardboard to each other. I also saw them used in a group activity at Maker Faire Lille as well as Maker Faire Bay Area. These are great tools for simple, open-ended creation. – Dale Dougherty

Computer Engineering for BIG Babies

I backed the kickstarter for this sequel. The premise is wonderful (teach computer engineering to babies!?) and the execution is stellar. The description’s right about it being short, but I’m impressed at how much fun this board book is. – Sam Freeman

Chompsaw

Cardboard is a super useful material and there is just so much of it around! But getting it into the right shape for home and kid projects isn’t easy. The Chompsaw turns a fight with dull scissors and the hazard of boxcutters into a satisfying part of the making process. Five stars for the Chompsaw for kids and adults alike. – Jennifer Blakeslee

Big hit with kids, helps them unlock their imagination and think about bigger projects. – Rio, Roth-Barreiro

My nieces and nephews love it! – Gillian Mutti

I think this is a great product that makes making more accessible to everyone. It is a fun product and a great idea. – Siana Alcorn

Boxytone Synth Kit

I like Wikipedia deep dives and guiltily laughing at Always Sunny as much as the next person, but sometimes I really want to DO something. Enter the Boxytone Synth Kit, a wacky musical instrument that you actually build yourself! It’s a do-able project that’ll leave you with a sense of satisfaction, and then provides hours and hours of fun foolin’ around. (And don’t forget to add a book or three to your order, to keep the lights on in the Books Department. We’ve got some cool stuff coming in 2026!) – Kevin Toyama

Compressed Air Rocket Launcher v3.0

This rocket launcher has thrilled kids and grownups for decades now, but Rick and Keith haven’t coasted – they have continually innovated and upgraded this kit to make it stronger, super reliable, and even suitable for replicable experiments with a protractor to measure launch angle and an optional pressure gauge, so you can test your different rocket designs under the exact same conditions. What began as a PVC-and-plywood project in Make: magazine now features a solid steel air pressure-rated chamber and durable plastic frame that will last for years. Awesome kit. – Keith Hammond

Make: Electronics Super Bundle – Print

This is a complete set of Electronics encyclopedias and electronics books. They are a best seller in the shed! – Phil Muelrath

Maker Faire Hat

My husband wears his all the time. It’s a great-fitting, good-looking hat, and he loves repping Make: wherever he goes! – Jamie Agius

I’m getting the Robotic Arms kit for my son for Christmas and the Makey baseball hat for my self. – Todd Sotkiewicz

Make: Complete Magazine eCollection 1 thru 94 – PDF

20 years of Make: right at your digital finger tips. No slogging through eBay for early issues. No hunting through boxes that never got unpacked from the last move. It’s all just here. A timed cat feeder repurposed from an old VCR. A mini motorbike powered by portable handheld drills. The first mentions of maker mainstays like Arduino and Raspberry Pi and 3D printing.

A lot changes in 20 years. The parts might be out of stock, the tech might be out of date, but the ideas in these pages are forever inspiring.” – Craig Couden

The Krampus Counted Cross Stitch DIY Kit

Just one of the fantastic cross stitch kits in the shed, this is the holiday gift I didn’t know I needed. – Sam Freeman