I may occasionally roast the people I love, but I’ve always wished to give them the world. For the times you’ve ever struggled in finding something thoughtful to tailor to every person, I hope my secret gift ideas help.
1. Snow Globe
You’ll need…
- A jar
- Water
- Glycerin
- Glitter
- Hot glue gun or superglue
- Figurine(s) to put inside
Step 1: Plan a snow globe theme and choose your figurine(s) accordingly.
Step 2: Glue the figurines to the inner lid of the jar. In the snow globe, this lid will essentially be upside down; the lid will thus act as the base. Make sure all is securely glued.
Step 3: Fill the jar portion of the snow globe with water until the water almost reaches the top. Make sure that there is enough room left for the figurines before they are put inside. Add just a bit of glycerin (around 2 teaspoons in large jars and 1 teaspoon in small jars).
Step 4: Once all liquids have been added, pour glitter in as well! Use as much or as little as you need.
Step 5: Assure that the figurines have completely dried and are now secure. If so, place the lid on the jar and seal it. You can even glue the edge of the jar to better secure the globe.
Step 6: Let it sit for a bit, and enjoy!
Image source: Pexels
2. Experiences
Very broad, but think: What does your person like? What does he or she enjoy? What would make that person happy?
My parents, for instance, barely ever treat themselves to fun excursions. Some of my future gift ideas include buying them wine-tasting tickets or (hopefully when I’m older and richer) a vacation with an all-inclusive cruise. One thing I’ve done in the past is plan a surprise visit home to SoCal for the weekend. I hid in the guest room until my parents came home and then walked out nonchalantly, saying only, “Hey.” Their reactions were priceless.
As for best friends, think hard but creatively. GA concert tickets, manicures/pedicures, an overnight Airbnb in San Francisco — there are so many options when you brainstorm the thousands of different experiences you can truly give a person. Some ideas, like making a surprise homemade dinner for your roommates, are free or relatively cheap, too.
3. Playlists
When I was younger, I had trouble being openly expressive even with people I genuinely cared about. Many times I resorted to burning a playlist of songs onto CDs to show others what I wanted to say in an indirect way. I realized eventually that the idea made a pretty cool gift, so I continued doing it for fun.
The theme of the mixtape can be essentially anything: a playlist that a person can listen to when sad, on a road trip, going abroad… Really anything. It can even just be songs that remind you of that specific person. That’s as personal as it can get.
Image source: Pexels
4. Infinity Photo Cube
This gift would be perfect for anyone you have endless photos and memories with. The steps of this craft specifically are much harder to explain, but this is probably the best video for it. Just be aware: this craft requires more precision than you’d think. Be patient, and it’ll look flawless.
Image source: Pexels
Cover image source: Pexels