Steampunk Gifts: Ideas at $25, $50, $100 and Up

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There is an art in giving to a steampunk, and it consists chiefly in knowing which sort one has: the reader, the maker, the wearer or the decorator. A gift that suits the maker (a bag of watch gears) may be wasted on the reader, who would prefer a journal. We therefore arrange the gifts below by budget, then by recipient. The reader who wishes first to learn the vocabulary will find it in what is steampunk; the person to whom the gift is going will, we trust, already know.

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The Outfitters' Catalogue

Everything named in this guide, by budget

AllThriftyMid-rangeHeirloom

Fig. 1Thrifty

Steampunk gear stickers

Waterproof gear stickers for a laptop, a journal or a water bottle.

See it

Fig. 2Thrifty

Antique-style brass gears

Loose gears for a maker's jewelry and craft work.

See it

Fig. 3Thrifty

Book nook kit

A build-it-yourself miniature alley that slides between two books.

See it

Fig. 4Mid-range

Quill pen and ink set

A feather pen, a dip pen, nibs and ink, for the correspondent.

See it

Fig. 5Mid-range

Leather journal with an embossed train

A bound journal for the traveler or the author.

See it

Fig. 6Mid-range

Pocket watch dice case

A gear-pattern case in the shape of a pocket watch, with dice inside.

See it

Fig. 7Heirloom

Brass sundial compass

A brass-and-copper compass and sundial in a case; the gift that stays on the desk.

See it

Fig. 8Heirloom

Iron pipe table lamp

A lamp built from iron pipe: furniture as well as a present.

See it

I.How to Read the Dollar Bands

The title names $25, $50 and $100. These are bands for arranging ideas, not claims about what any item costs. We give no Amazon or Etsy price anywhere on the Gazette, because such prices move from day to day and cannot be checked in advance of the reader’s purchase. Where we cite a dollar figure, we say whose it is.

The published roundups agree in outline. One, headed “October 2026” but bylined December 2025, calls items under $25 budget, those from about $25 to $100 mid-range, and puts elaborate collectibles at $300 or more. Another, similarly headed and bylined December 2025, gives under $10 for small accessories, $20 to $50 for the middle, and over $100 for premium collectibles. Both are retailer-linked lists and neither is a price survey. They are useful as an indication of what a given sum can reasonably be expected to buy, and as a reminder that the date in a title and the date of the article are not always the same.

II.Under About $25: Small Things, Well Chosen

At this level the aim is a pleasing object, not an impressive one. The roundups name three that deserve a place.

Gear stickers. The first roundup describes a set of 50 transparent, waterproof gear stickers; the second a set of 75 waterproof vinyl stickers for journals, water bottles and laptops, listed at $6.99. Steampunk gear stickers are the least expensive gesture in the guide, and a respectable one for a person who decorates laptops.

Loose gears. The first roundup lists about 200 grams of mixed metal gears in five finishes, meant mainly for crafts and jewelry. Antique-style brass gears are a gift for the maker and are wasted on anyone else; if the recipient has a workbench, they are an excellent choice. The guide to where to buy gears and watch parts explains what to look for, and which watches to leave alone.

A book nook kit. The same roundup describes a do-it-yourself kit of 409 wooden pieces with LED lights, finishing at about 7.1 by 10.4 inches. A book nook kit is a gift of an evening’s work, and thus of a pleasant kind. Other kits are compared in craft kits by skill level.

Other inexpensive notions: a set of gear earrings with an antique bronze finish appears in the second roundup, without a price; and the plain pleasure of a handwritten card, which costs nothing and which a steampunk is more likely than most to appreciate.

III.Around $50: The Middle Band

Here the gift can be something to use. The middle band is the busiest in the catalogue and, in our experience of reading such lists, the hardest in which to choose, since so much is on offer.

Writing. A quill pen and ink set is the roundup’s first entry: an 11-piece set with a feather pen, a wooden dip pen, eight nibs and ink. The leather journal with an embossed train is its companion, about 200 pages with a matching pen. Both suit a writer, a letter-writer or anyone who keeps a travel diary; the journal also suits the person who keeps a junk journal, for which see steampunk junk journals.

Games. A pocket watch dice case is a bronze gear-style case holding seven metal dice, with a pocket clip and necklace chain according to the first roundup; the second describes the same kind of thing, in a gift box. For the tabletop player it is an apt present. If the recipient plays but does not yet own the games, see steampunk board games and tabletop RPGs.

Jewelry and wearables. The second roundup lists a stainless steel pendant necklace with rotating gears that works as fidget jewelry. The longer guides are steampunk jewelry and steampunk accessories, the latter covering pocket watches, canes, gloves and cravats.

Figurines and small decor. The second roundup lists a handcrafted wooden sand timer with a Ferris wheel design, a five-inch mechanical-themed trinket box, a hand-painted resin cat figurine in a top hat and waistcoat, and a handmade metal motorcycle figurine, listed at $52.95. Such things are matters of taste; a person who collects cats will welcome the cat. For the creature that has become a steampunk mascot, see octopus and kraken gifts.

IV.$100 and Up: Gifts That Stay

At this level one is buying something to be kept. The second roundup puts premium collectibles above $100, and the first puts the elaborate ones at $300 or more.

A brass sundial compass. The first roundup describes a brass-and-copper device that serves as both sundial and compass, in a leather case. The roundup gives no price for this piece, and we do not guess at one; we class it as an heirloom for its materials, and it sits well upon a desk or a shelf.

A lamp. An iron pipe table lamp, which the second roundup describes as made from industrial iron water pipe, serves as furniture as well as gift. The first lists a metal robot table lamp with adjustable arms. Whatever the lamp, we advise buying a finished one rather than assembling a gift from parts, unless the recipient is a maker; the longer guide is steampunk lamps.

A clock. For the person with a wall to fill, see steampunk wall clocks at three budgets.

Something to wear. A good coat or a corset is a considerable gift and a risky one, since fit is personal. The wise giver buys a gift card or consults the recipient’s wish list; the clothing guide is steampunk clothing.

V.Three Parcels, Ready to Assemble

A single object is a gift; two or three of a kind are a parcel, and the parcel makes the lesser objects look intended. The following combinations draw only on items named above, and the bands are ours, offered as a way of reckoning, not as quotations of price.

The principle behind the table is that a theme costs nothing. A modest object, chosen to match another, looks more considered than an expensive object chosen alone. The reader is also free to mix bands: a journal from the middle band with a sheet of stickers from the lowest is a perfectly good present for a niece.

VI.Choosing for Each Sort of Steampunk

The fandom contains several temperaments, and a present that suits one may baffle another. We offer a short guide to telling them apart.

• The wearer dresses for conventions and cares about the outfit. Give an accessory, not a garment: gloves, a cravat, a pocket watch, a piece of jewelry. See steampunk accessories and steampunk jewelry.
• The maker builds props and costumes, and is best served by materials: gears, paints, fittings. The maker will always prefer a bag of parts to a finished object, since the finished object has been done already.
• The reader is the easiest of all, because the reading list is long. The books are collected in the steampunk reading list and steampunk books, films and games.
• The decorator wants a thing for a shelf or wall, and will notice at once if the gift does not match the room. When in doubt, a map or a clock is rarely wrong.
• The curious beginner has not yet decided, and is best given a book, a kit or an outing. A first convention is a better gift than a first costume, since it lets the recipient decide.

VII.A Word on Presentation

A steampunk gift is improved by wrapping in the manner of the age: brown paper, string, a paper tag, a wax seal if one has the patience. The effect is cheap and unfailing. A card in a good hand, with a line about why the object was chosen, will be kept when the object has been forgotten. We confess that this is advice any periodical of the 1890s might have given, and it has not dated.

VIII.When Not to Buy

Several things are better left alone. A gift that is plainly a novelty, a gear glued to something ordinary, will be taken as a joke by the knowledgeable recipient; the quarrel over such objects is described in what makes a costume or object steampunk. A gift that must be assembled, wired or fitted should go to a person who has said they enjoy such work. And a gift that depends on the date of an article, an event or a sale should be bought with the date in view. Convention listings in particular change, and the safe course is to consult steampunk conventions and festivals, which states when each was checked.

A practical note on timing closes the matter. We have found no dated sales data for steampunk gifts in particular, and so offer no calendar of when to buy; the general rule that handmade work takes longer than stock from a warehouse is enough. The giver who is unsure should ask a friend of the recipient what is already owned, or choose something consumable or consultable: a book, a kit, a ticket. These carry no risk of duplication, and none of the embarrassment of the wrong size.

IX.By the Recipient

• For him: see steampunk gifts for him.
• For her: see steampunk gifts for her.
• For the reader or viewer: see gifts for a steampunk reader or viewer, and the reading list in the steampunk reading list.
• For the maker: loose gears, a leather kit, a set of files; the guides to steampunk DIY and craft kits will show what is in use.
• For the decorator: a lamp, a clock, a map; see steampunk decor.
• For the puzzle-lover: steampunk puzzles.
• For the child or teenager: a book or a kit; ask a parent first.

X.By the Occasion

The National Retail Federation projected Father’s Day 2025 spending at a record $24 billion, or $199.38 per person, with greeting cards (58 percent), clothing (55 percent), a special outing (53 percent) and gift cards (50 percent) leading the planned gifts. The figures are a forecast of general spending, not of steampunk purchases, and we cite them only to show how much of ordinary gift-giving is cards, clothes and outings. An outing is an idea worth borrowing: a steampunk convention ticket or a museum visit is a gift of a different order. The guide to steampunk conventions and festivals lists the ones still running and those that ended.

For birthdays and the winter holidays the advice is the same. Choose early, since handmade pieces are made to order and take time, and make some inquiry of the recipient’s collection, since a person who already owns three pocket watches does not require a fourth.

XI.Where to Shop

The second roundup names Etsy for handmade and custom pieces from independent artists, Amazon for mass-produced steampunk items, Gothic Gifts and FairyGlen as specialty stores, and renaissance faires and the Asylum Steampunk Festival as places where artisan pieces appear in person. We have not verified each of these shops ourselves. The catalogue above links to searches at Amazon, and the guides in this section note where makers’ own shops are the better course. Some of the links earn the Gazette a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to the reader.

XII.Gifts to Make

A handmade gift needs no great skill. The second roundup advises starting with a base item, such as jewelry or furniture, and adding gears, watch parts, brass fittings or leather, with distressing, epoxy resin and metallic paints as the usual methods. We would add that the simpler the project, the better the result: a pair of earrings, a decorated box, a framed print. The projects are graded in steampunk DIY, and the supplies in where to buy gears and watch parts.

XIII.A Few Cautions

• Costumes are not gifts for everyone. Goggles, hats and plague doctor masks appear in the roundups, and each is a matter of taste. Ask first, or choose a gift that can be exchanged.
• Electrical gifts. A lamp should come complete, with its cord and socket, from a seller who describes it plainly.
• Watches. Not every old watch is suitable for craft work; see the gears guide before giving a genuine timepiece to a maker.
• Dates. Read the date of any gift guide, ours included. As we noted above, the title of an article is not a safe guide to when it was written.

XIV.Guides in This Section

• Steampunk gifts for him
• Steampunk gifts for her
• Gifts for a steampunk reader or viewer
• Octopus and kraken gifts with a steampunk twist

XV.Frequently Asked Questions

What are good steampunk gifts?

Gifts that join Victorian styling with gears, clockwork and brass: gear jewelry, pocket watches, journals, figurines, and industrial lamps. Stickers, loose gears and craft kits suit small budgets.

How much do steampunk gifts cost?

The roundups we read give under $10 for small accessories and $20 to $50 or $25 to $100 for the middle band, with premium collectibles at over $100, or $300 and more for elaborate ones. These are general estimates; prices vary by seller.

What is a good steampunk gift under $25?

Stickers, loose gears for crafts, or a book nook kit. The kit is the most substantial of the three.

Where can I buy steampunk gifts?

Etsy for handmade pieces, Amazon for mass-produced items, specialty shops such as Gothic Gifts and FairyGlen, and faires and festivals.

What do steampunk fans like?

According to one roundup, authentic materials, mechanical detail, craftsmanship, and themes of aviation, exploration, mad science and Victorian society. The safe present is one that shows a mechanism or a map.

Can I make a steampunk gift?

Yes. Start with a base item and add gears, watch parts, brass fittings or leather; the projects are graded in steampunk DIY.

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