Maybe you decided that you wanted to give your friend, who loves playing online games, a gift of an Online Slots Gambling Guide. Putting info about a URL or even some printouts of the info you found most helpful is not much of a gift. So how do you make this simple gift fancy?
Here are some ideas to help make what may sound like a simple gift into something fancy (and original):
The Candy Jar Gift
Does your friend have a favorite candy? Is it jellybeans? Is it Hershey’s Kisses? Or maybe it is Reese’s Take 5 Snack Size Bars. You go to a store and buy a fancy jar.
On a website like “Amazon“, type in the word “candy jar”, and you will see a wide variety of jars to choose from. They can range from very small to very large. You can also look under “mason jars”. Although all of the jars are pretty much the same design, you can buy different lids. Plastic ones (so the jars can go into the freezer), airtight lids (for pickle making), lids with a spoon holder, lids with a straw hole, lids with drinking spouts, spice lids, or candle holder lids.
If none of those are what you are looking for, then try looking up “cookie jars”. In this category, you can choose from plain jars or character jars (dog next to a fire hydrant, panda bear, rooster, or the traditional Snoopy laying on top of a cookie).
Anyway, you picked your jar. Now it is time to load it with cookies, candies, and other fun treats. You can then stick your info, document, gift card, or check either on the outside of the jar or hidden inside the yummy treats.
I had a friend who filled the candy jar so full that when the couple opened the jar, the candy fell all across the table. It was a huge jar, and the gift giver hid a $50 check down near the bottom. It took the couple several months of tasty treat enjoyment before they finally realized that a check was included in the gift.
So if you want to give a check or gift card, I would definitely recommend The Candy Jar Gift as a way to wrap the gift to make it memorable and elegant.
The Laundry Basket Gift
Is the person receiving the gift going away to college, getting their first apartment, or buying a new home? Then The Laundry Basket Gift might be the right choice. Some ideas of other stuff to put inside the laundry basket would be each of the different “stain devils”:
- Nail Polish, glue, gum
- Chocolate, ketchup, mustard
- Ink, marker, crayon
- Dairy, and ice cream
- Fat and cooking oil
- Grass, dirt, and makeup
- Motor oil, tar, and lubricant
- Coffee, tea, wine, and juice
That may be appropriate for somebody getting a new apartment or house. If it is a college student, maybe sticking with more “must have” items:
- Laundry detergent
- Fabric softener
- Color Catcher
- General purpose stain sprayer
- Iron
- Traveling ironing board or ironing mat
- Stain brush
- Mesh laundry bag
For a college student, maybe even use a laundry bag (or laundry backpack) instead of a traditional plastic basket.
The Fancy Bowl Gift
Maybe you decided that the gift receiver would prefer a center piece bowl. Since the actual bowl is the intended gift, putting less expensive things (but important) would work.
- Scented candles
- Matches
- Potpourri
- Mint candy
For this idea, a bowl that cannot easily break would be a good idea. Or you need to think of a way to protect the bowl. A wood bowl, or a fruit basket frame, or a fancy metal bowl would work. Since the bowl is intended to be used in the living room and/or dining room, items that would go well with that room would work.
The Metal Mixing Bowl Gift
The metal bowl goes with the kitchen. So when thinking about items to place into the bowl, think about stuff that goes with the kitchen.
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Jar labels
- Oven mitts
- Hand towels
- Spice jars
- Drawer organizers
You could include any and all staple items (non-perishables). One option would be to include your favorite recipe and all of the non-perishable ingredients that would be needed to make that dish.
The Pail Gift
A cleaning bucket will be the gift holder and inside you could include cleaning items.
- Deep cleaning brushes
- Scrapers
- Squeegee
- Dusting rag
- Small brushes for cleaning in crevices
- Spray bottles
- Cleaning gloves
And other items that fall into the category of cleaning products.
The To Go Emergency Kit
In this kit, you would use a 5-gallon bucket with a lid as the “gift holder”. Inside you would put things related to home safety and emergency preparation:
- Batteries
- Glow stick lanyards
- Paper
- Pens/pencils
- Paper map of the area
- Bandages
- Alcohol
- Non-electric themometer
- Pain relievers
- Tweezers
- First aid book
- Flashlights
- Whistles
- Cards (simple entertainment)
- Bleach
- Wash cloths
- Emergency contacts written out on paper with a plastic protector.
The bucket with the handle makes the kit easy to grab in an emergency. Not to mention that the bucket will not be like any other “bag” in the house, so it will be easily recognizable in an emergency.
The Plastic Bin Kit
A plastic bin can hold linen closet stuff:
- Bath towels
- Hand towels
- Sheets
- Pillow cases
- Throw blankets
- Throw pillows
- Table cloths
- Table runners
- Bubble bath
- Scented soaps
Or it can hold stuff that one would find in a garage or basement:
- Hammers
- Nails
- Screwdrivers
- Sandpaper
- Power cords
- Holder for rakes and brooms
- Grease hand cleaner
- Heavy duty paper towels
- Batteries
- LED lights (low watts, so you can always keep it on to provide some light)
- Magnetic strips to hold tools
- Parking mat
- Chalkboard paint
- Whiteboard paint
- Magnetic Tray
Summary
I hope that the examples above have started to get your creative juices flowing. Sometimes the right choice for gift giving is to join with other gift givers and give a big ticket item that the gift receiver needs. But in other times, all of those little items can really add up. So going by yourself or joining with others to help buy the little things, but package it nicely in a container that is usable (and in some cases pretty) can make a gift that might at first sound bland and make it into something that is WOW!
Maybe the starting point will be the container. Maybe the starting point will be a room. Even a theme can be the starting point.
And don’t forget the wrapping. I am not talking about wrapping paper. I am talking about using ribbon or maybe even key chains. Even a cute small stuffed animal can be used instead of a bow.
And if you are a really creative person, you can even paint the outside of the plastic bin or bucket or even a glass jar or bowl. But if the storage item is intended to store food, make sure that any paints that you use are “food safe”.
