Hints for Gift Giving
In my circle of family and friends, with about two exceptions, all cause for celebration starts in July and ends with the new year. I’ve got three birthdays in July, two in August, four in September, one in October, three in November, and two in December plus Christmas, with anniversaries and holidays sprinkled throughout there (not that I have to do gifts so much for the last two, but they do make life busier!). Because that, I usually try to plan ahead with gift making and buying, so that the cost and time are spread out more over the year instead of hitting hard towards the end. Here are some things I’ve learned to help with staying organized.
1. If you see a good idea to buy for someone, either buy it then or put it on a list so you don’t forget. I keep a shelf in my closet with gifts I’ve purchased (or made) ahead of time, and a list on my phone so I can double check when I’m out and about and get inspired.
2. If you see a good idea, and you know you already have a gift for that recipient, put it on a list so you don’t forget it. Some people are easier to shop for than others, so if I come across a good idea, I don’t want to forget. That way if I’m getting close to the date, I can just look at my list and I’m all set. Also, this keeps me on budget, so I don’t overbuy.
3. Consolidate! My friends’ kids are at similar ages, and I try to pick something they all can use, and then personalize it (or for buying, if I run across a book or beauty product or something I really like, all my friends will get a copy). As you can see from the pictures above, this year all the females in my life are getting a tray pouch made of fabric personalized to their interests (I also bought lip balm for everyone in different scents). Last year everyone got phone stands, and those worked for the guys too. I keep an eye out for a creative ideas to make that everyone can use, and try to start before we’re at the point where I’m scrambling to get done in time. Then they get recorded and put on my closet shelf so I don’t forget!
4. Grab unique gifts when traveling. I learned this one when traveling with my aunt, and everywhere we stopped, she purchased gifts for the future, which I thought was brilliant. I often set some of my vacation budget aside for this, because handmade, small business/local artisan, one-of-a-kind items that you don’t have to worry about being duplicated. And often there’s a story begins it to tell the recipient.
5. Give something handmade with something purchased. This helps take the pressure off from how much has to be made, and is the big reason why I have lip glosses for with the pouches I made. While the pouches took some time to sew, were pretty inexpensive to make. I used a number of remnants, since I didn’t need really big pieces, and I had leftover pieces of interfacing, etc., so they didn’t put a huge dent in my wallet. When I made everyone bookmarks, they got a book with it. I will often put a gift card with whatever I made, I just try to keep it to something small business (the local ice cream store, coffee shop, restaurant, bookstore, etc.) as much as I can. I also don’t stress too much - if I know someone would love a gift card to a chain store and it’s more convenient for them, I will do it (this is especially true if they’re out of town/state). Gift giving is about the recipient, so I really want it to be what they want!
A few further tips are:
If you have a budget, and are coming in under it because something is on sale that you weren’t expecting, don’t feel obligated to try and find something else to fill in for it to make it to an exact dollar amount. I’ve found that it usually “comes out in the wash” with other gifts you will end up purchasing someday for that person in the future (or past).
If you find something past your price point, and you desperately want to give it to the person, just tell this is for their birthday and Christmas this year. I then try to still give something small for the second occasion, but that way I can still give it without going over budget, or making the recipient feel like they need to up their dollar amount too (note that this works best with close friends and family).
I will often pick up mini lip balm sets, small candles on sale, $10-$15 dollar gift cards, etc. for last minute gift fillers. It’s nice to have some smaller casual things around for “just in case.”
Buy gift bags and wrap after the holidays when they’re on clearance so you don’t have to run around during the holidays trying to find this stuff. Also, to keep it super easy, I buy brown craft paper (and bags) and then use real ribbons to make it festive, (and most people give the ribbon back to me so I can iron it and reuse it).
I hope this helps everyone with de-stressing the holidays and gift giving. Gifting, especially when making them yourself, is supposed to be something that brings joy to everyone involved!
