When it comes to giving gifts, usually people look for ideas or inspiration on what gifts to pick, but if you already have that in hand, then you might have a little extra time to focus on the presentation and the act of giving, itself. After all, if it’s a particularly special occasion or a particularly special gift, then taking the time to build a little fanfare can make the anticipation all the greater. Whether it’s for Christmas, a birthday, an anniversary, or something else, here are a few ideas on how you can heighten the mood and made gift-giving a little more special.
Make a game out of it
If you’re spending the day with a loved one, then you can build some anticipation for the gits, while making the process of giving them more fun by turning it into a scavenger hunt. Creating a scavenger hunt at home, or somewhere nearby, can be easy. Just think of the locations you can use, whether they hold special memories to you or just make a nice, linear path for them to follow, and think of clues that you can stash in each of them, with the present waiting at the end. It’s great if each clue also comes with a nice sentiment, memory, or gives them some notion as to what the gift is going to be, especially if it’s something they’re likely to be more and more excited by, the more they suspect what it is.
Write a sentimental note for it
Sometimes, it’s not about the gift itself, but rather the emotions that the giving of the gift represents. Embracing the power of sentiment and allowing things to get a little sappy can do a lot to heighten the emotional pitch of a gift. You can write a little letter, whether it’s a love letter to a partner, letting a child know how proud you are of them, or sharing a treasured memory with a friend, that you give to them before the gift or along with it. Of course, with younger children, you will find that they will pretty much gloss over any attempt of sentiment to get to the meat of the gift, so know your audience, as always.
Break out some fancy supplies
If you have a whole ton of gifts to wrap up and give, then you might want to stick with fairly simple wrapping paper and sticky tape combinations. However, if it’s a special occasion or you only have one or two gifts to wrap up, then choosing the right supplies from collections like American Crafts really can make a present really pop. This can include things like ribbons, special cards, stickers, and stamps that you can add to really personalize the gift giving process and to make it feel just that little bit extra.
Make it a bundle of gifts
If you have chosen two or three gifts that you want to give a person, then you can take the time wrap them all up individually, or you can decide to put them all in one box or bag. Not only is this going to make that “one gift” look a lot beefier and impressive, but you can have some fun with it, as well. For instance, you can fill the box or bag with paper ribbons so that the person has to go digging for them, and you can choose a couple stocking fillers to add a little extra variety, humor, or even just something a little more practical or heartfelt to increase the impact of the gift.
Take out the guesswork
Some people love to be surprised and love to see that you know who they are and what they want by having you pick out gifts for them. However, some people are quite picky, or they might just have a few things that they really want or need. If this is someone that you’re going to be getting gifts for in the foreseeable future, you could ask them to start putting together a wishlist of the things that they might want. It may take some of the surprise out of the gift giving experience, but sometimes, getting what you really want is better than any level of surprise. Don’t be afraid to ask your loved one if there’s anything they really have their eye on.
Know the recipient
Most of all, anything that you do above should depend on the type of person that you’re giving a gift to. Not only do you want to make sure that you choose the right gift for the right person, but you want ot give it in a way that they’re likely to appreciate. Some people don’t like a lot of fuss, for instance, so sticking with something simple and heartfelt might work for them. Some people really appreciate presentation and something pretty, some people love sentiment more than anything. Whatever you’re giving them, make sure that you match the giving experience to the type of person, as well.
Focus on beyond the moment of giving the gift
The momentary pleasure of receiving a really cool gift is definitely something to be treasured. However, if you focus too much on the gift-giving itself, and not what comes after, you can end up choosing some really underwhelming items to foist off on your loved ones. This is very much true of a lot of gag gifts. Most of the time, there’s that initial laughter, then some level of embarrassment, then they hide them away until they can safely throw them out without offending the gift giver. If you’re focusing too much on what the experience of opening the gift will be like, you can end up diminishing the experience.
You want to make sure that you match the level of care, attention, and time to the occasion and the gift itself. A few extra steps in gift giving can certainly enhance the moment, but you also don’t want to build it up so much that it creates too much expectation.
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