Holiday Gifting-Think Outside the Gift Box

It always amazes me this time of the year how many different brands and even individual blogs will come out with a huge holiday gift guide. Some mean well, but many come off with the attitude that if we all don’t buy the newest and most expensive items out our friends and family will sure to be disappointed in us. I find gifting to be very personal and specifically tailored to who I am giving the gift to and try to steer away from the typical gifts.

I think sometimes we get too caught up on the commercial and materialistic side of the holiday forgetting about the true meaning of the holiday. Many forget about simple exchanges of kindness like sharing love and light with others. Buying material things shouldn’t be the sole focus of the holiday season. Going into debt to try to impress people for the holiday isn’t worth the effort and it will cost later.

This holiday season I want to encourage you to think outside the gift box. There are many things you can gift to family and friends that won’t fit in a traditional gift box or break the bank. These gifts however may mean even more though than something to be set up on a shelf. Some of these types of gifts are free or low cost, yet carry worth and value to the one you’ve gifted it to.

Ideas for Free Holiday Gifts

Doing something for someone out kindness can be both rewarding and valuable. Making a coupon/voucher to give to someone as a gift is a great example of a free gift to give. For example, someone with children might appreciate a coupon/voucher for a night of free child sitting. This would cost the giver nothing, but their time and a night out could be priceless for a busy Mom or Dad.

Other coupon ideas could include: washing a car, cleaning up a yard, cutting someone’s grass, helping them with a household task, feeding a pet for them and many others. These coupons/vouchers can be added into a holiday card or given on their own.

The Gift of Food

Giving the gift of food can be a relatively low cost gift. Making cookies, soup, bread or even a full meal and delivering it to a friend or family member can speak volumes of love and kindness. Some say nothing says loving like something from the oven! I know I personally appreciate when someone takes the time out to bake something for me.

Colorful packaging like holiday food bags or ziplocks can add to this type of gift and make it festive. Mason jars make the perfect storage for soup gifting and cake/cookie mixes for example. Sharing a favorite recipe with someone in the process so they can remake the item or a story/history about the food item can add to the originality of the gift.

Handmade Gifts

If you’re the crafty type you might already have the perfect gift ingredients on hand. From painting a picture, calligraphy on a card, writing down a poem, beading/jewelry making, needle point, crochet, quilting and crafts these types of handmade gifts are super unique and typically cost friendly. A simple idea would be making a mask cover. Many places still require them so grabbing up some scrap fabric and making someone a mask cover is still a good handmade gift idea.

If you’re not the crafty type with these types of supplies already in your home there are kits even at the Dollar Store to make little sun catchers, ornaments, cards and other small items. This type of gift might cost you a few dollars, but you’ll often have materials to spare and make more than one. A dollar picture frame with a favorite photo plus a few stickers or some writing is another easy craft to make. Remember handmade gifts don’t have to be perfect. The uniqueness of this gift is in the imperfections.

Give an Experience

One of my favorite gifts to give personally is an experience. This type of gift won’t fit into a gift box with a pretty bow, but the love and memories will wrap themselves around and last forever. Something as simple as planning a picnic for a loved one in their favorite spot could be magical and cost effective. In addition if you know a museum, sporting event or place they would like to go check online and sometimes free or low cost tickets can be found.

Depending on the choice of location or events this gift can cost as little or as much as you’re wanting to spend. Traveling to a new or exotic place can be both memorable and exciting, but sometimes the most simple and quiet moments are the ones that make for the best memories. A gift of time to a loved one can make a huge impact and be very meaningful.

Support Local Businesses with Holiday Gifting

Arranging for a service that someone might need could make for the perfect holiday gift and also, help support a local business. Many business would be happy to work together to make a special gift for your friends and family. Business often offer specials and discounts during the holiday which could make this type of gift cost effective.

At the holiday season many people deep clean their houses and rearrange for incoming guests. Depending on how many family and friends stay over during the holidays freeing up extra space could be an invaluable gift to many. One specific service that could be purchased to aid in this would be with a moving services to help move around the heavy furniture. I speak from experience moving things like a piano, hot tub or pool table isn’t for the faint of heart.

Moving services from ★Star City Services★ offer great options like packing/unpacking, storage of furniture, disassembly/reassembly and much more. This could make for a great gift for the person that seems to have everything and encourage your friends and family to leave the heavy lifting to the professionals. In addition if your friend or family member has a business and is in need of moving around things in it or moving to a new location giving them a gift from Roanoke Commercial moving services might be ideal. The gift of moving services might be extremely beneficial to a senior citizen or a family member that lives far away too.

Thinking outside the gift box this holiday season may help to make this the most memorable holiday season yet for your family and friends. Remember acts of kindness can be free to give and come in a variety of forms. The ideas given in this blog are just a small sample of the many options available for gifts that won’t go under the tree, but instead will be held in the hearts of those that receive them. Have a Happy Holiday and may kindness return to you ten folds.