Who: A close friend with a celebrity fetish, particularly a
friend that subscribes or purchases celebrity, fashion, or sports magazines
frequently.
What: Try a gift store or craft shop for two nice frames,
try a bigger frame for both, at least a 5X7 for example. Using either a new magazine or one in your
possession, carefully remove a photo of a favorite actor/actress, musician,
politician, etc. Insert into the
frame. The result is a lasting and quality
display of their fav celeb (one that they have other cutouts of in their room
perhaps). Include an instant camera
too. The two of you can use it to get a
perfect shot to fill the other frame.
4. Creative Mug
Who: An acquaintance’s birthday, high school or college
graduation (especially if you’re a grad yourself and you have to give out lots
of gifts at many more grad parties), close family members (esp. good for
holidays like mother’s day or father’s day), an “office” present (for a co-worker’s
birthday especially). This is best for
shopping when you don’t know the person’s shopping habits very well.
What: Not just a mug of course, but a filled mug. Run out to a local card or gift shop. Find an empty mug there that is colorful or
has a relevant message on it (“Happy Birthday”, “Congratulations” etc). Walk around the store picking out small items
that fit into the mug. Mix up more serious choices like nice pens or expensive
candy, with lighthearted ideas such as small, cheap toys, noisemakers,
etc. Some items easily found in such a
store that work universally include keychains, bookmarks, stationary (esp. for
the office present), candy, and stickers. Buy some colorful, shredded paper or
gift tissue. The key to this gift is
making it look festive, which can be done very easily with great results. Presentation is definitely a main strength of
this gift. Fill the mug halfway with the
paper filler and arrange your items in it until it looks good to you. Try to pull some of the paper (or add more)
so that the color of the filler paper is visible and adds vibrancy and fun to
the appearance. Add a ribbon or stick-on
bow to the middle of the mug. Make a
homemade “to/from” tag, punch a hole in one corner, then using a ribbon or
string tie it to the handle of the mug.