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The Art Of Gift Giving
Too many people look at gift giving as merely a dollar amount. In fact, many feel guilty if they can "only" spend twenty dollars for so and so’s birthday, or "only" spend fifty for this one’s anniversary. The Art of Gift Giving has nothing to do with dollars and so much to do with thought. Some of the best presents cost very little. Once that tiny key is understood, gift giving can become so much more enjoyable both for the giver and the recipient.
The number one rule of gift giving is knowing the person you’re giving to. Not just knowing them as in "I know this girl at work", but understanding who they are, what their passions are and what they enjoy. For instance, if you have a friend whose whole kitchen is done in a teapot motif, and you see an adorable frame shaped like a teapot that costs six dollars, don’t write it off. Get the frame, add a special picture of the two of you together and box it up with a nice box of specialty tea. That would be so much more thoughtful than an expensive present that says nothing about her or your relationship together.
You must always sit and think about the person you will be giving to. If you know your aunt’s birthday is coming up and for as long as you can remember she has been very involved with crafts, don’t buy her a sweater that she may never wear, make her a craft basket. Or if you’re not sure exactly what kind of crafts she’s doing lately, give her the old standby—a gift certificate to a craft store. Nothing says thoughtful like something that makes the recipient aware that you really had them in mind when you picked it out.
If there’s a shutterbug in the family and your stumped for a Christmas gift, try lovely sectioned frames. There are so many varieties and sizes that hold anything from multiples 5x7’s or all different sized shots. With a card stating, "To display some of your best work", this can be a much more touching gift than a purse that happened to cost forty bucks.
Some of the best gifts can be had for very little, but will remain with the thought you put into them will remain with the recipient for years. A goody basket for someone who can’t bake but has a sweet tooth. A book of poetry for the person who told you that their favorite class in college was English Lit. Bath salts and a scented candle for the stressed out new mother. A rare kind of flower bulb for the weekend gardener. A set of candlesticks and hand rolled beeswax candles for the entertainer. A beautiful journal and brightly colored pen for the budding writer. The list goes on and on.
What you need to remember when buying or making a gift is that you are not just handing someone a box containing a present. You are handing them a box containing your thoughts of them. Some of the best presents require no money, some require a lot, the most important thing is that you truly thought about what you were giving as opposed to setting a dollar amount and grabbing the first thing that came in around that limit. If you hand someone a gift that helps express how you feel about them, you are handing them a gift they will remember for a lifetime.
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