The Art of Gift Giving: Ultimate Secret Tips To Become A Good Gift-Giver

Gift giving is simple – a few dollars spent at the mall on a Saturday morning for a pretty wrapped present for your loved one’s birthday party that same evening… only for them to open it and curtly say thank you – and then completely lose it in tears of joy at your other friends’ gift. You’re confused; their gift isn’t as expensive or nicely wrapped as yours is, and in the bigger picture, yours is much more practical and likable. So what’s the deal?

The secret is simple: being a good or bad gift-giver doesn’t boil down to what you choose at the mall. Instead, it’s all down to the one point that gets across when they unwrap the gift: that you hear them. In fact, the importance of gift giving goes far beyond birthdays and holidays; it strengthens friendships, creates lasting memories, and expresses gratitude in ways words sometimes can’t.

Nothing says louder than getting someone a bad, misunderstood gift; to be heard and seen is to love. Here are 4 simple tips and habits to elevate your gift-giving skills:

1. Keep notes

Pay attention to hints, preferences, and everyday needs. Small details make the biggest impact – and it helps you become a better listener and friend!

Tip: keep a year-long list of small details about your loved ones: their coffee order, what they like to do during their free time, and what their long-term goal is.

2. Meaning over price

Expensive or trendy doesn’t always mean the best; sometimes, that could be the most generic and impersonal ones. A personal, well-thought out gift could come in any form that hits the spot.

Tip: Sometimes a gift doesn’t always have to hit the heartwarming spot. It could come in the guise of being seen every day; perhaps it’s better to give your chef-mom a homemade scrapbook of all your favorite dishes she made you as a child, rather than the latest Le Creuset set everybody else would be getting her.

3. Personalization

Do they have everything imaginable? Buy them an experience instead – something they’d never think to spend money on themselves.

Tip: Think about what fits them personally. Gifts don’t always come in the form of wrapping paper and ribbon; sometimes, a ticket to an all-paid trip or an offer to babysit their children is just as meaningful.

4. Think beyond dates

Keep a running list of potential gifts you notice in daily life, so you always have a bank of options ready, making mass shopping for occasions like Christmas or last-minute gifting much easier.

Gift giving is a skill. You can’t be a bad gift giver – it just means you’re not listening.

Tip: Lists can be inspired by any form: solutions to fix everyday needs, outrageously hilarious inside jokes, or a simple mention of wanting something. We’re not robots, and lists could be a lifesaver for last-minute deals.

Gift giving isn’t rocket science. All it takes is a bit of listening and thoughtfulness, and you’ll give them the best gift that no wrapped gift could: that you show and care.

For inspiration, check out our curated list of unique gift ideas here.