Dinosaur poop necklaces to pun-tastic postcards: 19 Canadian gift ideas for the sciart aficionado

‘Tis the season for gift-giving, and what better way to make your science-obsessed loved ones happy than with unique, Canadian-made geekery? This is the first annual Science Borealis gift guide for science art to feed your soul.

 

For the chemist, a planter with a twist gives succulents a scientific home. The brainchild of Alexander McLachlin of Toronto, these fun planters bring the irresistible aesthetics of the lab bench into interior design. Get yours from NightshadeGlass, and grow a little chemistry of your own.

 

There’s no better way to say “Happy Holidays” than with a beautifully polished fossilized dinosaur poop necklace. Paleontologists and dinosaur fans will love Albertan CindyLouWho2’s genuine coprolite jewellery.

 

Pin down some microbiological stocking stuffers with Nicole Edmond’s handmade buttons. Choose from diatoms, spirogyra, amoebas, and more! Nicole is a Calgary-based printmaker inspired by microscopic eukaryotes and parasites (but who isn’t, right?).

 

Vancouver science illustrator Jen Burgess has a freshly-opened shop where you can buy beautiful prints of her original artwork, like this stunningly detailed Scrub Jay nest.

 

Why settle for the same, dull holiday cards when you can embrace geektastic punnery? Carrie Martin of Blue Specs Studio in Guelph has a series of anatomical greeting cards to tickle your funny bone.

 

Montreal artist Bettina Forget creates out-of-this-world artwork that will delight the space nerd in your life. She’s got astronomy enthusiasts covered with her print series of moon craters named for famous women of science.

 

Molecule mavens will be mad for Toronto’s Slashpile Designs molecular jewellery. From the subtle (H2O) to the sublime (theobromine and resveratrol, anyone?), these elegant pieces are ready for the classroom or a night on the town.

 

Southern Ontario-based scientific illustrator Emily Damstra creates flawlessly accurate drawings of plants and animals that will delight any ecologist, and complement a nature-inspired decor. Prints are available in a variety of styles and sizes.

 

Lab microbiologists will adore these fun and funky faux streak plates from Waterloo-area microbiologists Micrelle. Pick your agar type and bacterial species, and they’ll make your very own study organism into a keychain or magnet – no biosafety certificate required!

 

Toronto artist Glendon Mellow brings metaphor into the mix with his science-inspired artwork. He’s famous for his fancifully winged trilobites, but we love this wearable portrait of Darwin.

 

Kids and adults alike will love Ele Willoughby’s squishy dinosaur plushies. Hand-printed and crafted in Toronto, each of these sweet little dinos is unique and thoroughly huggable.

 

Ever reneged on a promise to give someone the moon? Now you can make good! Eryn Driscoll from Calgary offers sparkling, vibrant planets and dusky moons for every wardrobe.

 

Kate McCurrach is an all-purpose science artist from Kamloops with a dizzying array of fun stocking stuffers for microbiologists, chemists, and dinosaur fans.

 

For the queer science art connoisseur, Ontario’s Hannah Brazeau has created a fabulous line of #scipride designs. Satisfying every branch of scientific nerd-dom, her illustrations range from microbiology to ecology to neuroscience.

 

Cell biologists and microbiologists with a fashionable flair will love Science Borealis’ own Peggy Muddles’ ceramic jewellery, featuring microbes, parasites, and cell organelles.

 

If complex chemical structures are more to your taste, Rovena Tey of TheChemistTree in Toronto offers hand-drawn and often pun-packed cards, posters and more. We love this cake recipe poster!

 

Hiné Mizushima creates fantastical wool felt creatures in her Vancouver studio, as well as collage and illustration inspired by the natural world. Her unique felted wool creations sell out fast, but prints are always available!

 

Science Borealis’ resident cartoonist Raymond Nakamura of Vancouver has a newly-opened shop featuring his clever science-themed comics on mugs, tees, totes, and more.

 

Toronto’s Beautiful Biology educates and delights with child-friendly nesting dolls featuring bacteria, cell organelles, food chains, and simple representations of biological processes.

 

Want to support science communication with your gift? Pick your favourite inspirational quote from the 100 Reflections for Canadian Science Communication while supporting Science Borealis’s operating expenses by picking up a gift from our store.

 

These are just a few of the many amazing designs by science artists in Canada. Do you have a favourite we missed? Tell us your favourite science art gift ideas in the comments, or make suggestions on Twitter with the hashtag #CanSciGift.

Art not quite what you’re looking for? Stay tuned for the next in our gift guide series, books!