Woman Holding Signature Bronze Leatherology Gift Box with Red Bow
By The Leatherology Team December 14, 2022

We’ve all given a gift to commemorate specific occasions. But how do we know it’s the right one to give? What makes it meaningful? 

 

The right gift shows thoughtfulness and consideration towards the receiver, their lifestyle, and their personal taste.

 

Not sure where to start to achieve each of those? Check out the gift giving etiquette tips below on how to choose the perfect gift that won’t be regifted or returned. Whether your love language is gifting or not, you will discover you can use any occasion to give a personalized meaningful gift that is useful, good-looking, and demonstrates your appreciation for the recipient.

Why Do We Give Gifts?

We give gifts as an acknowledgement of a special occasion. It becomes a physical object or memorable experience to celebrate holidays, milestones, and accomplishments. The most common events that include gifts are major celebrations such as birthday parties, graduation ceremonies, anniversaries, wedding receptions or bridal showers, baby showers, and several major holidays. When you think of gifts you might think of Christmas gifts under the tree, festively wrapped birthday presents, or tokens of appreciation for the maternal and paternal role models in your life.

 

However, you could also give gifts to turn seemingly random moments into special occasions. Show your gratitude with thank you gifts or simple mementos to say “thinking of you” or “forget me not” reminders. Honor your relationships with others by gifting your best friend or turn a gift into a treasured heirloom when it is passed down from father to son, mother to daughter, or presented collectively to a group at a family reunion.

 

It is also possible that gifting is your love language. A recipient’s reception might be meaningful but still secondary to the good feeling you get from giving the gift itself. When gifting is your love language, you may not expect a gift in exchange. Gifting is how you express genuine affection when the act of choosing and preparing the gift is the most enjoyable part of the process.

What Makes a Good Gift?

A good gift combines thoughtful sentimentality and useful functionality with personal taste. The best gift ideas fulfill a need or want in the recipient’s life. A thoughtful gift is congratulatory, creating memories of good times and great success. While you will see or hear about a useful gift frequently because it serves a clear purpose that makes the user’s daily routine easier. Finding the perfect gift requires the gift giver to slow down and truly think about what is meaningful in the receiver’s life. You can bring the fun or nostalgia of thoughtful gifts and the purpose of useful gifts together in a personalized gift.

 

Personalized gifts consider an individual’s taste and style while providing an avenue for self-expression. Our variety of personalization methods, from classic deboss to artistic hand paint to made-to-order and boldly stitched Trapunto allow you to create a special occasion gift to match every lifestyle or wardrobe. To avoid the awkward situation of learning your gift is being regifted or returned, you should always consider the receiver’s personal taste which will also show your keen insight and deliberate care.

7 Guidelines to Gift-Giving

There are seven guidelines to gift-giving that will help you in your search for the perfect gift.

 

Tip #1 Think like the receiver

First, you should think like the receiver and consider their job and daily routine. If their needs or wants are always in the forefront, then you can narrow down your options based on their lifestyle, dreams, or career.

 

Tip #2 Money and gift cards are not bad

There are also options you can’t automatically remove without thinking them through. Unless it doesn’t match a recipient’s personal philosophy or style, don’t rule out cash or gift cards too quickly. Many gift cards are like our own, available electronically to send to distant loved ones for online shopping. Gift cards to the receiver’s favorite brands allow them to take control of what they want their gift to be. 

 

Tip #3 Gift experiences rather than things

Your gift doesn’t have to be a physical object. When it comes to gifts for adults, such as gift ideas for parents or adult children, an experience can mean more than some tchotchke in their favorite color. Group gifts like vacations, family memberships, amusement parks, or concert tickets have the added benefit of you being able to enjoy them as well.

 

Tip #4 Don't overspend by adding a small gift to a big gift

Another guideline to making a selection is to remember your budget. You don’t need to add a smaller gift to a larger one; decide which gift is more impactful. This will keep you from overspending on elaborate presentations and focusing the value on one gift.

 

Tip #5 Spend more on others than on yourself

The fifth guideline might seem contradictory but reminds you to spend more on the receiver than yourself. You can buy gifts for yourself at any time. During special occasions where you are not the focus of the event, it is more meaningful and humble to spend your gift budget on others without expecting a gift of equal monetary value in return.

 

Tip #6 Always wrap your gift

Presentation matters. Wrapping the gift shows more care and affection than a simple handover. It can aid in the surprise or protect the recipient’s privacy when they prefer not to be the center of attention.

 

While gift wrapping can be daunting, the easiest solutions are gift bags which come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes to match the occasion. You could also use newspapers or draw on brown craft paper to create a handmade, personalized presentation.

 

Some stores also offer gift wrapping service and other easy gift packaging solutions. If you’re lucky, your gift may already be nicely packaged. Many of our small to mid-sized holiday styles will arrive in our signature bronze gift packaging. All you need to add is a bow.

 

Tip #7 If they love it, buy a set

We are not just talking about your typical summer sausage and cheese gift basket or tower of mixed popcorn. When you figure out the perfect gift to buy, you should consider accessories that enhance the gift overall. Add a matching lotion to their favorite perfume or choose a complementary wallet to accompany that new handbag. We offer gift sets for everyone’s style, from desk sets for the new college grad or perfect home office to tangle-free solutions with our tech gift set.

 

No matter the occasion, whether you know exactly what to get or are struggling to find the perfect gift, remember that it is the thought that counts. With our helpful gift giving tips, we know whatever gift you choose to celebrate with will create meaningful memories, purposefully aid their daily routine, and elevate their personal style.