How to Craft Meaningful Gifts That Go Beyond Material Possessions

For generations, gifts were given as personal, thoughtful, meaningful items or experiences. Then, the world got busy, and many people took to grabbing something on a shelf somewhere and throwing some wrapping paper on it. (Who can blame them?) Now, gift cards have come into high fashion, which is perhaps the least personal gift of all (though not always unwarranted).

If you’re hoping to bring meaningful, personalized gift-giving back, there are ways to do it well. And it often comes in the form of getting crafty. Don’t worry: you don’t have to be a craft master. Read on for insights into how to create a gift that will touch the heart of your recipient.

Know Your Recipient

The first step to crafting a meaningful gift is to know your recipient. What makes a gift truly heartfelt is the personalization. When the gift instantly says, “I know you. I see you. I love you,” it will last a lifetime. So, take the time to sit and think about the person you’re crafting for. What are their favorite foods, colors, and hobbies? What is their favorite band? Do they love humor or romance? Or both?

Making a list of their preferences and dislikes can help you come up with the perfect item or items. You could, for example, design and fill a gardening pail for your gardening friend, make a framed collage of pics and tickets from their favorite rock band, or even build a quirky bookshelf to hold their romance novels. The possibilities are endless when you have all the details.

Consider the Occasion

Now, if the reason for the gift is special, be sure to include that in your gift. You don’t want to fill balloons with confetti and glitter for a funeral. Likewise, you don’t want to get morose for a birthday party. Also, think about what the occasion means to the person. Were they close to someone who passed? Is this the “big 5-0” birthday? Their first child?

Build your gift around the occasion and what you know of their feelings about it. Sympathy gifts can be personalized to include framed photos of the deceased. The birth of a child can spark the creation of a new knitted blanket and baby outfit. A big birthday can lead to a video montage of the person’s long, adventure-filled life. The more personal, the better.

Reflect on Shared Experiences

One great way to make your gift more meaningful is to reflect on the times you’ve shared. If you’ve taken a trip together, if you grew up together, if you’ve spent years in the same office, sit with those memories. Your goal as you create a handmade piece is to recreate those memories in physical form.

For childhood memories, you could put together an album of photos with crafty quotes, jokes, stickers, and collected items like tickets and certificates. For office relationships, you can create a puzzle with a picture of you and your coworker or fill a jar with fun work memorabilia. For a lifelong friend, consider a piece of artwork that’s unique to your bond.

Respect Their Lifestyle

Part of knowing the person you’re crafting a gift for is ensuring you respect the way they live, even if (especially if) it’s different from yours. If you’re an outdoorsy person, but they’re not, don’t give them hand-painted gardening tools. If you’re a meat-eater, but they’re vegan, don’t make them chicken soup. You get the idea.

Some of the most fun gifts can be repurposed purchases from pawn shops and thrift stores. Wander the aisles and markets and find something that reminds you of the recipient. Then, turn it into something new, unique to the person and their lifestyle. You can paint over an old watering can, collect photos and engrave a memory box, or fix up an old sign.

Think Outside the Box

And remember, a created, crafty, thoughtful gift doesn’t have to be an actual craft, such as paint, glue, and glitter. Some of the best, craftiest gifts are the unexpected ones that shock and awe. While you can certainly put fun, memorable, handcrafted items into a box, you might make more of an impact if you throw out the box entirely.

This out-of-the-box creativity can mean a video montage of shared memories that showcase the fun times you had together. You could create a digital playlist of all of your recipient’s favorite songs, or inspirational songs to get them fired up. You might design and create beautiful jewelry with discovered gems and precious metals. There are so many ways to get out of the gift box.

Put It Inside a Basket

Get out of the box and into a basket! While boxes can hold memories, baskets can hold exciting items to unwrap. A basket of gifts might be one of the most exciting “meta” gifts to receive, especially if you decorate the basket with your touches, like spray paint or hodgepodge, ribbons, or bows.

You can create a gift basket from anything, and you can make it unique to the person and the occasion. For a sick friend, you can put together a basket of tissues, soups, teas, a mug, and a cozy blanket. For a new baby, design a basket with a new knitted blanket and booties, a handcrafted baby book, and little infant toys and books. A basket of goodies is welcomed by all.

In the end, you can get incredibly creative with your crafting when it comes to meaningful gifts. You can make memory boxes or think outside of the box. You can make a basket of goodies or design a playlist or video montage to bring in a rush of feelings. And you don’t have to be an artist. Just create from your insights and your heart. Those are the best gifts.