Many of us are left panic stricken at the thought of gift giving, not because we’re disorganised, but because we simply don’t know what to buy for people. Pinterest’s wealth of suggestions can leave us feeling like we’ve been dropped into the middle of Santa’s workshop itself, so I’ve collected a few of the best to ensure that you have your friends and family covered. Each gift is made up of a suitable ‘container’, filled with a variety of smaller presents that can be adapted to suit your budget.
The film fanatic:
A popcorn box is used for the container of this gift. These can be found online and bought in a variety of sizes. You could fill this with some flavoured popcorn kernels; pick n mix; a new DVD (or cinema tickets if there’s a film you know they’ll love); a bottle of Coke (which could be personalised); or a film strip of some photos of your favourite memories.
The beauty addict:
Can a beauty addict ever have too many make-up bags? They’re bound to love a brand new one filled with lipsticks, mini eyeshadows, nail varnishes, face masks, or mini bath bombs. Cotton wool balls are a good way to pad out the make-up bag and present the contents, as well as being useful for all things beauty.
The aspiring baker:
Depending on how many items you want to include, you could use a pretty mixing bowl or a fancy-shaped cake tin. A nice starting point would be to include a mini book of recipes, and to centre the rest on the ingredients needed. You could buy some of the icings, decorations, cookie cutters or tools so they can get started straight away. (Bonus: you’ll probably get to try some of their creations when they proudly present the product of your gift!)
The one who loves to travel:
Know someone who just can’t stay in one place? A wash bag can be the base of this gift, filled with travel essentials like a matching passport case, luggage tags, travel diary or maybe a selfie stick so they can document their journeys. If you’re a forward planner, you could even purchase train tickets for you both to visit a place you’ve never been to before.
The sentimental one:
This gift could require a little more time, but for the sentimental types, that is the greatest gift. A scrapbook filled with photos, quotes and tickets acts as a souvenir of your favourite times together. This could also be presented in a photo frame, and a nice way to complete it is to include a small note confirming a future event to look forward to: a cinema trip, an exhibition, a restaurant booking, even just a date that you’ll get together.
Assembling these gifts will really get you into the Christmas spirit, so prepare yourself a hot chocolate, put on some festive tunes, grab your cellophane, ribbons and bows — and get wrapping!
