A roundup of the tools we love and the perfect creative gifts for the holiday season
It’s that time of year when everyone’s searching for something thoughtful to give and something comforting to receive. At Cactus Cancer Society, we believe creativity is for everyone and that you don’t need to be a professional artist to explore your creativity. Our community shows us every day that art, writing, building, and playful exploration can anchor us through uncertainty and spark connection, courage, and joy.
So we pulled together a list of our most loved creative supplies, including the tools you see in our programs all the time. They make wonderful gifts for friends, partners, caregivers, favorite humans, and absolutely yourself. When you use our affiliate links, you help support our free creative arts programs for young adults facing cancer. Thank you for fueling this vibrant, creative, resilient community.
365 Art Prompt Books
If you’ve ever joined our Creative Arts Book Club, you already know these books are the quiet heroes of the group. Each one is packed with simple prompts that help you warm up your creativity, loosen your grip on perfectionism, and make something that feels like you. We love them because they meet you exactly where you are. Tired. Busy. Inspired. Stressed. Doesn’t matter. There is always a prompt that fits your energy with plenty of pages to explore all year long. Cactus tip: Try opening the book to a random page instead of starting at the beginning. It removes the pressure to be perfect and turns the whole thing into a creativity roulette wheel.
Grab the book using our link and follow along with us all year long.
Are you a YA cancer patient/survivor/caregiver and want to join us for our next four-week Creative Arts Book Club? Head to our sign-ups to see what’s in store and snag your very own set, free.
No Bleed Sharpie Markers
These bold beauties show up in almost every workshop. They glide like a dream, layer well, and genuinely don’t bleed through your pages. Perfect for journaling, doodling, coloring, or adding some color to your pages. We reach for them because they make creativity easy. No stress. No mess. Bold colors. Just smooth lines and good vibes. Cactus tip: Store them tip-side down. It keeps the ink juicy so your lines stay bold, smooth, and drama-free.
Snag a set here and bring them to your next CCS program.
Want to join one of our drop-ins? They are the perfect place to put these to the test! Head to our upcoming program page to learn when our next drop-in takes place.
Miniature Bookshelves
These were the stars of our September Art Workshop, and they live rent-free in our hearts. We created custom miniature bookshelves complete with books, plants, and even a sassy kitty. Building tiny shelves and decorating them with tiny art is basically a warm hug in craft form, and it lit up the inner bookish nerd in all of us! They’re perfect for folks who want something creative but gentle, though be aware that this activity does require a fair amount of dexterity. Cactus tip: Use a tiny dab of hot glue to secure your mini art pieces so they don’t tumble out when you pick up your tiny masterpiece to show it off to literally everyone you know.
Find the miniature bookshelves here and recreate the magic at home.
Watercolor Paper
If you’ve joined our Art workshops or even our drop-ins, you know we’re picky about our watercolor paper. A good watercolor paper makes watercolors bloom instead of crumble. This one holds up beautifully for washes, doodles, lettering, and collage backgrounds. We love it because it gives everyone a solid foundation to play with, even if you’re totally new to watercolors. Cactus tip: Lightly mist the page before painting for softer blends and dreamy backgrounds. It’s the easiest way to fake watercolor confidence.
Here’s the link to our favorite pack.
Mod Podge Animals
Our June Art Workshop was basically a zoo of creativity, and Mod Podge animals were the star attraction. These little figurines are perfect for decoupage, painting, and mixed media. They’re fun, forgiving, and surprisingly meaningful once you personalize them. We love them because they give people a playful way to express stories and emotions without needing any art experience at all. It’s tactile, fun to play with, and lets you create something primal and fun!
Grab your Mod Podge critter here and get ready for some creative chaos.
The Cat Who Taught Zen
This was the heart of our very first four-week journaling program with Jean Rowe, LCSW, CJT. It’s gentle, wise, and full of reflections that help you slow down, breathe, and notice your inner world in new ways. We love recommending this book because it pairs so well with our journaling style, especially if you enjoy mindfulness and metaphors.
Use our link to get your copy and revisit the prompts anytime you need a little grounding.
Interested in some of our journaling programs? Check out our line-up here!
Anthology
You know this one because it’s ours. Anthology is our annual community publication filled with art, writing, and stories from young adults facing cancer. It brings together resilience, grief, joy, identity, and hope in ways that feel both intimate and collective. Purchasing Anthology directly supports CCS and helps us continue offering free programming year-round to young adults navigating cancer.
Order your copy right here and celebrate the creativity of our community.
Crayola Air Dry Clay
The silent MVP of both our Ghosties Workshop and our Bookshelf Art Workshop. Air-dry clay is accessible, tactile, comforting, and fun for folks of all skill levels. You can sculpt, carve, decorate, smudge, or start over from scratch without stress. We love this brand because it dries beautifully, holds detail, and doesn’t crumble into sadness dust. Pro tip: add a little Sharpie ink, knead it in, and watch the clay transform into a custom color you can’t get anywhere else. Cactus tip: Add a few drops of water while kneading if it feels stiff. Also, try rolling it out on wax paper so nothing sticks and you maintain maximum ghostie potential.
Pick up a tub using our link and get ready to make your own tiny masterpieces.
Staff Pick: Journal for Sketchy Biz
Recommended by our Chief Program Officer and co-founder, Aerial Donovan. This journal is perfect for anyone who loves a cozy place to collect their art, writing, and wandering thoughts. It invites doodling, creative mess-making, and gentle reflection. It’s great for warming up before a workshop or grounding down after a long day. We love it because it feels like a companion that whispers You’re creative enough. Just start.
Aerial uses this journal every week during Sketchy Business, our relaxed drop-in drawing session, and it’s also a great fit for Inner Canvas, our monthly mixed media creative workshop launching in January. If you’ve been wanting a space to keep all your CCS creations together, this is the one.
Grab the journal here and bring it to your next Inner Canvas or Sketchy Business session.
Botanical LEGO Sets
If you’ve attended our Builders Workshops, you already know how therapeutic these sets are. They’re soothing, playful, and wonderfully absorbing. There’s something healing about snapping pieces together and watching a plant bloom under your hands. We love how these sets let folks take a break from heavy topics and reconnect with curiosity and calm.
Use our link to pick up the Botanical LEGO set for your next creative night in.
Thanks For Supporting Our Community
Every purchase using our affiliate links helps keep Cactus Cancer Society workshops free for young adults facing cancer. Your support fuels programs like Inner Canvas, Creative Arts Book Club, Builders Workshops, journaling series, and so much more.
If you try any of these supplies, bring them to a workshop and show them off. We love seeing what you make.
Want to join us?
Visit cactuscancer.org/programs to explore everything coming up next.
