Unique Gifts Tips

Wrap It Up

If you want to give your mate a more traditional wedding anniversary gift, you can make that gift unique by taking care in your presentation.

For instance, you could take a bunch of photographs of the two of you and take them to kinkos, or any local copy shop, put them all together in a color photo copier and make some excellent and romantic wrapping paper. Then all you need to do is pick up a bow and a card!

If you want to get really creative and you have multiple gifts, you could wrap them in the shape of something meaningful, like a champagne bottle:

1. Stack your gifts together, from largest at the bottom to the smallest at the top. (You probably know, at this point, that you may want to plan this ahead with box sizes etc.)
2. Next, get some bottle green wrapping paper and pull it up the sides of your boxes.
3. Use any material to pad it so that it appears round, but don't worry about that too much.
4. Next, put a giant bow around the "neck" of the bottle
5. Grab some of those bows you can find that are just curled ribbon extending from an adhesive tab. You'll want these in silver, off white or pure white. Stick the ribbon to the top of the top box, so the ribbon looks like the foaming champagne.
6. Finally, get creative and either buy or fashion an oval shaped sticker to stick to the front of the bottle, like your champagne label.

If you want to hammer the point home, tie a couple of champagne glasses to your gift. Such unique gift presentation show how thoughtful and fun you are!

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Romantic Surprises

Get romantic!

Don't think small, think experience.

* Talk to her best friend, get her a little black dress from her favorite store and make a reservation for your favorite restaurant. When she comes home, just tell her to pick out some shoes and present her with her new dress.
* Don't tell her where you are going - just surprise her with the restaurant when you arrive.
* Top the night off with something creative like a rooftop bar or a jazz club that will completely sweep her off her feet.

Don't worry about finding a gift for her, find an experience for her and it will last longer than any gift you can come up with.

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Ebay: The Flea Market Online

Ebay is a great source for online gifts, and the options are truly endless. You can get everything from transformers to vintage jewelry, so you won't have any trouble with selection. Ebay is truly great if you really know what you are looking for.

If your gift recipient is a collector of anything, check out some other items in the collection like the brand or maker, the timeframe and the style and hop on ebay to see what is available in the open marketplace. Just think of it as a flea market with a much better selection.

* If you are in a hurry, look for an auction with a "Buy it Now" option so you can just plug in your credit card through paypal and your item will be on its way!

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Online Shopping

The internet has brought both the pleasures and pains of gift giving to all. Now you can order anything you want from the comfort of your home, but there is so much to choose from!

Tons of tiny companies have popped up everywhere offering gift baskets, personalized gifts and other unique gifts that it's tough to know where to begin.

* First do some research - check out a few different websites and try to find the item that you want.
* Next, make sure your online purveyor is secure and uses https:// in their shopping cart software. You want to make your transaction as secure as possible.
* If you really want to do your due diligence, see if your online gift store has a BBB Online seal indicating their membership in the Better Business Bureau. If they pass all these tests, place your order and enjoy!

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Give a Tree

Say it with flowers, but say it forever! One of the most romantic gifts a woman can receive is a beautiful arrangement of flowers, but the problem is that a bouquet of flowers just doesn't last forever.

Consider instead, giving her a tree to plant. It may sound odd, but there is something truly satisfying about nurturing a lovely tree year in and year out and watch it grow healthy and strong as time passes.

If you live in the right climate, you can even consider getting her a fruit tree like a lemon tree or lime tree. The best part of giving a plant or a tree to plant is that it is a gift that remains and reminds her of how much you love her every day, and not just once a year.

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Online Gifts to Avoid

There are some items that you may want to avoid if you want to shop and buy gifts online. Clothing and shoes, especially, generally work better if you can try them on in person.

Many people know their sizes at particular stores so well that they can buy online with no issues, but if you are shopping for a gift, it may be better to spring a surprise shopping spree on your gift recipient rather than try to find just the right thing from an online store.

Feel free to go online to find ideas though, or for items like accessories, small electronics, books, DVD's and the like. After all, in those items, one size fits all.

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Plan Ahead for Gift Giving

One of the best pieces of advice in gift giving is to plan ahead.

Not all of us are capable of this of course, but if you can, have a little cushion in your budget for your holiday or birthday gifts ahead of time. This way, when you see something perfect for your friend, mom or son, you can just grab it and store it until the event is upon you!

It is always advisable to have a good hiding place if you are a planner. Hiding places aren't about secret passages or burying gifts in the backyard - you just have to be careful when you visit your hiding place. Once the kids, or a nosy spouse has seem you coming and going from the basement too many times, they are more likely to snoop.

So pick your spot, secure it and don't visit too often, or you'll alert the troops!

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Wine and Then Some

One of the best ways to come up with a unique gift idea is to take a classic gift and add some spice. For instance, a classic housewarming gift is a bottle of wine and a plant - why not make this a bit more interesting?

Look online and find some information about their local community - is there someplace that offers adult education? They may have a wine tasting seminar for very little money, and this will get your friends out in their town or local area and into an activity they will really enjoy.

Or, take grab some classic wine accessories, and see if there is a local winery in their area. Grab a bottle of wine from the winery, put it in a basket with the wine accessories and a brochure for the winery to encourage them to visit. A classic idea, with a thoughtful twist can turn into a unique housewarming gift!

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Shop for Everyone, In One Place

One of the best aspects of shopping for online gifts is that you can choose several items that are related and have them all wrapped and shipped without ever having to leave the house.

For instance maybe you want to give your parents an anniversary gift, but you want to be creative. You could send them matching bathrobes for them both, but maybe mom is a gardner and dad is a cigar afficianado? You can grab a garden kneeler and a box of fine cigars from the same online store.

The same goes for Christmas or other religious holidays where you want to send gifts for the whole family from one place. Where else but online can you find a shop that sells and ships all of these items?

Some tips for online shopping:
* Watch for coupons! Many online shopping sites will offer free shipping if you spend a certain amount of money. Pay attention to the promotional codes! They may offer you a % discount or a shipping discount but they will always ask for the promo code when you are checking out.
* Wrap them up! It may cost some extra money, but add the wrapping paper into your online gift purchase.

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Epic Movie Night

Movies make a great online gift. They are easy to choose and inexpensive to ship, so consider creating an epic movie night for you friend or loved one.

Great epics include:
* The Star Wars Trilogy (start with the original - if they want the new ones, let them buy those)
* The Godfather Trilogy
* Indiana Jones Trilogy
* Gone With the Wind
* Ben Hur - the list goes on!

The basic idea here is that when they open the package they say "Oh, COOL!" when they see what lies inside. If you can, try to include some good movie snacks inside, or bring them over yourself depending on your proximity to your giftee.

At any rate, giving someone the excuse to sit around all day and watch movies is a great unique online gift - so get online and start your selection. May the force be with you...

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Unique Gifts for Kids

Unique gifts for kids are all over the place, but we are often distracted by whatever bright, shiny object is popular at the time. Truly great kid's gifts spark their imagination.

Take some time and get creative - even if you aren't a seamstress, make a dress up chest. Go to second hand clothes stores or the salvation army and get a cheap wedding dress, or lacy slips, silly belts and old hats and purses.

Create:
* gypsy costumes
* princess dresses
* bridal outfits
* astronaut helmets and suits
* super hero costumes
* fire person outfits

The possibilities are truly endless...

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Customize Your Gift

There are a lot of sites out there now that will let you customize your gift to your heart's content. It may be a custom made card or a product on which you can put a digital photograph or personal message. These sites are great because they allow you to give a truly unique gift that may hold an image or a specially crafted message.

When you are setting up one of these customized gifts, make sure you think through your message and sentiment beforehand. This is not a time to be quick - this is an opportunity to take your time and say what you mean with a gift that could potentially last a lifetime.

Browse online for both the right customized gift and quotations or poetry. The key to the success of gifts like this is planning ahead so you have time to make your unique gift truly special.

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Unique Gifts Evoke Nostalgia

Great unique gifts can spark memories of times past. If you really want to plan ahead, create a time capsule for your baby.

Collect the baby shower invitation, the birth announcement, the first pictures, their baby hat and receiving blanket as well as a newspaper and a magazine from the day they were born. Put in a keepsake from you and your partner or spouse and put your time capsule away.

Give it to your child on their 18th birthday to give them a piece of their own history. Of course, all of these things will probably create more nostalgia for you than for them, but it is a wonderful and unique gift idea.

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Creating a Unique Gift with Creativity

The best unique gifts can be the simplest. Have you bought a new appliance lately? Perhaps a refrigerator or a stove?

Don't throw the box away! Cut out some holes and create windows or doors and make a play house with your kids. Pick a theme and decorate the inside and outside with paints, construction paper and scraps of cloth from around the house.

This is also a great opportunity to build a first class fort. Sometimes its the simplest things that make the most unique gifts.

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Unique Gifts for Grandparents

Grandparents can be tough to shop for. Books and handmade gifts are wonderful, but maybe you want to give a more unique gift. Maybe your grandfather grew up in Chicago and now he is living in Florida, far away from the things he loves. Make a Chicago gift basket!

Include:
* A new Cubs baseball cap
* Tootsie rolls
* A Northwestern University T Shirt.

Then take him out for ribs! Combine some fun and unique gifts with a nice evening out. You'll probably hear some great stories about his childhood and learn more about your own family history.

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Unique Gifts and Parties

Make a gift unique by making a party around it! If you have a friend who loves to cook, get them some great and unique kitchen gadgets, and throw a surprise iron chef party!

1. Tell all of guests that they have to bring a food dish that contains or features the secret ingredient.
2. Release the secret ingredient just a few days before the party.
3. Have everyone write down their recipes and put them in their cards.
4. The birthday girl or guy gets to be the judge of the competition and gets all those great recipes to boot.

Don't forget to make it really authentic and have someone wear garish clothing the kick the competition off by biting into a big red pepper!

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Be Generous with Your Unique Gift

Often people will give a gift to their loved one that they can enjoy as well - these aren't always the most generous or the most unique gifts. For instance, guys don't always get gifts that truly appeal to them. Like a woman who gets a new vacuum, maybe a tool is not the answer.

How about five great western movies like:
* The Outlaw Josie Wales
* The Good the Bad and the Ugly
* Hang 'Em High
* Silverado
* Unforgiven
* Pale Rider

...as a Western movie theme gift. Throw in some popcorn, a six pack of his favorite beer and a day of complete rest and laziness and you have got yourself a great gift!

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