Become a master gift giver this holiday season

By: Maisie Stout

Are you struggling to find the perfect gift for your family or friends? Did you wait until the last minute to buy a gift? Have you had trouble finding time to go shopping or make DIY gifts? Here is a perfect gift guide to use for your friends and family during this season of giving.

            DIY gifts are perfect for parents and other family members. They are not only more memorable than going out and buying something, but they also take time which makes them more meaningful to the people you give them to. Also, many high schoolers do not have a job, so making a gift is more economically friendly to them. There are some really simple DIY ideas that you can make if you are skilled at knitting, sewing, embroidery, or if you have artistic talents.

If you are not skilled in crafts, however, making “Picture Frame Luminaries” may be a little easier. All you need is four 5x7 picture frames, super glue, vellum paper (get it at Michael’s), square mirror and LED lights. You can use another kind of translucent paper, as long as it is not waxy. First you have to pick the photos you want to use. Then you have to print the pictures onto the vellum paper and cut it down to size. Next, put the photos inside each frame, in between the frame and the glass so that the photo is in front of the glass. This is crucial so that they do not catch on fire if you decide to use real candles. Glue the frames together to make a cube shape. Once dry, place cube over a square mirror and place the LED light inside the box. Voila! Now you have a beautiful gift for mom or dad. You can find other DIY gift ideas on websites like Pinterest.com and https://www.thespruce.com/homemade-gift-ideas-125156.

            Sometimes homemade gifts just are not enough. Maybe you have seen your dad eyeing a new drill or your mom might have been hinting at new cooking supplies or a new book. Cliché gifts are often just as good, if not better than well thought out DIY’s. If you know that your dad is eyeing a new tool set or pair of dress pants, then that might be the perfect gift to get him even if it’s not the most creative gift. Parents will appreciate anything we get them because it is from us.

            Friends are not so simple. Most young people do not have the same use for a DIY gift as adults do. Although many friends will appreciate the effort, I think everyone would much rather get a gift card to Buffalo Wild Wings than a homemade soap scrub. Easy, generic gift ideas for friends include gift cards, socks, school supplies, winter gear, or other useful things. Many people prefer something that they can use in their day to day activities, rather than something that is just going to take up space on a shelf in their house. But the best way to figure out what your friends really want though, is to ask them. Sometimes a gift that someone has been looking forward to is just as special as a gift they are not expecting.

            If you have a big group of friends and not enough money to get a gift for all of them, or maybe you are not close enough to know what everyone really wants, you could have a Secret Santa. Having a Secret Santa in your friend group can bring everyone closer together, and help everyone save some time and money.

            Whether you make or buy gifts for your friends or family, remember that it is the thought that counts. It is the season of giving after all, and if you give gifts of joy to others you will receive more joy in return.