This year, ditch your traditional gift-giving habits and refresh with a more imaginative approach that will knock the socks off your loved ones. We’ve compiled 12 of our favorite gifting techniques to inspire you. Happy gifting!
HOW TO GIVE: MONEY
Gift Card Snow Globe
Christmas shopping for that special someone who is extremely hard to buy for? Take the easy way out with a gift card, but spice it up a bit by putting it inside of a snow globe.
Wreath
A wreath that even Scrooge will enjoy anytime of the year.
Strange containers
Opening an envelope full of money is cool, but finding money in strange places unexpectedly is AWESOME.
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HOW TO GIVE: TICKETS
Golden Ticket
Mix it with love and make the world taste good with the scrumdiddlyumptious golden ticket idea.
Balloon pop puzzle piece
Create a fake ticket and cut it up into different puzzle piece shapes. Then, blow up a bunch of balloons and before tying closed, stick a puzzle piece in each one. Place balloons all over your home and have the ticket-receiver pop the balloons one-by-one. After they have popped all the balloons and solved the puzzle, wah-la! You have successfully created a bit of thrill to complement your ticket.
Board game Clue
If you’re feeling extra adventurous, try customizing a board game where the object of the game is to figure out where they will be going. A good example of this would be to customize the board game Clue. The tickets will be in the envelope at the end of the game. It will take some patience, but that leads to a greater buildup of excitement.
HOW TO GIVE: LARGER GIFTS
Scavenger hunt
For larger gifts, thinking outside the box can get a little tricky, but even adults will be amused with a scavenger hunt. Place the gift in a super-secret spot and leave paper hints leading to its location along the way.
Pictured: Jupiter MOVA Globe
Trick them
Giving a gift so large that it might giveaway what’s inside? Have no fear! Fooling people into thinking they are getting a completely different gift than they are can be a great deal of fun. For example, if the gift you are giving is a new stove, instead of wrapping up the entire box, wrap up a pan. Inside the pan, tape a gift receipt for the stove to a pack of Ramen noodles. Their reaction will be priceless. Or, you could do the opposite and make the gift you are giving completely obvious like this person did.
HOW TO GIVE: FOOD
Shoebox baking kit
An affordable, easy-to-make gift for anyone who loves to bake. Take an old shoebox and place your favorite baked good recipe inside with all (or most) ingredients needed to make it. This is also a fun gift for kids.
Custom bottle labels
Whether it’s soda, beer or wine, if you are gifting a bottle, a custom label will add a personal touch. That way they will something to hold on to long after the bottle has run dry.
Hot cocoa kits
During the holidays, you can’t go wrong with hot cocoa. Just fill mason jars or plastic ornaments with layers of cocoa mix, marshmallows, mint and any other tasty toppings. Simple and sweet.
Engraved glassware
If you don’t want to do a lot of holiday shopping, this is the perfect gift to give to multiple different people in your life.
