Why is finding the right gift hard?
At least once a day, a person walks into our shop with a look of dread. That look has become familiar to us at Scarlet Tassel, it’s the look of “I don’t know what gift to get for a special occasion, for a special person, for a colleague at work, for a friend’s child, the list goes on.
Here are 5 tips to make gift buying easier:
Set a budget prior to shopping. This can be influenced by how well you know the person and what the occasion is. A friend’s new baby is a completely different gift giving budget than a farewell gift to someone you don’t know all that well at work, but feel compelled to have a gift at the farewell office party.
What are their hobbies? What do they love to do? Is this gift for a friend you know loves wine? How about a wine stopper or a beautiful tea towel? Either of these can be budget friendly or higher priced. For a budget friendly choice, a goody bag with cocktail napkins and matching guest towels.
A newborn or baby gift is really more for the parents, so we’ve found our magnetic closure baby clothes are one of the most popular items. No figuring out where the snaps begin and end. A soft blanket is always useful, and it may be the one the grown up child takes to college because they’ve slept with it every night.
For the person who has everything, a gift card is not always the answer. You can never go wrong with a book. A coffee table book is always great. These books can be stacked on a shelf, in an office or the coffee table.
Give from the heart. A gift is something that should say. “I’ve thought of you and want celebrate you with this gift”. Price is not a factor in this approach, it’s all about value. Some of my most treasured items are little gifts my young children made for me. This can translate to an adult gift. One of our most gifted items are small marble stones, hued from quarries in Ephesus. Scripture is written on each stone, and the cost is $12 -$16 depending on size. These are some of the most cherished gifts, a scripture can comfort a friend, encourage a graduate, soothe a troubled soul and celebrate an important occasion.
If you have the occasion to stop in the shop, ask any of us to help you with a gift. We’re pretty good at it, we’ve done it many time before!
Live Beautifully!
