A Guide to Thoughtful Gifting

~~~

Here are some gifting ideas for various occasions that I feel are wonderful:

• Novelty handmade products : I always look for local artists from whom I can and pick up pieces that are unique. Last year, I found some handmade door stoppers made from discarded clothing in the shapes of dogs. They were a perfect gift for my animal-loving friend.
  
  
• Seeds and plants : My cousin loves gardening and has a big backyard, and I always buy her a rose bush every year for her birthday. Now, she has a small section with all the bushes I have given her over the years with a terracotta plate that says “With love from Ayush”. How charming is that?
  
  
• Experiences : Strawberry picking, cooking classes, tickets to the opera or to a show and so on are great gifts. My mum always wanted to try pottery. Last year, we enrolled her in a beginners’ pottery class and I have never seen her happier.
  
  
• Travel vouchers : In Europe, I know of travel companies that do trips for those with unique interests. Travel options are thoughtful gifts that provide a wonderful experience.
  
  
• Charitable donations toward causes the gift recipient believes in.
  
  
• Personalized fragrances : There are companies that work with natural oils and organic packaging to develop ittars, which are quite beautiful. For instance, when we were considering my sister’s wedding favours, we came across an organization that did personalized ittars that came in wooden bottles with Ajrakh prints.
  
  
• Products made by using discarded plastic or other waste materials : I’ve come across many handmade products made by using soda cans, discarded rubber bands, crushed plastic bottles and so on. I’ve seen them being turned into lampshades, coasters, bracelets, jewellery, table top decor and more. They are unique gifts that help reduce landfill disposal, and are great for those who have an interesting sense of style.
  
  
• Products made by organizations supporting worthy causes and underprivileged people: There are many organizations that work with underprivileged people or specific groups to empower them. For instance, there are some in India that develop lovely clothing, working with women from villages, creating a source of income for them so that they can be more independent. Some of them also create homemade products. In Calcutta, for example, there are many people who work from home to make lovely, authentic Indian food such as papads, pickles, jams, namkeen and such. Gifting-wise, it’s a wonderful idea to create a hamper with a collection of several such products and send it to someone with a nice big bow and a card with details about the products. This will be much more interesting than a regular hamper. It’s a win-win situation that contains beautifully-produced items, usually with a low carbon footprint, made by people we can support.

~~~