Gifts for Grandma: Decor That Comes Alive

Gift ideas for grandma, by what she enjoys

She loves a soft glow

A stone lamp is a mood light: in the evening, it gives the living room a warm glow. The Large Himalayan Salt Lamp ($179.99) stands 10 to 12 inches tall and weighs 17.5 to 22 pounds, so it stays put on a sturdy piece of furniture. More compact, the Amethyst Lamp ($95.99) is made of amethyst and ABS, and the Selenite Lamp ($109.99) sets selenite on wood. Both plug in by USB, which makes them easy to move from the sideboard to the nightstand.

She watches the weather

In the Cube Weather Glass (from $39.99), fine crystals rearrange themselves inside a glass cube from one day to the next. They are often linked to the weather, but the room temperature does most of the shaping. The Diamond Storm Glass Barometer ($29.99) uses the same principle in a diamond-shaped glass on a wooden base, and the Goethe Barometer ($29.99), a glass bottle with a thin spout, responds to changes in air pressure through its water level.

She loves stones and crystals

Minerals appeal for their natural colors, and no two pieces look alike. The Amethyst Geode (from $59.99) is lined with purple crystals and comes in three weights, from a desk-size piece to a real centerpiece. The Blue Kyanite Crystal ($44.99) fans out in blue blades, like a peacock feather. To bring stone and light together, the Pink Himalayan Rock Salt Lamp ($49.99) gives off a warm amber glow from a block of pink salt.

She loves hourglasses

An hourglass is flipped with one hand, then the sand runs for a set time. The Rotating Hourglass (from $74.99), circled with gilded rings, swivels in its frame to start its white sand again. The Marine Hourglass (from $76.99) pivots between copper-colored brackets, like the sand glasses once used at sea. For the same shelf, the Magnetic Perpetual Calendar ($38.99) is updated each day by sliding three magnetic balls, year after year.

She loves things that move

A moving object catches the eye as soon as you walk into the room. The Solar Radiometer ($49.99), perched on a tall glass stem, spins with no battery on a sunny windowsill: the stronger the light, the faster it turns. The Orbital Solar System Desk Toy ($53.99) needs just one push to set its gold and green spheres circling, and the Swinging Balls Design ($24.99) keeps five balls clacking in a compact retro frame.

How much to spend on grandma gifts

Mother's Day gifts for grandma

Mother's Day belongs to grandmothers too, and a gift that changes with the seasons suits the occasion. These objects never stay frozen: crystals shift, the balls of a thermometer rise and fall, sand runs and starts again, and a salt stone turns amber the moment it is switched on. Set near a window or on a dresser, some follow the daylight, others the temperature of the room, so her living room looks a little different from one month to the next. Choose by the spot where it will sit rather than by the science behind it. For grandpa, see our ideas for him, or browse our gift boxes.