If you know me well, then you know that one of my favorite things is gift giving! The whole process is so fun for me, I love picking out the perfect gift & I also love wrapping it! I probably get more excited about the gifts I give than the people that are receiving them. I blame my mom for this fascination, she is the most amazing gift giver ever…it’s usually hard to top her. She taught me everything I know about the subject & now I will entrust you with her secrets…
A few of her golden gift giving rules/tips are:
1. Great gifts don’t have to cost a lot of money. Think outside the box, you can find unique items in unexpected places – dollar stores, thrift stores, tj maxx, marshalls, big lots, cracker barrel’s, local markets/handmade markets, cute local candy/general stores in your downtown areas & of course if you plan ahead, the world wide web (fredflare, photojojo, etsy, ebay, etc.)
2. Presentation is everything! Think of inventive ways to really wow the receiver before they even open the gift. I usually try to hand-make the wrapping paper &/or the card, I try to make something they can reuse (like if you make the card into a little piece of artwork, they could possibly frame it)
3. Collecting lots of small, inexpensive items & presenting them in fun little reusable containers not only looks amazing but can be so fun for the receiver to open. (tj maxx & marshalls always have the greatest little containers, all shapes, styles & colors) – [my mom wraps our christmas presents in stackable boxes every year (that she always matches to our home decor), each box has prizes in them & then we get to use the boxes to decorate with – I can’t tell you how fun this is! My sister-in-laws & I always try to figure out which stacked boxes are ours under the tree each year!]
4. With regards to rule #3, it’s fun & easier to find smaller prizes for a “basket” if you pick a theme. (this could be colors, event, hobby, home decor, etc. – the possibilities are endless)
5. Don’t be afraid to hand-make your gift!! Some of my all-time favorite things are handmade. If you don’t have any ideas of what to make, try searching the internet for diy’s that fit your “crafting” abilities.
These golden rules can apply to any type of gift, no matter how big or small the event – birthdays, house warmings, hostess gifts, showers, care packages etc. The more creative you get the better!! & the receiver always notices the extra thought & work you put into the gift!
So with all that said, I will share with you one of my recent fun gifts I gave. My amazing sister-in-law is moving ALL the way from Georgia to New Mexico! She is so brave & adventurous, I love that about her! We had a little going away dinner with her recently & I knew I wanted to get her something special for her travels. She is road-tripping it across the country (I am so jealous I can’t tag-along)! I decided to put together a little Road Trip Kit to keep her company along the way & to have little reminders of us on her journey.
[detailed list of items below images]
Road Trip Kit Essentials!
1. Snacks are a must! I chose items that were healthy, provided energy & wouldn’t melt in the car. Target has amazing inexpensive trail mixes!
2. Reusable cup – fits in car drink holder, doesn’t “sweat” & has a straw – perfect! (from Target)
3. Road Atlas
4. Gum
5. Hand sanitizer & hand lotion – travel size – convenient & also inexpensive.
6. Wet ones
7. Burt’s Bees lip balm
8. Tiny can of Altoids
9. Travel pop-out brush & mirror
10. Hello Kitty band-aids – just in case.
11. Classic tree air fresheners
12. Travel size Kleenex
13. Framed photos of us & her puppy nieces so she doesn’t forget us! 🙂
*not photographed – a mix cd made by my husband Creed for her listening pleasure
I packaged it all in a little container that could be re-used as a trash can in her car & I designed the little Road Trip Kit tag on the computer. Most of the items were found at Target in the travel & dollar section. Very inexpensive but super fun! (she loved it!)
Hello!! My name is Meghan, I’m a 28 year old self-taught knitter & university-taught artist that lives & breaths all things colorful, texture-ful & magical. I love many things but some of the constants are knitting, photography, collecting cameras (especially traditional film & polaroids), crafting & spending time with my family. I’m a do-it-yourself kinda gal that is willing to try everything once & loves learning new things.