The purpose of giving gifts is to show your appreciation to those you care.  Gifts can convey feelings of love, warmth and pride even if you are not able to celebrate an occasion with them in person.

When there is a special event to celebrate, like an anniversary, graduation or a special date like Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day, a gift is one of the few opportunities we have to convey how grateful we are to those we are closest to in our lives.

Luxury gifts

A luxury gift does not need to be expensive but can make others feel extra special. If you are looking for a gift for your girlfriend or wife, your Valentine’s day gifts for her should focus on luxury as well as romance.  A colourful pendant inlaid with diamonds will sit close to her heart and be a constant reminder of your love.

Gifts from home

If you are looking for a gift for someone who is far from home, put together a hamper of all their favourite foods from their home country. If you are buying a gift for a foodie, choose foods from their favourite holiday destination.

This could be a single malt, a haggis and some shortbread from Scotland or a jar of Vegemite, a kangaroo steak and Lamingtons from Australia, for a personal and unique gift that will be appreciated for your thoughtfulness and the time and effort put into creating it.

Memories

Framed photograph

Memories can be preserved by searching out the best photograph taken of the two of you for a friend’s birthday gift or for newlyweds frame the best photo taken of the two of them and have this framed so that it matches their home décor.

Shadowbox display

For something a little different, create a shadowbox display case for either one or several special items.  From his military service records to her wedding dress, a shadow box can preserve the items whilst keeping them on display. You can use the same idea for memorabilia from a fabulous trip you went on or concert tickets and movie stubs from your best dates.

A custom watercolour of their wedding venue

For a deeply thoughtful gift for newlyweds would be to commission a custom watercolour of their wedding venue or location. Commission an independent online artist by providing a photo of the location together with the couple’s full names and wedding date.

Write a book

Write in as much detail as you want about how you met your gift recipient and what your relationship has been like over time. You can make this as simple or as detailed as you like. Go online and create an album on one of the many photo sites that you can send by email or have bound and printed.

Subscription boxes

Subscription boxes are one of the best gifts to consider for everyone on your list. Your uncle might appreciate a crate of specialist beer, send your mother a bouquet each month, for a bookworm gift a subscription to Book of the Month. There are subscription boxes for every topic, every interest so you can find something for everyone to enjoy.