Choosing the perfect gift is one of those things that are way more difficult than they sound. If you don’t know the person all that well, it can be really difficult to pinpoint their niche. On the other hand, if you know the person too well – you can easily overthink it and stress about it too much. In any case, most of us struggle when trying to pick a gift for someone, and all could use a tip or two on the topic. Well, this is exactly where this article comes to help – here, you will find some useful tips on how to pick the perfect gift, no matter the occasion!
Make The Gift More Personal
Superficial gifts are still gifts – and if the person that you’re gifting it to isn’t all that close to you, it will go just fine. But, if the person is close to you, you probably want to do more than “just fine” – you probably want to find the perfect gift. The first step to achieving this is to make the thinking behind the gift more personal. Depending on who you’re picking the gift for, there will be different things that you need to establish. Those things can broadly be categorized into their interests, the probability of them buying what you’re giving them, and a personal reference.
The first aspect is pretty self-explanatory. When it comes to the second aspect, it would be a good idea to choose a gift that the person desires, but would probably not buy it for themselves. Finally, when it comes to the personal reference – let’s say you’re buying a gift for your mom. When browsing gift ideas for women, you want to look for something that can reference a certain memory that is dear to you both. This will make the gift more than a physical object, but the embodiment of the emotion behind it as well.
Practicality Vs Emotional Value
Here’s the thing – some people value practicality over emotional value and vice versa. Some people will be perfectly happy with a gift that serves a purpose and addresses their actual needs and will be used for a long time. Others prefer that personal touch that you’ve read about in the previous section. Basically, it doesn’t matter whether they will use a gift only once if it is impactful and evokes an emotion. What is your task here is to determine in which category does the person that you’re buying a gift fall.
Sometimes, it’s not that easy to establish this, and there are some people that prefer the mix between these two. In such cases, it would be best that you buy something that isn’t purely sentimental but also isn’t just practical. A fun idea that falls into this category is a puzzle that depicts a dear memory or something that they love. It is sweet and thoughtful, but they still get to have fun with it! This is very different from opting for a picture or a poster, even if the same thing is depicted on it.
Ask Around
Listen, it is always a great idea to inform yourself about what the person likes if you aren’t sure about it. Ask the people closest to the person that you’re buying a gift for about what they like. They will probably give you at least a good direction in which you can continue the search.
The same goes for when you’ve found something that you think is a good gift choice. Before purchasing, it would be better for you to consult with someone close to the person. Of course, if you think that you have found the perfect gift, this is not a necessary step. This is especially true if you know the person quite well!
DIY Gifts – Should You Opt For Them Or Not
People don’t really agree on whether it is okay for you to make a gift instead of buying it. Of course, this question doesn’t have a true answer as it heavily depends on who you’re buying a gift for. This also ties into the previously discussed preferences on practicality vs. emotional value and similar. Ultimately – if you know that you can make something that the other person will like, there’s absolutely nothing that should stop you from doing so.
A great example of a beautiful DIY gift is a simple CD that contains a playlist of the songs that remind you of the person in question. You have total freedom on picking the cover, which adds to the emotional value. CDs are quite rare these days, so your gift will be both creative and thoughtful!
Even though seeking the perfect gift can indeed be difficult, it’s all worth it once you see the smile on the face of the person who received it. Overthinking is a common issue when picking gifts, so, try and just focus on what’s important here. Gift-giving is a wonderful gesture, and the fact that you’re taking the time to do your research on how to choose the perfect gift already tells a lot about your intention. The person on the other end will appreciate your gift, so, just have fun with it. Now, with all the discussed tips, you will surely be able to find a great gift in no time!
