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

Share this:

‘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.

Flask Planter by NightshadeGlass

 

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.

Coprolite necklace by Cindy Lou Who

 

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?).

Microbe pinback buttons by Nicole Edmond

 

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.

Scrub Jay nest print by Jen Burgess

 

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.

Punny anatomy gift card by Blue Specs Studio

 

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.

Resnik crater print by Bettina Forget

 

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.

H2O necklace by Slashpile Designs

 

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.

Stem galls on late goldenrod by Emily Damstra

 

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!

Bacto Buddies by Micrelle

 

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.

Darwin Took Steps tee by Glendon Mellow

 

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.

Dino plush by Ele Willoughby

 

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.

Astronomy necklace by Eryn Driscoll

 

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

Famous scientists magnet set by Kate McCurrach

 

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.

SciPride neuron mug by Hannah Brazeau

 

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

Anaplasma phagocytophilum by Peggy Muddles

 

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!

Cake chemistry poster by Rovena Tey

 

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!

Anatomical Female B

 

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.

Special Relativity tote by Raymond Nakamura

 

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

Black Bear nesting toy by Beautiful Biology

 

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.

Science Borealis gear

 

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!

 

Share this:

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

Comments are closed.