If you want your present to stand out in a sea of gifts, make it unusual and thoughtful. Here are some ideas for gifts that are out of the ordinary.
Anyone can go to the local big-box chain store and pick a gift out of the aisles or snag something from a registry, but putting a little thought into the present and coming up with a one-of-a-kind delight will make it a gift the recipient will treasure.
Unusual Children’s Birthday/Christmas Gift ideas
- Apron, chef’s hat, cookbook, boxed cake and cookie mixes, tub of frosting, assorted sprinkles
- 3D puzzle of the Empire State Building, a stuffed gorilla, and the movie King Kong
- A large magnetic dry erase board with markers, an eraser, and toy magnets that they can use to build a scene, such as space, castle, etc. (The Magnetic Creations line is found in many stores.)
- A copy of your favorite video game with a personalized sheet of your tips, tricks, and cheats
- Original Lego creations: Go to Lego.com and build your own lego creation on the computer, such as the gift recipient’s house, pet, or something they like, then buy the pieces to the kit online so they can create it in real life
Unique Wedding Gift Ideas
- Crystal vase with a gift certificate to a local flower shop
- CD of the gift giver’s favorite love songs, recipe card with a favorite dinner for two, candlesticks and holders, a bottle of champagne
- If they are not crafty, offer to make a scrapbook of their honeymoon photos
- A gift that reminds them of where they met (t-shirts from their college, for example) or their first date (gift certificate to their first restaurant) or other nostalgic memorabilia (movie poster or copy of the video of the first film they saw together)
Thoughtful Hostess Gift Ideas
- Arrange for a maid cleaning service to come in the day after the party
- Specialty cocktail napkins printed with funny sayings or trivia or the host and hostess’s names
- A CD of the guests’ favorite songs to be played during the party
- A certificate to the local winery or liquor to replenish their supply with their own choosings
- A party game such as Catch Phrase, Would You Rather?, Mad Gab, Whoonu, or handwritten cards for Charades
Creative Gift Ideas for Anyone
- For the book lover: a copy of your favorite book, a gift certificate to the local book store, an artful bookmark, and a book light or a reading lamp
- For the tech freak: You can choose any of the latest gadgets like phones or if you want to be unique then you can choose spy cameras.
- For a coworker: A personalized bobblehead desktop doll for someone who wants to go all out. A few inexpensive choices: magnetic phrases or words for their filing cabinet to express their mood of the day or glass coasters that allow for a photo to be inserted from the bottom or side. The coasters are found at web sites that sell wedding favors for very little money.
- Use your talents: write the recipient a sonnet, paint them a watercolor painting, take photos of their garden flowers and arrange in a collage frame, use graphic design to change a photo of them of their children into Andy Warhol-esque pop art, give them a certificate to your own ____ of the month (meal, cookies, pie, cake, home-brewed beer), give them a golf lesson, give them interior design tips on the room of their choice, knit them a blanket, etc.
The best way to give a one-of-a-kind gift is to think outside the box and give a gift that comes from the heart. If you’ve given a creative gift, share it in the comment section below.
