Gifting

My present list this year comes in the form of handmade:

• Bookmarks (two styles)
• Pictures (drawn/coloured/painted)
• Photographs (calendar/framed)
• Framed Poem (hand-written or typed over a picture of us)
• Vouchers – IOU Experiences (offering Time/Money/Skills)
  • Made using Publisher’s Gift Certificate Publication
• Sock creatures (Maybe.. depending how shit they come out)

For my best friend who lives in the USA, I hand-wrote a letter with his good points, why he’s amazing, gratitude for being my friend and enclosed with it a hand-drawn picture, hand-made bookmark and some little notes for him to stick around his room/PC monitor with some quotes based on our private jokes (Zombie queens, wolf cubs and “fuck raptors” come to mind) and some positive thinking phrases.

Some websites to give you meaningful gift ideas:
http://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/photo-calendar-template.html#next
http://www.betterbudgeting.com/frugalcrafts/pricelessgift.htm
http://zenhabits.net/2007/10/30-frugal-gift-ideas-to-show-you-appreciate-someone/

Personally, the issue for me isn’t just Low Cost; but wanting to show others that material goods aren’t useful. I almost had to force my mother to donate a necklace she never wears; because I gave it to her. I’d rather she kept the poem/cards/pictures I spent time on rather than a necklace I saw in a catalogue three years ago.

As to the Experience Vouchers, my personal plans include:
»         Pay for a cup of tea/coffee for them at a shop
»         Pay for entrance and go with them to museum/sea-life centre/pavilion
»         Offering to make dinner for them one night
»         Take them out for dinner “Just because I love you/like your company”
»         Make me do the washing up tonight
»         Learn something together -painting class, reiki workshop or join a book club together.
»         A date night “just because” – movie/gig/night in with ice cream
»         A massage from you
»         Pay for a spa day for them

The possibilities are endless! Plus, Microsoft Publisher lets you print three of the same voucher on one A4 page so you can offer small things which will add up to a higher cost/time/skill overall. E.g. The recipient can pull out the voucher at any time in the next year (set an expiry date!) for you to wash up that night; regardless of whose turn it is and so on.

Personally, I’m sticking to those which mean I spent time WITH the person, rather than do something FOR them. That way they’ve the memory of the experience with you too.  If any of you had/have “spend more time with family” on your new year resolutions; this could be a sure way of achieving it.

Any other ideas I should add to this list? I’d love your ideas, links and thoughts on any of these ideas for meaningful gifts.

Stars Above,
~Rose.