How often do you give someone a gift? Christmas and birthdays are two of the big gift giving days in your calendar no doubt. If you’re lucky enough to have someone special in your life then Valentine’s Day too. Then there are those times when you just feel like spoiling your friends and family. So chances are you are spending a lot more of your calendar year giving gifts than you realise.
So why have we forgotten the more creative side to gift giving? Despite the fact that it has become quite an integral aspect of Western culture. Now we aren’t talking about the actual gifts that you buy. We are talking about the gift giving process and everything that is involved in that. Wrapping. Presentation. Building suspense. All those little flourishes and details that can elevate gift giving into something truly memorable. Which is why we have put together this guide to help you jazz up your gift giving skills!
Step Up Your Wrapping Game
When it comes to giving a gift it is true that it is the thought that counts. But this also extends to how you present the gift to the other person. Imagine if all of your birthday presents as a child were wrapped in old newspapers. It wouldn’t be quite as exciting as the likely vibrant and colourful wrapping paper you did get.
The first step is to watch some gift wrapping tutorials to ensure you are doing it right. And invest in quality wrapping paper. Cheaper wrapping paper is far more likely to rip during the wrapping process. But why not take it a step further? Adding hand tied bows to a gift can really elevate it into something with a more personalized feel. I often like to find good luck charms to add to gifts. This is a nice way to not only make the gift stand out visually, but also adds in a little extra present for the recipient.
Presentation Is Key
How you give someone a gift also plays a huge part in the whole process. Rather than just handing them the gift with no ceremony, why not try to make it a bit of an occasion. Maybe invite them out somewhere nice. Or maybe invite them somewhere with a special meaning to you both. And try to build up to the gift giving. Maybe dance around the subject first or lead with some nice compliments about how much the recipient means to you.
People Love Surprises
Nothing is better than seeing someone’s face when they get a gift they weren’t expecting. So, where possible, you should try to surprise the recipient. This is especially effective if you are just giving them a gift for no reason. Try to meet up with them under some other pretense and avoid giving them the gift straight away. Build up to it and it will be far more effective.
Scavenger Hunts
This is a great idea if you’re planning to give someone a lot of gifts. People think scavenger hunts are only fun for children. But the truth is nearly every adult would love a scavenger hunt where they find gifts as they go. You can also take this to the next level by making all the clues and hiding locations relevant to your shared history with the recipient.
Quality Or Quantity
People often assume that you need to focus on both of these at the same time. But this isn’t true. A high-quality gift, something like jewelry or a sentimental object, is much more impactful in isolation. Whereas if you’re giving a lot of gifts then you can afford to lower the quality of these gifts. Now this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still try to buy nice gifts if you’re going for quantity. But try to avoid a lot of emotionally impactful gifts in that case.
Experiences Over Objects
Getting new things is always nice. But a lot of people have forgotten that the best gift you can give is creating new memories for or with someone. That is why you should consider giving more experiences as a gift. Concert tickets, holiday bookings, a trip to the theatre. Things like this are a great way to show that you have taken a real interest in the recipient. You don’t always have to do these activities with the recipient either. Sometimes it’s nicer to simply give them some tickets and let them bring whoever they want along with them.
