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As part of our look at real-world art education, we spoke with Karen Stults, director of the Office of Community Engagement at MICA.

It's the season to gather - for dinner parties and holiday-sweater soirees, cookie-baking marathons and weekends with family. And then there's New Year's Eve lurking around the corner. No matter where you go this month, chances are good you'll want to bring a token of appreciation, especially for an overnight or extended stay. But how many bottles of wine can one host drink? Don't answer that question.

As the American Craft editor with the best beard, it falls on my broad, hairy shoulders to highlight some of the best handmade gift ideas for men, or as I like to call them: man gifts.

Man gifts are tough. Even just last week, at Thanksgiving, my mother kept inquiring as to what I wanted for Christmas, and nothing came to mind – a problem, it seems, that plagues even the manliest of men.

One of my favorite hostesses, a fine-art photographer, has a wildly eclectic mix of goblets, flutes, martini, and other glasses, and if you party at her house, you get to choose your glass from among an amazing array. If nothing else, you'll break the ice by talking to other guests about their choices.