3 sources of gift inspiration pop culture fans will love: The Rabbit Hole
It’s The Rabbit Hole: Birthday Edition this week as Culturess celebrates turning one, and we’re offering birthday gift inspiration for the pop culture fangirl or fanboy in your life.
We hate to break it to you, but you missed Culturess’ birthday. I mean, you didn’t miss it, it’s today and we’re celebrating with a fresh new look and layout on our site and social media pages, but if you were planning on getting us a birthday present, you’re a little late. (Sidenote: We will still take it if you’ve got one.)
Luckily, you can learn from this experience and be more on top of it next time the pop culture-obsessed fangirl or fanboy in your life is in need of a birthday gift. For today’s Rabbit Hole Birthday Edition, here are three places to look for pop culture-centric birthday gift inspiration. Consider it our birthday gift to you.
Etsy fan art
Yes, online artisan marketplace Etsy is where you should look if you’re in search of bespoke mason jars for your sister’s wedding. It’s also an amazing resource when it comes to fan art. Where else can you find a 3-D printed replica of the Westworld maze for your boyfriend? Or a Golden Girls print for your college roommate? Or a Tupac wall clock for your boss? A lot of artists on the site will customize your piece and you can take a look at customer reviews to see what you’re really getting. Full disclosure: I used the site to get my mom a Justin Timberlake charm bracelet and she loved it.
Shark Tank
Four words: Step into the Tank. If you’re not already watching investment show Shark Tank on CNBC, you should probably do something about that, not only because it’s the perfect combination of creativity, competition, and the American Dream in action, but also because it can be a serious wellspring of ideas for good gifts. If you’re not familiar with the show, the idea is that inventors and small business owners present their product or service to a panel of big time investors and try to get a bite. As of last year, the Sharks—including Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, FUBU founder Daymond John, and QVC Queen Lori Grenier—had invested a total of $63 million into the projects they’d seen on the show. Even if the presenter doesn’t get a deal, the whole show is about cool products and good ideas. Google the brand and get shopping. If your cousin’s a Shark Tank super fan, or even if he’s not, he’s going to love his Squatty Potty, I swear.
Tim Federle’s books
Of course, if you’re throwing a birthday party for a pop culture fan and you need inspiration for going all out, check out Tim Federle’s books Tequila Mockingbird and Gone with the Gin, cocktail recipes with a literary and Hollywood twist, respectively. These collections are worth investing in for their pun game alone: drinks include A Sidecar Named Desire, Romeo and Julep, and The Last of the Mojitos, to name just a few. And if you don’t have time for a party, the birthday girl or boy would probably enjoy the books themselves, which are available where gift books are sold and online at places like Barnes and Noble and Amazon.
Next: 12 of pop culture’s best birthday moments
Congratulations, you’re about to become a gift-giving star. Try not forget about us next year and check back next week for more ways to further fuel your fandom.