It’s the season of weddings, and then there is the occasional birthday, anniversary, or celebration time that calls for a gift. While gift cards and money-in-an-envelope can be easy and practical, it isn’t always heartwarming and nice. Whether you are lousy at choosing gifts, or are dealing with people who don’t know what they want, here are a few ideas you might want to turn to the next time you find yourself in a gift-giving situation.
Matching pillowcases
This is a really good idea for newlyweds or for a couple celebrating their anniversary. You can buy interesting ones at Dhukuti or Mahaguthi in Kupondole or you can opt to make one yourself. Simply buy a fabric of your choice, in a color of your choice (we recommend silk if you are making pillowcases, and cotton or jute for cushion covers), and embroidery a design or paint a quote on them after the stitching is done. You can have the local tailor do the stitching for you if you don’t know how to use a sewing machine.
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A photo collage
Again a really versatile and personal gift, photo collages can be framed and gifted as an interesting décor item. Choose some photos, get them printed (we prefer matt prints over glossy as your fingerprints won’t stick to the photos while making the collage), and simply cut paste it with cute messages in between in a large chart paper. You can really get creative with this one and add personal messages from magazine cutouts as well.
Personalized stationery items
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that every person who loves to read and write is in love with cute notebooks and pens. Today, there are many options available in the Nepali market that cater to your pens and paper needs. We recommend Bhav and Studio Sarcastic for really good quality notebooks in interesting designs. At Bhav, you can even get stickers and personalize a simple notebook yourself. Get a pretty cardboard box, easily available at handicraft stores like Mahaguthi or Dhukuti in Kupondole, and fill it with customized stationery items of your choice for a really thoughtful gift.
Items for the house
You can never go wrong with something for the house, if you don’t know what to get for the owner specifically. Try a throw for the sofa, get it monogramed if you can or even an interesting ceramic or leather catchall for keys and remotes will work just fine. The idea is to give something that is useful or something the person will see on a regular basis and think of you. Some other interesting items would be a quirky wall clock or fridge magnets, mini Bluetooth speakers that resemble soda bottles or cameras, framed posters, and even interesting cutlery.
Customized phone and laptop cases
You can easily turn a regular phone case or a laptop case into a unique piece. There are many DIY tutorials available on YouTube and Pinterest. All you need is a regular phone case or a laptop bag that fits the gadget of the person you are preparing the gift for and some time to let your creativity take over. You can also opt to get customized leather slipcovers for laptops at leather good stores around town. You just have to give them the specifications and they can be made to order. These are things you can be sure the receiver will appreciate.
Gifting an experience
Now this might sound like a replacement of the gift card or money but this requires thought and planning. You will need to know the receiver’s hobbies and preferences. If he/she a sports enthusiast, then you can give them a package for rafting, bungee, or archery and if he/she is a workaholic who hasn’t taken a day’s break in the last two weeks, then maybe a spa package would be just the thing. The idea is to gift them something that makes them feel good and allows them to recharge. This will leave them with lasting memories, one that you helped create.
