Designing
a thoughtful gift can be a special surprise for your gift recipient. With Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and
graduations in the months to come, plus a string of other gift-giving
opportunities like birthdays and anniversaries throughout the year, it is
always a good time to think ahead and be prepared with your wrapping paper at
the ready.
Instead
of scratching your head and trying to dream up the perfect singular gift,
consider putting theme gifts together with multiple smaller items inside. You can work off of one element to put you on
the right track to a fitting theme, like a hobby, interest, or characteristic
of your recipient. A niece who loves to
cook, a mom who enjoys travel, a grandson focused on a sport, or a friend who
is known for his love of coffee can all be catalysts to putting together unique
gifts that will be very well received.
For
a cooking enthusiast, a stock pot filled with a new cookbook, silicone
utensils, a meat thermometer, wooden trivet, and some dish towels would be a
welcome addition to their kitchen. For a
baker, a new custom mold pan, like a muffin pan or pan for cake pops, with
accessories such as foil baking cups or cake pop sticks, plus gel food
coloring, colorful spatulas, a pretty apron, an egg timer, and icing tips and
tools would help a recipient whip up a tasty batch of sweets. An avid traveler would appreciate a small
carry-on bag with a bag scale, earplugs, travel neck pillow, a set of toiletry
bottles, and travel magazines, likely carrying them all aboard their next
flight out.
For
someone with a love of the game, hone in on their sport of choice with some
selection of equipment, safety items, athletic wear, or maybe even top it off
with tickets to a sporting event. If a
gift recipient is known for truly enjoying something, like coffee or movies,
pad their collection with a gift basket, bag, or bin with pieces that follow
suit. A coffee themed gift can be made
up of an attractive mug, bag of flavored coffee, set of teaspoons, a box of raw
sugar, cocktail napkins, or accessories for their own coffee brewer. A movie lover would be thrilled to have a
gift card to the theater or a movie rental service, plus boxes of candy and
popcorn, a bottle of popcorn butter or powdered flavoring, a throw blanket for
watching from home, and a few classic DVD favorites.
The
ribbon that wraps it all together is the thought you put into compiling a gift
that sincerely represents them and shows how much you love them and are willing
to share your creative flair for designer gift giving.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star April 21st.
