Birthday Gift Ideas
It's great having Wraply to help you and your friends get together to buy the perfect gift for someone - but what gift should that be?
Thinking of birthday gift ideas is hard - we know that. That's why we're going to regularly blog about great gift ideas, creative gifts we spot, and special offers on gifts we hear about.
In this first article I'm going to suggest great ways to brainstorm birthday gift ideas. Whenever you have to think of a birthday gift idea for someone, simply work through these steps:
1. Useful Gifts
This is the place to start. We always appreciate gifts more if they make a difference to our everyday lives. The great thing about Wraply is that, as a group, you can now afford to get this kind of gift - rather than each just getting some kind of £10 novelty gift that will just end up in landfill in a few months!
So what would be useful for the person you have in mind? What does their weekday life look like? Do they have a long commute? Maybe an Apple iPod Nano 16Gb would help them pass the time?
Perhaps they like food, but don't have time to cook when they get home? A slow cooker means they could just pop the ingredients in before they leave the house, and come home to a delicious dinner.
I'm not suggesting specific gifts so much as simply suggesting thinking through someone's day - in the week or at a weekend - and thinking about where you could make a difference with a gift.
That's the kind that will end up being the perfect birthday gift.
2. Gifts for Hobbies/Passions
Another area to think about is what they do in their leisure time - or dream of doing.
Some people have obvious hobbies like golf or gardening. But others may have less visible pass-times - writing, collecting something, some kind of art or craft and so on.
But you could also think beyond hobbies to their passions and ambitions. Maybe they've always talked about starting a business, learning to sing or play an instrument.
Really thinking through this area - perhaps even brainstorming with others who know the gift recipient - could spark a great idea for you, that will end up bringing a big smile to the birthday boy or girl's face.
3. Experience Gifts
For those who really do have everything and don't need more stuff, 'experiences' can be the perfect birthday gift. Virgin Experiences and Red Letter Days are the market leaders for gift experiences in the UK.
Maybe your gift recipient would like to learn how to make michelin star style canapes and cocktails, or even take a flying lesson! There are hundreds of experiences offering everything from adrenalin to pampering.
4. Memory Gifts
Finally maybe you can give a gift that will either capture memories for the future - a photoshoot of the family perhaps. Or something that brings back memories from the past - perhaps a big framed print of a treasured photo, or a specially made book of photos, letters or even recipes.
Brainstorming in each of these areas could help you to come up with the perfect birthday gift idea. Good luck!