Arts, Crafts and Gift Ideas

Gift Giving Tips

It's that time of year again, and with holiday shoppers swarming malls and stores to find the next hot gift, how do you decide what to get your family and friends for the holidays? There's always the standard sweater for Mom and tie and money clip combo for Dad, but what can you get them that will actually mean something? Embroidered golf club head covers are great and everything, but they're not too likely to mean a lot to whoever gets them unless the two of you have shared some sort of a bond over a good golf game.

There are two great ways to find gifts that your family and friends will love. The first is to think of some sort of bond the two of you have shared, either in a shared experience, a shared hobby, or a shared memory. Maybe you and your mom had a wonderful conversation some evening in the garden. Or perhaps you and all of your best friends had a great weekend together on Cape Cod. Whatever the event, look for gifts which are somehow reminiscent of the event. Maybe a garden sculpture for Mom or new beach sandals for your friends. Then every time they use or see their gifts they'll be reminded of the good times you've shared.

Another sure fire gift giving trick is to do a little bit of work to find out what people really enjoy. No, this doesn't mean buying another divot tool for your golfing uncle, it means finding out what nuanced little interests your family and friends have. The golfing uncle may really like Greg Norman, or your gardening aunt may love begonias. If you can trace down these sorts of preferences, then you can start to find gifts which really fit the people you're buying them for. It also helps if you can track down an item which is relatively difficult to find, be it imported teas from India or a limited-edition book. Your gift recipients will appreciate the time you put into finding the item, especially if they've looked for it themselves.

Of course, you could always just find out what your friends and family want for Christmas and get it for them. This is especially easy with children who like to make Christmas lists, though it can be a bit tougher for adults. We all have relatives who manage to buy everything they want and need, making it difficult to come up with gift ideas. Aside from asking them straight out, often spouses or romantic partners can shed some light on what to buy, or at least where to look. Ultimately it's the thought put into gift-giving that determines the success of any given gift.