Ideas for · 2 min read · updated

Gifts for your roommate

You know exactly what they did with the last of the oat milk. Now you can have it framed.

The short answer

Put them on trial: a framed courtroom sketch of your roommate charged with something petty, like setting the thermostat to 64 and lying about it. For something softer, their usual 2 AM order as a giant pillow, or a flag for your apartment's made-up nation.

The picks

  1. A courtroom sketch of a cat in a suit on trial, in a red oak frame, made with Courtroom Sketch
    Walls & mugs

    Courtroom Sketch

    Your roommate on trial for the petty charge of your choice, sketched in pastel and charcoal, with the case number and a verdict stamp. Framed in black, white or red oak.

    Makes: Framed print

  2. A hot dog shaped pillow with a white edge, made with Big Snack
    Pillows

    Big Snack

    Their usual 2 AM order as one giant pillow for the couch you share, painted to look delicious or made to look like a plush toy.

    Makes: Shaped pillow, stickers, magnets

  3. A navy, teal and yellow flag with a star on a flagpole, made with Flag Foundry
    Puzzles & flags

    Flag Foundry

    Found the Republic of Apartment 4B, design its flag together, and hang the 12 x 18 in one in the window.

    Makes: Flag

  4. A blue text bubble pillow that says "you up?" with a read receipt, made with Left On Read
    Pillows

    Left On Read

    Their most iconic text to the house chat, like did you eat my leftovers, as a pillow with the read receipt underneath.

    Makes: Shaped pillow, stickers, magnets

  5. An embroidered wall tapestry on a rod showing friends laughing at a gazebo on fire, made with Group Chat Tapestry
    Walls & mugs

    Group Chat Tapestry

    The house chat's worst night, woven like a medieval tapestry, for the living room wall you both have to look at.

    Makes: Wall tapestry

Keep the charge small

The best roommate gifts are about the stuff you both live with: the thermostat, the dishes, the one bite of cereal left in the box. Big grievances don't frame well.

On Courtroom Sketch you name the defendant and type the charge. The court writes it up in legalese, gives it a case number, rules on it and stamps a verdict, anything from GUILTY or CONTEMPT to ON PROBATION or ACQUITTED. If it comes back harsher than you meant, untick the stamp and the print leaves the verdict off.

What the sketch shows

The drawing doesn't try to look like your roommate. Names are kept out of the picture and the defendant is drawn as a generic person, TV courtroom style, in pastel and charcoal. Their name prints on the caption underneath: THE PEOPLE v. and then theirs.

Questions people ask

Will the courtroom sketch look like my roommate?

No. The defendant is drawn as a generic figure and real names never go into the drawing. Their name prints on the caption.

Can I put my roommate's cat on trial instead?

Yes. Animals take the stand in a tiny suit, and objects like the dishwasher can be defendants too.

What sizes is the courtroom sketch?

A framed print in 16 x 12 or 24 x 18 in, in a black, white or red oak frame.