A handmade gift I made for my friend a few years ago for Christmas. This is just one example of creative gifts you can give to your loved ones. Photo by Bella Walker
People give gifts for all sorts of reasons: holidays, birthdays, special occasions, or just because they want to. With graduation coming up, I wanted to share some tips and ideas for giving gifts. Of course, these gift ideas are not exclusive to graduation by any means! Gift-giving doesn’t come naturally to everyone, but it can be a great way to show your appreciation for a person in your life. Gift-giving for some is also a love language. There’s something about being generous with your time or money that feels good, and feels even better for the person receiving a gift.
In my expert opinion, there are three types of gifts. The first are creative, homemade gifts. These usually take the most time to make, but cost the least. These are my personal favorites, as it really showcases the care and time you are willing to commit to someone. If you are struggling with this type of gift, you can make a list of things that you know this person likes. For example, if your friend likes playing an instrument and Harry Potter, you could find sheet music from a song they like, and paint it with Harry Potter characters. Now you’ve created a poster for your friend with something meaningful, and that you spent time on. Ayn Frazee, Franklin High School’s librarian, echoes a similar sentiment. “The best gifts are things that make you feel seen. I love it when someone remembers something from forever ago, and then they give you a gift of that.” If nothing else, printing out photos of you and the person to create a collage always makes someone feel special and cared for.
The second type of gifts are practical. These ones can still be personal, but they often focus more on what a person needs, and what they are most likely to use. If your coworker is always complaining about not having hair ties, buy them a big pack of hair ties for their birthday. This way, it’s still personal to them, but it takes less time and the item has a functional use. Most people will appreciate a gift that they can use.
The third and final type of gift are general items that everyone can enjoy. Usually, anything that has to do with food or self-care works. This goes one step further: if you don’t know the person whom you are getting a gift for very well, you can always take a shot in the dark by giving them a variety of gifts; they’re bound to like one of the items. If your second cousin’s bar mitzvah is coming up, grabbing a name-brand candy and a facewash never fails as a trusty gift choice. The perfect thing about this type of gift is they’re great for regifting. Even if none of your gifts get used, the receiver will certainly be grateful for a last-minute regift.
Here are my gifting Dos and Don’ts now that you have some ideas for gifts. Do: Personalized cards. Handwritten cards go a long way, and are a great way to set up your gift. An especially well-written card can even be the gift itself. Do: Wrap your gifts ahead of time. Of course this is optional, but the extra effort is appreciated and shows that you care about the presentation of your gift. Do: Think ahead. The sooner you have to prepare for someone’s gift, the better it’s going to be. You will have more time to gather what they like (and don’t like), and will have more time to get everything together.
Don’t: Be inconsiderate. It’s evident to someone receiving a gift when you haven’t listened to what they’ve told you about what they like. It feels like, as the gift giver, you don’t care about the quality of your gift. This can have negative impacts on your relationships. A bad gift is worse than no gift at all. Don’t: Give certain hygiene products. Listen to me on this one: Giving someone something like deodorant or toothpaste sends a very clear (and offensive) message to the receiver. It’s not the right move if you are trying to do something thoughtful. Don’t: Shop for yourself. If you’ve heard your boss talk about how much they despise snails, don’t get them a snail stuffed animal you liked. The main thing to keep in mind when giving gifts is that you are not the target audience. Get something that the person whom the gift is for will like. Don’t: Use money as an alternative to a gift. This one may be controversial, so let me explain. Money is fine to give to anyone at least two years below you. It teaches little kids responsibility over their money, and lets them make a decision on how they want their money spent. Do not give money to anyone older or the same age as you. Some older people might find it a little insulting, and if you try to give your significant other $20 on Valentine’s Day…well I don’t see that going over too well. Don’t: Include Hallmark cards that aren’t funny, or have no personal message inside. And this last one is simple: don’t leave price tags on store-bought gifts. The point of the gift isn’t how much money you spent, but rather how it makes the person feel.
The most important thing to remember when gift-giving is that you are doing something special for another person, without expecting anything in return. Viktoriya Czinger, a sophomore at Cleveland High School, says she likes giving gifts because “you get the excitement and joy of seeing them be happy when they open the gift.” Gift-giving can be creative, and even a hobby if you enjoy it a lot. If none of these gift ideas sound appealing to you, you can always gift someone an experience. Concert tickets, a dinner out, admissions to a play or musical, and so many more. Have fun with it, and enjoy the extra time with this person. Frazee agrees, stating that “the real gift is the friends we made along the way.” Overall, there are plenty of ways to show your appreciation and love for someone through gift-giving.
