6 Ways to Add A Little 'Extra' to Gifts

1. Jewelry Wish Lists: Several fine jewelers help you out by creating wish lists for you. For example, Commonwealth Jewelry, in Larkspur, California, and Sofia Fine Jewelry in Mill Valley, CA helps customers create a wish list. You can walk in there and try on your favorite pieces, and they will make a note of it and file it under your name. Drop a hint to your loved one, and they can go into the shop and take a look at your curated picks and pick out the one that speaks to them. It’s a win-win because you get to be surprised, and your partner gets to feel like they genuinely picked out something special for you that they know you will love. I think this beats the not so unsubtle e-hints that Kay Jewelers and others let you send to your partner. It also saves you a lot of time that you might otherwise waste snooping through Pinterest pages or reading people’s minds.

2. In-store gift wrapping: There have been a dozen times I’ve remembered to buy a gift for someone at the last minute, in fact just hours before arriving at the housewarming, baby shower, or birthday. If you are short on time and can only make one pit stop to pick up a gift, do it in a place that will wrap it for you. The extra five minutes at the wrapping counter will go a long way in making the gift look not so last minute. Barnes & Noble is a go-to for me -- they not only carry books but games and stationary too. They don’t always wrap it for you, but they have a station set up so you can wrap the gift yourself quickly. Other stores that wrap gifts include Nordstroms or other major department stores. You have to go to guest services, and they let you pick out paper and even put a bow on it for a small charge. If you can’t head to a department store, then a great place is Target, where you can quickly pick up something and get a bag and tissue for it.

3. A little burlap or brown paper for flowers: I adore flowers. They are simple, but still so thoughtful and cheer up an entire room. It’s a perfectly suitable gift for a host, and if you plan ahead, you can swing for a Bouq or Farmgirl Flower to take with you. But the reality is nobody has time to stop by a florist anymore or pre-order. Your best bet for a flash option is the corner street flower stall or flowers from the grocery store. You can turn ordinary grocery store flowers into your hipster luxe bouquet with just one trick – burlap. You can purchase burlap sheets and silk ribbon on Amazon and keep them handy for the next time. Take the flowers you bought out of their plastic wrapper and wrap them in the burlap with a simple bow. Voila, you show up with flowers that look ‘extra’.

You can also buy some nice planters or tins from a store like HomeGoods and place the flower in a nice vase and attach paper tags to it with a personal note.

4. Make it a theme: One of my favorite ways to make a gift seem a little more heartfelt and meaningful is to create a theme. However, it's important to me that gifts are designed thoughtfully, and one of the best ways to show thoughtfulness tie multiple gifts together; even if the gift isn’t personalized, the theme in itself will make the gift stand out and be more memorable. Your friend or family will feel happy that you spent a little extra time putting something together, versus just picking up something for the sake of it. Now, the idea of a theme may create panic for some – and you may be thinking, buying one gift is hard enough how the heck am I supposed to get multiple and that too, in a theme? Check out my blog on theme inspirations here. Consider placing the gifts wrapped in a basket and covering it with some plastic for it even more extra.

5. Gift in threes: When buying for routine special occasions where I don’t want to spend an exorbitant amount, but want to make a grand gesture – housewarming, birthdays, bridal showers – I like to package gifts in threes. There is no profound logic as to why three gifts, as opposed to two or four. I guess one seems too small, and two seems odd, and so three it is. I divide the budget for one item into three items. This makes the gift stand out and feel a bit more impressive. This could be a bath soap set, a shaving kit with items packed inside, a few kitchen items bundled together, or a candle, frame, and coasters. It doesn’t have to come in a set, but the items must have some reasoning.

6. Brown packing paper: There is something about simple brown packing paper that makes a gift look handcrafted and bespoke. Rather than standard Hallmark or Target wrapping paper, try using brown paper and dressing it up with a twine bow and flowers. Or, fasten a note with a cloth ribbon. This works well for square or rectangular gifts in boxes or for gifting books. I have a wrapping station at home and bought a big reel of brown paper to keep on hand. You roll it from a gift wrap roller, and you are ready to go. It is my go-to when I want to create a bespoke effect. Note: Make sure you buy sturdy paper, not the flimsy paper that can tear easily. You want it to be light enough to take a fold, but sturdy enough to handle sharp edges.

You make ordinary gifts a little extra you will not only get larger reactions from whoever you are gifting it to, but it will feel awesome knowing you created something special for someone. The association with the gift becomes a different one. Try it yourself and let me know how it goes.

Love, Sahana