Birthdays are joyous occasions. It gives you the opportunity to express to the person turning yet another year older just how much you appreciate them having navigated another successful year on the planet. As you begin to celebrate more and more birthdays, the gift giving element can become all the more difficult. You can’t go about buying a sweater or the latest Xbox game or a voucher every single year. You need to start thinking outside the box to generate some more innovative and creative gift giving ideas.
The old adage of it is the thought that counts is admirable but not entirely accurate if you are purchasing the same brand of chocolates for every birthday. Instead, you need some ideas that will inspire you to think about gift giving in a new way. Who said a gift needed to be unwrapped? There are plenty of ways you can give a gift that doesn’t result in anything physical to ‘open’ at all! Take a look at this guide to help you work out the next gift you will be giving to the guy who has everything.
Experience
Just because other party guests are arriving with boxes the size of their heads, all expertly wrapped and crafted with bows doesn’t mean your humble envelope doesn’t contain the greatest gift of them all. While your pal may be revelling in the new pairs of socks, the new set of golf clubs and the set of knives that people have so kindly bought for him, it’ll be your diminutive present that will really see a genuine grin appear upon his face.
Experiences are very on trend for gifts at the moment. The art of memory making is nostalgic and will create a more worthwhile and memorable gift than the ‘World’s Most Awesome Friend’ mug that you were tempted to order. Think about the passions of your buddy. Does he love driving? Is he into the latest gastronomic cuisine? Or perhaps he’s keen on anything that will get his adrenaline raging. There are experience gifts for everyone. For the petrol head, consider purchasing a race day so they can go and watch their favourite Formula 1 drivers put the pedal to the metal around a race track. If they fancy being a tad more hands on, you might want to purchase a racing experience for them so they can hop into a Ferrari, and after some expert tuition, feel the need for speed on their own set of laps around a circuit.
For those individuals who love nothing more than chowing down on the latest experimental culinary delights, why not look into purchasing a tasting menu experience at a Michelin starred restaurant. If your pal is lucky, he might even get to meet the chef and take a tour of the kitchen.
Adrenaline junkies have a wealth of experiences on offer, from bungee jumping to wing walking and from skydiving to rock climbing. Experiences allow you to empower your friend to make the most incredible memories. So much better than a mug…
Personalise
For the most thoughtful of gifts, why not consider personalising an item that you know means a lot to your pal. Why not head to a gift fair in 2018 and take a look at the wealth of stalls eager to secure your custom. You could head over to a customisable jewellery stall and get a ring engraved with a significant date or have a locket engraved with your mate’s initials. Perhaps your pal is sports mad and would love a running vest with his lucky number on it or a pair of golf shoes adorned with his name or his kids names. Rather than just picking up the latest pair of Nike golf classics, go one step further and create something bespoke. This shows a more thoughtful and creative gift that can be enjoyed for years to come.
The old adage of it is the thought that counts is admirable but not entirely accurate if you are purchasing the same brand of chocolates for every birthday. Instead, you need some ideas that will inspire you to think about gift giving in a new way. Who said a gift needed to be unwrapped? There are plenty of ways you can give a gift that doesn’t result in anything physical to ‘open’ at all! Take a look at this guide to help you work out the next gift you will be giving to the guy who has everything.
Image Credit
Experience
Just because other party guests are arriving with boxes the size of their heads, all expertly wrapped and crafted with bows doesn’t mean your humble envelope doesn’t contain the greatest gift of them all. While your pal may be revelling in the new pairs of socks, the new set of golf clubs and the set of knives that people have so kindly bought for him, it’ll be your diminutive present that will really see a genuine grin appear upon his face.
Experiences are very on trend for gifts at the moment. The art of memory making is nostalgic and will create a more worthwhile and memorable gift than the ‘World’s Most Awesome Friend’ mug that you were tempted to order. Think about the passions of your buddy. Does he love driving? Is he into the latest gastronomic cuisine? Or perhaps he’s keen on anything that will get his adrenaline raging. There are experience gifts for everyone. For the petrol head, consider purchasing a race day so they can go and watch their favourite Formula 1 drivers put the pedal to the metal around a race track. If they fancy being a tad more hands on, you might want to purchase a racing experience for them so they can hop into a Ferrari, and after some expert tuition, feel the need for speed on their own set of laps around a circuit.
For those individuals who love nothing more than chowing down on the latest experimental culinary delights, why not look into purchasing a tasting menu experience at a Michelin starred restaurant. If your pal is lucky, he might even get to meet the chef and take a tour of the kitchen.
Adrenaline junkies have a wealth of experiences on offer, from bungee jumping to wing walking and from skydiving to rock climbing. Experiences allow you to empower your friend to make the most incredible memories. So much better than a mug…
Image Credit
Personalise
For the most thoughtful of gifts, why not consider personalising an item that you know means a lot to your pal. Why not head to a gift fair in 2018 and take a look at the wealth of stalls eager to secure your custom. You could head over to a customisable jewellery stall and get a ring engraved with a significant date or have a locket engraved with your mate’s initials. Perhaps your pal is sports mad and would love a running vest with his lucky number on it or a pair of golf shoes adorned with his name or his kids names. Rather than just picking up the latest pair of Nike golf classics, go one step further and create something bespoke. This shows a more thoughtful and creative gift that can be enjoyed for years to come.
You might even want to venture online to look at what the more artisan traders are selling. Sites like Etsy are craft based and utilise the skills of many creatives to sell loads of items and wares that simply aren’t available on the high street. If your pal is a techno fiend, why not consider purchasing an upcycled copper pipe iPad stand to fit in with the Steampunk vibe of your best friend’s pad. Or maybe a new hand-knitted scarf evoking a hygge vibe is more apt for your fashion conscious buddy. The unique and wonderful items available on craft sites enables a more thoughtful and fun approach to gift buying.
Image Credit
A Trip
If your pal is venturing off on their travels anytime soon, you might consider linking their gift with their jaunt halfway across the globe. If you can find out their travel dates and you know exactly where they are going to be on any given date, consider gifting them an excursion. If they are spending a few nights in Beijing, buy them some train tickets and the entrance fee to the Great Wall. If they are hot-footing it to Iceland, book them onto a whale watching tour or send them on a Northern Lights hunt while glacier climbing. Adding an element of surprise to their travels and enhancing their trip abroad can make for the perfect thoughtful gift.
It can be torturous trying to think of new and exciting presents to give to your friends for their birthdays. Sometimes all you want to do is put a voucher or some cash in a card and be done with it. Often people seemingly have everything they want. They might have a lovely pad to call home, enjoy driving a sporty little number, go out for dinner at the best restaurants and have a comfortable lifestyle. How on Earth can you enhance the life of a human being like this? You can by bringing an element of thoughtfulness, personalisation and new experiences to your chosen gift. By utilising these gift ideas, you could be in the position to make your friend’s birthday more special, more memorable and more unique.
You might even want to venture online to look at what the more artisan traders are selling. Sites like Etsy are craft based and utilise the skills of many creatives to sell loads of items and wares that simply aren’t available on the high street. If your pal is a techno fiend, why not consider purchasing an upcycled copper pipe iPad stand to fit in with the Steampunk vibe of your best friend’s pad. Or maybe a new hand-knitted scarf evoking a hygge vibe is more apt for your fashion conscious buddy. The unique and wonderful items available on craft sites enables a more thoughtful and fun approach to gift buying.
A Trip
If your pal is venturing off on their travels anytime soon, you might consider linking their gift with their jaunt halfway across the globe. If you can find out their travel dates and you know exactly where they are going to be on any given date, consider gifting them an excursion. If they are spending a few nights in Beijing, buy them some train tickets and the entrance fee to the Great Wall. If they are hot-footing it to Iceland, book them onto a whale watching tour or send them on a Northern Lights hunt while glacier climbing. Adding an element of surprise to their travels and enhancing their trip abroad can make for the perfect thoughtful gift.
It can be torturous trying to think of new and exciting presents to give to your friends for their birthdays. Sometimes all you want to do is put a voucher or some cash in a card and be done with it. Often people seemingly have everything they want. They might have a lovely pad to call home, enjoy driving a sporty little number, go out for dinner at the best restaurants and have a comfortable lifestyle. How on Earth can you enhance the life of a human being like this? You can by bringing an element of thoughtfulness, personalisation and new experiences to your chosen gift. By utilising these gift ideas, you could be in the position to make your friend’s birthday more special, more memorable and more unique.
