4 Timeless Gifts That Won’t Disappoint No Matter the Occasion

Whether you don’t know the recipient that well, have a hard time figuring out their preferences, or just want to stock up on an arsenal of gifts to have ready anytime you need one, it’s always wonderful to be that person who just gives the best gifts. There are some gifts that are just so classic and timeless that they’re guaranteed to prove a winner with anyone, at anytime. Here are four ideas for gifts that will seal your reputation as the best gift giver around.

Indulge the Senses

When people are buying things for themselves, they tend to make purchases that they feel are useful and items that will last a long time. Even when they’re ‘treating themselves,’ there’s still a lot of pressure to buy something that serves a purpose. It’s wonderful to gift someone with something that they just would never buy themselves, but nonetheless would truly enjoy. A basket filled with luxury food items, delicacies or truly special fruits is a great choice. If you get enough of a selection, you’re guaranteed to include something that the person will savor the experience of eating. If there are a few things that aren’t to their liking, they’ll get to enjoy having the popularity of sharing special things. Another great option is bath items, the truly indulgent sort that people rarely buy for themselves, but are well-made, smell incredible and are beautifully presented.

All of these items are temporary. They’ll be used and then gone, but that makes them all the more special. People will be gaining an experience; one they’d not have gotten had you not given the gift. Because these gifts operate by activating the sense of taste, smell or touch, they are experienced on a very deep level, and enjoyed in a way that a more logical gift just can’t be.

A large part of making this gift a success is in the presentation. Many gourmet food stores and luxury bath product sellers will package items in a basket with nice decorations, or you can do it yourself. A great way to add the perfect finishing touch to either a pre-packaged gift basket or a DIY one, is to add a personal touch. Consider tucking into the gift basket a decorative wooden spoon personalized with the recipient’s name.

Portals to What We Love

Wherever we are in life, there will always be people and places that we love, that we don't get to visit enough. What we miss most could be family and friends who live far away, it could be our favorite vacation spot, or it could be our favorite activities that we don't get a chance to do that often, from whitewater kayaking to horseback riding. By displaying photographs of those things we miss, they become a part of our lives throughout our day. What better gift to give than an open ticket to mentally visit the people and places they love. And the most meaningful way to do that is in a beautiful frame that will encourage the recipient to proudly display the picture in their home, all the more. Show you know what is most meaningful to your friend by going the extra mile and personalizing the frame, giving the gift that extra special touch.

Make it Personal

To pull off the homemade gift, it’s important that you play to your strengths, and are honest with yourself about what those strengths are. Also, it’s a great idea to combine the DIY route with the purchased one.

If you’re an excellent cook, what are ways that you can translate that into a gift? Baked goods are nice, but for a gift, it’s best to give something with some shelf life. Canned items, oils and vinegars are great choices that last a long time. Still stuck on the idea of a home baked item, because what tastes better than that. Not much, but it’s even better when the smells of the cookies baking fill the entire house. If your friend has admired your baking skills and always says they wish they could learn, consider putting together the dry ingredients in a mason jar with carefully hand written instructions and tying it together with beautiful ribbon. Present it in a basket with the necessary baking items like your favorite brand of baking sheet and a cooling rack, And you wouldn’t go amiss by including a personalized apron or rolling pin.

The Gift of Experience

While having a tangible item is nice, so often they get relegated to a corner and forgotten to collect dust. What doesn’t get forgotten is a one of a kind experience, in which the recipient gets to enjoy the time spent doing the activity and then take home the memories which last a lifetime as the ultimate souvenir.

Check out reviews for the best restaurants in their local area. Oftentimes, small, local restaurants won’t have an official gift certificate program, at least not one advertised online, but if you call directly, you’ll often find them quite accommodating in letting you work out how to pay for a friend’s dinner from afar. And your friend will be impressed by the time you took to figure out what would be truly meaningful for their local area. Give them everything they need to keep many memorable nights recorded by including a personalized cork keeper with the certificate.

Some other great options for experiential gifts are those that encourage adventures. Maybe there’s a local climbing gym, or a certificate for cooking classes or wine tastings. If your friend is headed on a trip, look into popular activities where they’re traveling to, and buy something that will upgrade the trip for them, such as tour of a special local spot or a boating excursion. What better way to present the gift than with a personalized luggage tag.

To succeed in being the consummate gift giver, use your knowledge of that person to get something that they will uniquely appreciate. Or use the knowledge that you don't know the person that well, and choose something that will be universally appreciated. But whichever route you choose, what separates the best gift givers from everyone else, is going the extra mile, showing you've put in real thought to give a gift that is personalized and was selected especially for the recipient.