The average American buys more than 20 gifts per year, including gifts for birthdays, Christmas and other special occasions. It equates to about two gifts per month. Some people with a large circle of family and friends purchase a lot more, so it should come as no surprise that we are sometimes stuck for a gift idea. Focusing on practicality and personalization opens up some great options for a gift that will be appreciated.
Time-honored personal gifts that everyone uses
Some unique personalized gifts stand the test of time and ooze practicality and personalization. For example, almost everyone in the US owns a wallet or purse, and it is something they use every day. This is a perfect example of a gift that is highly practical and useful but is certainly not boring. Other examples along a similar line include mobile phone cases, pen sets and desk organizers.
Choose an enduring material. Hand-made leather is an obvious choice, as it is associated with quality and tends to look better and better as it ages. With a practical leather gift like this, you can also add very specific personalization, which brings us on to the next tip.
Put thought into personalization
There is more to personalization than simply having the recipient’s name engraved upon the gift. Sometimes, that is just fine, for example when gifting a leather wallet, a watch or a piece of hand-crafted jewelry. But even then, take time to consider the size and font of the letters and whether to engrave the full name or perhaps just initials in the style of a monogram.
However, you can also put more into the engraving itself. A larger gift, such as a desk organizer or a phone case has plenty of space for a message that will remind the recipient of the giver and the occasion on which they received the gift every time they use it. This is a particularly important consideration when giving a gift to commemorate a “once in a lifetime” event such as graduation or retirement.
Understand the individual’s needs
There’s no better way of making a gift both practical and personal than by taking time to come up with something that they truly want and need. For example, that example of a wallet earlier is ideal if you happen to have noticed that they currently carry cash and cards loose in a pocket or in an ancient billfold that is falling apart. But if they already have a smart leather wallet, your gift will most likely be consigned to a drawer and forgotten.
Spend time looking for signs or hints about what the person would really appreciate and find useful. Aside from the examples given earlier, it could be something for the car, an electrical gadget or even kitchen equipment such as a set of knives. All these can still be personalized, and when you pick that special something that someone really needs, the gift will be fondly remembered for a long time.
Always choose quality over quantity
Cheap throwaway items are fine when buying for ourselves to meet everyday needs, but do not make suitable gifts. Opting for high quality does not have to mean spending a fortune. To return to our earlier example, you can buy a good quality handmade leather wallet with a personalized inscription for around $20.
It is easy to check the quality, even when you purchase online and cannot examine the physical item. Reputable sellers include plenty of images and will allow you to zoom in. When buying leather products, check for even edges and straight, neat stitches. These tend to be giveaway signs that reflect the overall quality and attention to detail that has gone into the manufacturing process. Don’t worry so much about slight color variations. Leather is a natural material and it is these differences that make every item unique.