Gift Ideas

Overview
Reviews

Overview

This theme is for the crafty person in your life. It works if they enjoy creating hand-made projects, or simply receiving them.
Keep in mind that ‘crafts’ covers a very broad scope including:
- Textiles (eg: knitting, quilting, basket weaving)
- Wood craft (eg: carving, cabinet making)
- Paper craft (eg: painting, scrapbooking, origami)
- Pottery and glass crafts
- Jewelry making
- Beer making
- Floral design
- Model making/painting (eg: trains, figurines)
- Metal work
- Toy making

Think about things that someone who loves crafts would like to receive or do:
- Activities: go to a craft fair, enjoy some craft beer, dine at a craft brewery…
- Hands on/educational: continuing education classes (eg: photography courses, woodworking classes) and workshops (eg: knitting, painting, scrapbooking, pottery, beer making, floral arranging, jewelry making). Check out your local craft store to see what classes they offer. For a fun night out, think about activities like Paint Nite or painting your own pottery with friends.
- Crafts and supplies: artwork, pottery, canvas, paints/brushes, clay, home brewing supplies, yarn, pipe cleaners, glue, etc. You can find a lot of unique crafts done by artists on websites like Etsy.
- Other items: craft desk, craft organizer…
You can keep the theme simple and just present gifts around crafts or you can incorporate other themes. For instance:
- All artwork fits nicely with the sight portion of our Senses theme and beer making/craft beer can be incorporated into the taste portion.
- Art and art supplies can also be easily used in our Types of Therapy theme. If your craft lover also enjoys the art of cooking, check out our Foodie theme.
Think outside the box:
- Try working the theme around different types of crafts. Your main gift might be a craft desk, but you can add all sorts of fun gifts into the theme this way. Your giftee doesn’t have to like doing all the crafts, but you can use the different crafts to expand your gift options. There are no restrictions here, use your imagination. A few examples:
  - Craft: basket weaving. Gift: picnic basket (then go on a picnic).
  - Craft: origami. Gift: check online for easy origami you can do yourself (eg: penguin, flower), create it, then work your gift around it (eg: trip to the zoo, bouquet of flowers).
  - Craft: beer making. Gift: go to a craft brewery for a pint.
  - Craft: jewelry making. Gift: pick up a necklace from a local jewellery designer.
  - Craft: pottery. Gift: go to a paint your own pottery store with your giftee.
  - Craft: toy models. Gift: work it around the specific model (eg: a model airplane could translate to a flight somewhere).
- Make your giftee ‘Kraft’ dinner (aka: ‘Kraft’ macaroni and cheese).
Stuck for ideas? Check out charities that promote art activities in the underprivileged population and considering donating to one on your giftee’s behalf.

Wrapping

Try wrapping your gift with plain paper and applying pictures of crafts onto the gift (eg: paint brush, palette, scissors) or draw them on yourself.
Grab some paint and try making your own masterpiece on a large piece of paper, then use that as wrapping paper. Or let your kids go nuts with paints, glue and glitter and see what happens (aside from a total mess).
Tie a small craft related item into the ribbon around the gift (eg: an origami flower, a paint brush).
Braid the ribbon around the gift.
For smaller gifts, add a unique touch by making your own box.

Presentation

Tell your giftee you’ve ‘crafted’ a gift especially for them.
Use quotes or phrases that relate to your theme when you present the gifts or in your card. For example:
- You have ‘woven’ your way into my heart. Happy anniversary!
- Happy birthday to someone with a lot of ‘art’ and soul.
- Crafting is the best medicine. Hope you feel better soon.
- “Life is a great big canvas. Throw all the paint you can at it.” ~Danny Kaye
- Happy anniversary to someone who has always been young at ‘art’.