Gifts, Tips

Next Level Gifting: How To Use Your Skills To Spread Smiles

Unless you’ve been MIA for a while, you’ve probably noticed that there’s some kind of occasion to celebrate pretty much every day these days. While it’s nice to be nice, all this gifting can be pricey. There’s also the pressure of trying to be original all the time. Gone are the days of buying a pair of socks or a bottle of perfume. Now, everyone wants to get that awesome gift that nobody else will have thought of. If you’re on a budget or you’re desperate to stand out from the crowd with your innovative, quirky presents, you’ve come to the right place. It’s time to use your skills to spread smiles. Here are some examples of how you can channel your creativity and style to make others happy.

Customized clothing

Many of us have new clothes on our birthday and Christmas lists. While for some, hitting the mall and picking out a bag, a pair of sneakers or a top may seem like a dream brief, for others, this can be a tricky task. If you’ve decided that you want to give the gift of clothing, you’re interested in accessories or you’re planning a new outfit, it’s time to step up your game. There’s nothing wrong with an off the shelf tee or a pair of box-fresh trainers, but you could do so much better. If you’ve got a fashionable friend or a partner who’s always been too cool for school, customization is the way to go. Use your creative talents and your DIY skills to elevate those pieces to the next level. Anyone can buy a plain tee, but it’s not every day you receive a customized top, is it? Come up with some designs and take them to a printing shop or order your bespoke tee online. You could also buy a basic jumper or jacket and use your crafting abilities to add embellishments, patches, badges or logos. If you’ve got a sneaker fan in your midst, why not add a name or a special date to make that pair unique? Don’t know how to sew? You can find more great sewing tips and product reviews from our friends at Teach You To Sew.

 

Image via https://pixabay.com/en/blue-denim-jacket-clothing-fashion-2566082/

Baked goods

Who doesn’t love cake, right? If you’ve mad skills in the kitchen, why not use them to share the love with friends and family? Depending on your forte, you could create a batch of personalized cupcakes, muffins or biscuits or you could design a cake fit for the occasion. If you’re really creative, you can also design the packaging. Baking is a great way to treat the people you love without spending a fortune, and it shows that you really care about them. There’s really no contest between a pair of socks and a box of homemade cakes.

Image sourced from https://pixabay.com/en/tart-chocolate-tarts-cream-cake-2002829/

Custom-made cards

Most people are more interested in gifts than cards, but if you spotted a homemade gem in the pile, you’d probably sit up and take notice. If you’re a dab hand with glue dots, you’re always coming up with new designs in your head, and you recognize the importance of a personal touch, use your creativity and capability to design handmade masterpieces. You could create cards for birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Christmas and weddings to name just a few. The recipient will be thrilled with the finished article, and they’ll probably be very grateful for the effort you’ve put in. You can also save a fortune on shop-bought cards and have fun in the process.

Hand-stamped Cards

Picture credit https://www.flickr.com/photos/picturesbyann/16361531649

Bespoke hampers

If you’ve ever browsed sites that sell presents for birthdays, baby showers or Christmas, you may have come across gift hampers. There’s no doubt that most of the hampers you see online or in luxury department stores look incredible, but often, the price can catch you off guard. If you’re thinking that you’re not getting much for your money, and you’ve got an eye for presentation in addition to DIY and crafting skills, you could always create your own versions. You can tailor the contents of the hamper to suit the individual and their tastes and interests, and you can personalize the design to make them feel ultra special. Whether you’re a maestro in the kitchen or you make your own soaps, lotions, and potions, you can produce a wonderful gift that’s guaranteed to impress.

Image courtesy of https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D1%8D%D0%BC%D1%8D%D0%BD%D0%B8

Top notch knitwear

Are you a wizard with the knitting needles or do you love to design your own clothes? Having skills in this department is brilliant when it comes to gifting. What could be better than receiving a handmade scarf, bobble hat or snood or some bespoke cushions for the couch? Many people find knitting and sewing therapeutic and relaxing, and you’ll be working on something that cannot be bought in a shop. Your friend, sibling or parent will be delighted with their unique gift, and you may even find that other people want to place orders.

Image by https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-white-and-brown-parka-jacket-wearing-grey-knitted-bobble-hat-near-blue-sea-under-white-sky-715231/

Embracing upcycling

Do you love vintage furniture or have you got a passion for interior design? Are you a fan of antiques or do you love cutting-edge concepts? If you’re a fan of design and you’ve got friends or family members who are passionate about interiors or always on the lookout for a new piece for their home, why not embrace the upcycling trend? You can take an old table and turn it into a beguilingly beautiful centerpiece for a living room or transform a battered old chair into a seat fit for a king or queen.

Image from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chaises_proven%C3%A7ales.jpg

Are you a creative person? Do you love to spend your time sewing, knitting, concocting new recipes or cake designs or crafting bespoke cards? If you’ve got talents, why not use them to bring good cheer to others and save yourself a little bit of money in the process? If you’re searching for next level gifts for the special people in your life, the key could lie in your creative skills. You can use your vision and your talents to elevate basic, simple ideas to the next level, inject a personal touch and create something that you could never take off the shelf in a store.

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