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Giving someone a gift is much more than just a nice gesture, it is also the opportunity to communicate a message. Here we’re talking about the art of giving gifts – and why a gift can be so much more than a present.
Finding an item that you know the intended recipient will love the moment they see it, is a great feeling for you the idea way of telling someone that you love them or value their friendship.
What the Art of Giving Means
The true art of present giving goes well beyond the simple act of exchanging physical objects with another person, it is the chance to speak to them and convey your thoughts through the gift that you are giving.
When you buy a gift that has the ability to say something to the receiver, they will understand and appreciate your message and the present will take on an extra special meaning.
Gifts should not really be about the price tag or the prestige of the contents. The art of giving is finding a present that has a value to the recipient that goes beyond its cost and shows that you understand and know what they are like and what they like too.
The Art of Choosing That Perfect Gift
No one said it was going to be easy finding that perfect gift, but there are certainly ways in which you can increase your odds of success.
Consider taking the person you are buying for on a shopping trip or look online for unique gifts.
Markets and independent outlets are often real treasure troves of great and unusual gifts and you are quite likely to find something that the person you are buying for, will really enjoy and appreciate. Try to drop a few hints if you are not sure, so you can focus your attention on jewellery on whatever your friend or loved one really wants.
Consider Your Reasons for Buying
Many of us heard the phrase “it’s the thought that counts” but sometimes in a negative context, if the gift is not what the person really wanted or likes.
Well, it is actually the thought that counts, but you just need to take the time to think about what the person you are buying for really likes, and what would suit their personality or lifestyle. If you manage to find something that is truly well received, the thought will be positive.
Take the time to select a gift that definitely suits their style and personality based on what you know about them as a friend or a loved one. If they are really into vintage items for example, there is little point buying something urban or chic in the hope that they might like it or change their opinion just because it is you that bought it for them.
When Gifts Hurt: Why the Art of Gift Giving Matters
The road to hell is paved on good intentions, as the saying goes. Sometimes the thought does count, or in this case lack thereof. Bad gifts can do more than just disappoint your friends and family: they can seriously hurt your relationships.
Most of the time, hurtful gifts come in the form of offending someone. No, we’re not talking about “everyone is so sensitive” here – it’s about showing compassion and understanding for the person you’re gifting to. If you give someone a gift that hits a sensitive area it can cause more damage than not giving them a present at all.
Examples of how careless gifts can cause harm:
- Giving a sober person alcohol.
- Buying dangerous or age-inappropriate gifts for kids.
- Triggering a veteran’s PTSD through an insensitive war movie, book, gift with loud noises, etc.
- Giving someone who recently suffered a loss a gift that reminds them of it. For example, giving a framed photo of your new baby to a friend who recently had a miscarriage.
- Buying someone who struggles with their weight diet and fitness items. Likewise, buying them junk food (unless you know they’ll appreciate it.)
- Giving a LGBTQ+ couple something designed for straight people (eg. his and hers gifts).
- Being lazy when it comes to gifts for your spouse, especially if that’s one of their love languages.
- Giving a trans or gender non-conforming person gifts that make them feel you don’t respect their identity.
- Anything that hits a sore spot for someone that you reasonably should be aware of.
Art Of Giving: Advice to Give That Perfect Gift
If you came here looking for specific gift ideas, you’ve definitely found yourself on the right website. We love collecting amazing and unique gifts for every occasion, personality, and budget. But what if you don’t even know where to start? A niche gift guide or pretty display in the store can only go so far if you’re totally in your gift giving.
Here’s how you can be more artful in your gift giving for other people:
Ask Yourself, “Why Am I Giving a Gift?”
This is always the best place to start. For example, if it’s for a baby shower, you can answer with “to give my friend a gift to celebrate their new baby. If it’s something more generic, like a birthday, you might add some justification, such as “because my friend invited me to their birthday and I want to show them I value our friendship.” Obviously this will be subjective but you’ll usually give yourself hints that will help you give the right gift.
Figure Out Your Budget, Time Range, and Shopping Restrictions/Goals
For example: $20, 3 weeks, and online. This will help you figure out what’s doable in terms of gifting. Not enough time means you’ll need some clever last minute gift ideas.
Think About the Person You’re Giving To
Do you know them well or are you acquaintances? Have you been to their home and seen what types of things they keep around, or not? Have you ever heard them talk about gift items that made them happy in the past?
A gift that fits with someone’s personality is going to go over a lot better than something generic, regardless of how impressive or expensive the gift is. This is very important to remember – the art of gift giving is about the recipient!
- Can you think of a hobby or interest that dominates the person’s life?
- Does this person prefer practical items or do they enjoy silly things
- Do you know anything about their food or alcohol preferences?
If you’ve racked your brain and can find a starting point, great! Go use the search bar on our site to type in their interests to get some ideas. If not…
If You Still REALLY Don’t Know What to Give
Maybe you’re just really not sure, or you don’t know the person well, or you just can’t deal with the pressure of giving a great gift I have a few ideas. Remember, the art of gifting is about giving a great gift for that person; sometimes you have to swallow your pride and admit you can’t find what that is!
If that sounds like you, here’s some gift ideas to please almost anyone:
- Go in with other people on a group gift. This is usually a great idea to give someone something they really want rather than a bunch of little things and you can get a friend or family member who knows the person better to help plan it out. Win-win!
- A nice bottle of wine or champagne. Just make sure you know they drink before giving this. Tip: buy from somewhere that accepts exchanges.
- A food gift basket. Again, this is more for someone you don’t know well. Choose something with a variety of packaged snacks so they can find something they like and try and avoid allergens, when possible.
- A throw blanket. Almost everyone appreciates these across age and gender. You can get some that are super budget-friendly ($10-15) or spend over $100 on cashmere. Don’t know anything about them or completely forget their favourite colour? Choose grey, white, or black.
- Journal or notebook. If you get one that’s modern and leather or suede you can pretty much guarantee it will suit anyone.
- Water bottle or travel mug. Can you ever have too many? Avoid colours that could offend unless you know what they like.
- Gift cards. If you’re not great at giving gifts gift cards or cash is totally fine.
Keep it Classy: Things That Make You Look Like a Bad Gifter
With so much to “do” sometimes it’s easier to look at what not to do when it comes to giving gifts artfully. Here’s some common missteps that lead to hurt feelings and a bad gifter reputation.
- Giving junky items (super low quality, damaged boxes, discount bin finds).
- Re-gifting, in some circles.
- Giving food, coffee/tea, and alcohol to people who have food allergies, dietary restrictions, eating disorders, or don’t drink alcohol/coffee/tea.
- Dramatically mis-matching a gift to someone’s personality. Eg, you give your introverted friend tickets to a large, crowded event they’ve never mentioned wanting to attend.
- Relying on stereotypes that the person may or may not subscribe to. For example, giving a woman you don’t know well make-up or a man fishing gear.
- Giving something that can come across as offensive. (Mistakes happen, but take care to consider the recipient’s age, weight, abilities, gender, sexual orientation, and religion when selecting gifts.)
- Gifts that create a problem or job for the recipient. Eg. a puppy.
- Stuff that isn’t really a gift like cleaning supplies.
The level of offense someone will take from a bad gift will depend on how well you know each other. For example, if your real estate agent drops off a food and wine gift basket and you don’t like those things, and they couldn’t have known, it’s not super offensive. If you give your brother a bottle of wine when you should know he’s sober – well, you can guess how that will go.
Why Master the Art of Giving?
If this seems like a lot you might be asking, why bother? What’s the point in mastering the art of giving gifts? Yes, you could resolve to just be that person who always gives cash or gift cards, but here’s some reasons why I think you should take the time to learn the art of giving.
- People will feel like you value them. When you give a thoughtful gift the recipient feels seen, understood, valued, and loved.
- Giving gifts is fun! I love seeing positive reactions when I give that perfect gift. It makes the effort worth it for me.
- Some people have a gift giving love language. If you want to keep the friendship or romance alive, gift-giving is a must.
- You can make someone’s day. Giving a thoughtful gift at just the right time can brighten someone’s day – especially in times of need.
- Gifts help you uplift others. Not only can gifts be use for fun, you can also give people gifts that make their lives better or that they never would buy themselves.
The art of giving really is much more than just buying someone a present, so that the time to choose carefully and you will be rewarded with a smile of pleasure when they open the wrapping.
