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Finding the perfect gift, no matter the occasion, can be somewhat intimidating. You want to be sure the person receiving your gift will actually like it, and not place it into a closet to gather dust. You also don’t want to get a reputation as a mediocre gift giver. So, how do you choose the perfect gift? It’s not as hard as you’d think. Here are some tips on how to choose the ideal gift and make the people in your life anticipate the thoughtfulness that goes into your gifts.
As Mother’s Day is approaching, I will use the holiday as an example and provide some gift ideas along the way! While we don’t all have our moms with us for this holiday, we may still have people in our lives we want to honor. Or, you may just want gift-giving tips and ideas. Either way, stick around, and hopefully you will gain something!
Table of Contents
How To Choose The Perfect Gift
The Occasion
The first thing you should consider is the occasion for which you are giving the gift. Moments like birthdays are the best opportunity to focus on the personality of the giftee because the day is, in fact, about them. You can choose gifts that lean into more specific aspects of their personality.
Occasions such as Mother’s Day often call for more sentimental gifts as you are expressing a deep gratitude. You want your gift to show how much you appreciate the person in your life who is shouldering such a monumental responsibility. However, don’t allow this to limit you, because overall, your top priority should be the relationship between you and the person and their personality.
The Gift Receiver
As you decide on gifts, think about the person who is receiving the gift and how they will react to it. Some people are more practical and only want a gift they can get proper use from, which is ok! You will just need to find a gift that fits those requirements. Others are more fun and want a gift that is whimsical, funny, or even a little inappropriate. All of which open your choices up even more! Being aware of what the gift receiver likes will keep you from creating blunders like giving the scandalous gift to the more reserved person.
Choosing the Gift
Combine the occasion, what you want to convey, and the person you are gifting, and begin brainstorming. Once you have a few ideas, begin researching all of them and comparing price, quality, shipping times, and anything else you want to consider. Don’t forget to look in interesting places such as thrift stores, antique shops, art shows, and more. Don’t limit yourself to online stores only.
For Mother’s Day book lovers, we will consider three types of readers and gift recipients: the practical book lover, the whimsical book lover, and the book lover looking for their own main character moment. When you are deciding on a gift, you can also create categories like this for yourself to categorize your gifts and make them easier to research.
Practical Gifts For Book Lovers
If the person you are gifting prefers practicality above all us, consider an aspect of their personality or hobby, and something useful for the hobby that they are unlikely to have. If you have made it this far, you have most likely already covered that first part. The person you are shopping for is a book lover and a reader. So then we ask ourselves, what is something useful to a reader?
Weighted Eye Mask
Someone who reads a lot is more likely to tire their eyes. To ensure your gift receiver is taking proper care of their eyes, gift them something like a weighted eye mask so that they can rehab their eyes and get some good rest after a long day of reading. You can even get them in calming scents.
Reading Journal or Reading List Bookmark
If the person you are gifting reads a ton, they are also probably keeping track of those reads. Gift them something that fits their style to help them put them all in a condensed space. Reading journals or reading list bookmarks are both practical and easy to keep up with.
Custom Color Hour Glass
As a book reader, I will tell you it’s entirely too easy to lose track of time as you’re reading. The “one more chapter” joke is all too real. Having a visual representation of your time left can be incredibly helpful, and you can also customize the hourglass to fit better with the person’s preferences or space.
Book Hidden Charger
More likely than not, your book lover has a book or two on their nightstand already. To make their space more cohesive, you can gift them this hidden phone charger that looks like a book. It will blend in with the other books and replace the jarring phone charger tech that occupies the space.
Whimsical Gifts For Readers
Purchasing a gift for a lover of everything whimsy, or the person who loves to romanticize their life? Grab a gift that leans into that whimsy. These gifts can have a practical use, but it is not a requirement. These are the gifts that you know the giftee will love just because, the ones you know they will put on display or talk about nonstop.
Hanging Book Counter
If the book journal and book list tracker are the practical ways of keeping track of books read, this is the more whimsical option. If the book lover you are gifting has a penchant for quirkiness and fun, gift them this hanging book counter that lets them display their book count in a fun way.
Book Candle
Even when they aren’t burning them, book readers love to have a candle in their reading space. A fun take on that is this candle shaped like a stack of books. It’s a very cute piece and a conversation starter as well.
Woman Reading Painting
The person looking to fill their life and spaces with whimsy and romanticism is also the person who is adding visual elements to their space. Artwork that allows your book lover to lean into their individual vibes is always helpful, just be sure you know it’s something they will like. I’m partial to this mood painting of a woman reading.
Tolkien Society Membership
Want to step up the concept of joining a book club for your giftee? Grab them a membership to the Tolkien Society. This is an experience-based gift that also has tangible elements, as the society sends out newsletters that you can opt to be delivered in print, so your book lover continuously receives a gift!
Gifts with Main Character Vibes
Whether your book lover is a non-fiction or fiction lover, they can also understand the feeling of being the main character. The main character is the person who understands themself and the world around them and how to add value to that world. These pieces remind the gift receiver that they are appreciated and deserve to have moments all about them.
Roxane Ball Chain Necklace or Morgane Bezel Strand Necklace
The moments created by these jewelry pieces are especially good if you’re gifting to a fantasy reader. Wanting to have your own main character at the ball moment is a canon event, and you can bring your book lover a bit closer with a piece of jewelry that gives off those vibes, like these gorgeous necklaces. Just be sure to pick something the wearer will love.
Medusa Signet Ring
Some pieces are just conversation starters, and this is one of those. This gorgeous ring is stunning at first glance, putting the wearer’s style and personality on display. With a closer look, the details of the mythological character Medusa, a new level of conversation and interest is opened!
Ruffle Slip Dress
Style your gift recipient in something that makes them feel amazing and stands out. This gift is particularly reliant on you truly knowing your recipient, so be sure before you commit. However, if you do know them, gifting them something that makes them feel confident and beautiful is a way to show that you really know them and care for them.
Personal Touches
Every good gift will have a personal touch along with it. This can be something as simple as a handwritten note or handwritten tag, or personal flourishes on the wrapping or gift bag. What you want to do is make the gift feel like you paid attention to the details, because you did.
Adding bows or flowers to a gift bag, creating a unique design with the tissue paper, or a well-chosen gift wrapping that coordinates with the gift are all simple but effective ways to add a personal touch.
You can also try including small extras that you know the giftee will like. Place some small trinkets like their favorite wine or candy along with the gift to show that you know them and care. For holidays like Mother’s Day, adding a bouquet of flowers will be a nice touch!
As always, remember the reasons we give gifts. Gifts are meant to be tangible expressions of how much you care about or appreciate someone. You are giving the person something that connects them to you, not just checking a box. Be sure to keep that in mind as you are selecting gifts!