Thoughtful Gift Giving for Connection
In this time of disconnect, thoughtful gift giving that communicates genuine care is so valuable.
You may feel distant right now from family or friends you love, either physically due to social distancing guidelines currently in place, or intellectually, based on beliefs that leave you feeling very far apart.
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So, how can we use thoughtful gift giving to build back some connection?
In a world where consumption is being recognized for the burden that it is - in our homes, on our wallets, and on the environment we live in - taking the time to give thoughtful and sentimental gifts is more meaningful than ever.
What do I mean by gift giving from the heart, or giving for connection? I mean focusing on spending more time, and thought, than money.
If this sounds hokey to you, stick with me.
I am not talking about giving your mom a homemade pinch pot that you made at the fair when you were ten.
I mean real, present, thoughtful gifting.
Ideas for Heartfelt Gifts
Gifting from the heart doesn't mean cheap or thoughtless, or thrown together.
It can revive a sense of meaning in your gifts instead of checking things off a shopping list and feeling money stressed.
Check out these ideas below!
Show a Small Business some Love
Search for some great small businesses in your friend or family member's area, and gift them a few small gift cards for them to try a new place!
This could be a fun "tour of your town" gift, with a little tidbit of information about each small business and why you chose that place for them!
This is perfect for our current times when many small businesses or minority owned businesses need a little extra love from extended closures due to the pandemic.
Gift something Funny
Laughs are so needed today. Don't discount a quality funny gift!
One of my closest friends once found a website that allowed you to make your own label for a candle.
So, what did she do?
She photoshopped a picture of our favorite professor, so I could light the candle and "pray" to him whenever I needed some guidance to get me through grad school. Amazing, right?!
I took some inspiration from her and found someone on Etsy who also made photoshopped artwork, and gifted my boyfriend a framed print of our dog dressed up as 16th century royalty. Then the next year, I put our dog's sweet face on some socks.
A very dapper doggo
If you love inanimate objects with cursewords on them as much as I do, you'll love this hilarious cookbook, "What the F*%k Should I Make for Dinner?," along with its partner, "What the F*%k Should I Drink."
These are some heartfelt and hilarious gifts that I get a kick out of often, and your friend surely will too!
Seriously, the internet can be your best friend in creating a hilariously thoughtful gift.
Gift a Personal Letter
Ah, the age-old heartfelt letter - a classic.
Give the person a memory that you've had with them in written form. It is always so special to be thrown back into a sweet moment in the past from someone else's perspective.
This is always one of my most cherished gifts to receive!
Write a Poem
That's right, even if you don't consider yourself "a poet." We're not asking you to define your identity here, we're saying get creative!
Write a few lines about a topic that reminds you of the person you're gifting it to. Or if you're great at vulnerability, write a poem about what that person means to you.
Bonus points if you handwrite it on some fancy paper!
Gift a Guided Journal
These are some of the greatest things ever invented.
Gift your friend or family member a creative boost with some amazing prompts to inspire and get them bumped in a great direction in life.
We can all use a boost from a smart notebook every now and then!
Here are some of my absolute favorites:
Becoming: A Guided Journal for Finding Your Voice, by Michelle Obama
Soul Pancake: Chew on Life's Big Questions, by Rainn Wilson (Yes, Dwight Schrute himself!)
Year of Yes Journal, by Shonda Rimes
Let That Shit Go, by Monica Sweeny (She also has a bunch more journals with a bunch more cursing, isn't that just *%!$ing great?).
Make a Collection of Handmade Cards
Got stock paper? Got old cards? Got a pen? You're good to go on making some beautiful cards to gift!
I like to save up old cards and get crafty every now and then by cutting out some phrases or pictures and pasting them onto new stock paper to become a beautiful collaboration of something new.
You can make a set of any-occasion cards for your friend to send out whenever they need! Birthday cards, thinking of you cards, sympathy cards, just saying hi cards, congratulations cards - you name it!
Gift a Curated Photo Album
There is nothing better in the age of social media, then sitting around and flipping through some hard-copy photos.
Print out pictures of your favorite memories together, and include a note next to each about what you loved from that day.
If you like the photo album vibe, but want something a little more modern, consider making a Shutterfly album (or even make them online through a wholesaler like Costco!).
I have made several of these books to remember a special summer or family trip and I love flipping through them every now and then for a smile.
Get Artsy!
If you are artistic - or not artistic, but very very patient - try making a painting or sketch to gift to your loved one.
I have so much admiration for people who can picture beautiful things in their mind, and translate it to paper.
If this is you, know that your friends would love to be loved with your talent!
Gift a scene of a favorite place you've gone together, recreate an old photograph, or paint or draw your loved one - there are no bad ideas here!
Make some Wine Bottle Candles
Dangerous? A little.
Beautiful? You absolutely bet!
I don't know about you, but I drink a healthy amount of wine at my house. I spent a weekend last year in the kitchen making candles from wine bottles that I had saved, and they turned out beautiful!
There were definitely some casualties (see the imperfect cut in the picture above), so make sure you have extra bottles because this is a tricky task to master. I would definitely recommend taking babies or pets to daycare for the day cuz again, things can get messy!
You'll need wine bottles (with the labels still on), a large bucket (think Home Depot), wicks, soy wax (it's much better for you and the Earth, friend - trust me), an old pot that you don't mind completely destroying with wax, and some cool scents!
Each of the linked items here are the exact products that I used. If you're looking for the whole deal together, here's a one-and-done kit to try!
Remember, it's a super fun project to tackle, but it's definitely got a learning curve! Once you master it, you're on your way to making some kickass gifts your friends and fam will adore.
Plan a Staycation Exploration Weekend
Ever wanted to play travel agent? Now's your chance!
Gift a ready-made itinerary of things to do and sights to explore locally, with available dates for your friend to choose from! Now your trip is planned and it's on your calendar to look forward to - what a knockout special gift.
You can even go full-introvert and make it a themed "getaway" in your living room. Want to watch Mulan on the couch in your matching jammies while eating homemade cookies? Yes, please!
If you or your loved one has had a trip cancelled in the past few months with travel restrictions, you can even plan a re-created themed staycation!
Oh, you were planning to go to Denver? Sounds like your staycation weekend includes getting to break in your hiking boots on some local trails, drinking craft beer from out west (if you can find some at your local store!), and wearing a beanie with every outfit no matter the occasion. (To my Denverites, you know it's true!)
This is a seriously thoughtful gift to reconnect with your homie, and enjoy time together until your "real" trip can be rescheduled.
Gift some Goodies from a Local Nonprofit
Each local market I've been to (and this is a serious hobby of mine), has hosted some amazing vendors from various nonprofits.
I've gotten packs of holiday cards that had photographs of the city taken by people who were homeless - beautiful and a sincere reminder to be thankful for everything I have. The profits went back to an organization that funds a local homeless shelter.
I have also purchased pre-packed homemade dog treats made by adults with disabilities from a local group home, and my doggo was heckin pleased!
The best place to find these creative gems seems to be a local farmers market or pop-up shop, but don't be discouraged if your city doesn't host these!
The internet is boundless, my friend. So get to Googling, and see what special gifts you can still shop for while supporting some truly incredible organizations!
Gift an Event!
Grab a Groupon for a "Painted with a Twist" class, Zoo lights, Drag Brunch, or a local play.
Put your money toward a memory for you and your lucky family member or friend!
Sometimes as an anxious person, I avoided gifting (or receiving) events because I often felt stressed out by having plans made for me.
If you are like me, or even if you just don't know your friend's schedule, make a handmade "ticket" that says something like this: "Yay! I'm totally taking you to zoo lights! Here are the dates we can choose from, pick one and I'll book it and we will have the best time looking at polar bears and drinking hot chocolate in the (hopefully not too cold) cold!"
You get the idea - There are so many ways to get creative with this gift straight from the heart!
Curate Something They Love
Does your friend love obscure Swedish rap? (I have no idea if this exists) Get creative with this gift and do a deep dive of your friend's favorite thing on their behalf, and present them with a thoughtful collection they'll love.
Maybe you make a playlist of their favorite type of music (Swedish rap, anyone?), make a handwritten collection of all of Lena Dunham's best quotes, or a silly grown up book report about all the bet-you-didn't-know facts about the life of their most adored person.
Ask a Talented Friend for Help
I am lucky enough to have several friends who are blossoming artists. I have purchased handmade jewelry from a sweet friend from grad school, a screen-printed shirt from an outrageously talented girl I went to high school with, and a hand-painted stained wooden sign for our basement bar from one of my neighbors.
Reach out to your artistic friends with some ideas for a unique commissioned piece to gift to your loved one.
It's the best win-win!
So, What Thoughtful Gifts Will You Give this Year?
I hope that your creative brain is all kinds of lit up after scrolling through this post!
There are so many sentimental gifts we can give to others to foster feelings of connection and spread joy, no matter what the occasion. So get creative and enjoy searching for or creative that perfect gift from the heart.
If there's a gift you love to give from the heart that's not on this list, tell us in the comments so we can spread the love!
Let's keep that connection train a-runnin'
Yours in Gifting from the Heart,
Emily Rose // Miss Magnolia
Looking for more? Check out these posts!
How to Experience and Express Gratitude - Expressing gratitude, even in hard times, is the surest way to reframe your mindset to look for and hold tightly to experiences you may be discounting, and help build a strong foundation of the life that you already have, and the life you are trying to create.
Books for the Self - Check out this powerful list of books to build yourself up. There is nothing like feeling seen, understood, or finding words for what you can’t describe by reading someone else’s story. Books make the best presents in my book (See what I did there?).
Eco-Friendly Gift Giving - So you’re trying to be conscious of consumer culture, but you still need to get your friend a birthday/holiday/shower present. You want to celebrate your friend, but you don’t want to hop off that eco-friendly train just for an obligatory gift that fits the norms. Well, we are here to think outside the Amazon box my friend!