The Ultimate Guide to Thoughtful Gift Giving in 2025
What to do to find the best gifts, and how to make them meaningful
On Christmas morning, seven wrapped gifts waited under the tree.
My husband beamed, handing me the gifts to open one at a time. I was shocked. My husband typically only bought gifts from links I sent him, and now he’d come up with multiple surprise gifts on his own!
My joy was short-lived. The first gift was a speaker for the wireless sound system my husband planned to install in our house.
The second was an identical speaker.
And the third.
You can see where this is going. All seven boxes held speakers.
By the time I opened the final gift, I was in tears. My husband sat baffled – hadn't we agreed it would be great to get a sound system for the house?
Yes, we did, but the speakers were something he was excited to purchase and install, something we were going to buy eventually anyway. They weren’t for me, and certainly weren’t what I wanted for Christmas.
Even the best-laid gifting plans go awry. That’s why we could all use a guide about how to give gifts that people actually want.
If you’ve ever wondered if there’s such a thing as a perfect gift, or, if it’s true that "it’s the thought that counts," this is the guide for you.
Researchers have studied what it means to be a good gift giver. Using those expert results and our experience in the gift industry, here are five straightforward ways to be an excellent gift giver.
If you need a gift right now, skip down to What are we buying? for a list of our favorite places to find unique, thoughtful gifts!
Five best tips for excellent gifting:
1. Give a gift they’ll actually like
Many of us fall into the trap of giving gifts that we would like, without thinking about what the recipient really wants.
Gift-giving involves two key things: How much the person objectively likes the gift, and the feelings involved in the exchange -- such as how much time, effort and thought was put into it.
The feelings are more important, right? Nope.
In a series of four experiments involving over 745 people, how much a person liked a gift mattered more than how much thought was put into it. The first factor wins every time.
So, give something they’ll actually like.
To do so, you’ve got to get into another person’s mind, which can be challenging.
If possible, simply ask them. Or pick something off a gift list. If not possible, you can be a careful listener and pick up on something they may have mentioned in the past. My sister keeps notes on her phone every time she think of a new gift for someone, then refers back to it when it's time to get gifting!
Another options is to either ask directly or think about what gives them joy, such as:
- Do they collect anything?
- What artists, authors or music do they love?
- What places are special to them?
- What do they buy for others? Noticing what they think is a good gift might help you find a way to delight and surprise them.
2. Experiences improve connection
Experiences were once a second-tier gift, a quirky alternative.
Now, we know that people who get experiences feel closer and more connected to the giver compared to those who got a material gift.
This is because the recipient thinks of you when they use or experience the gift, even if you aren’t there. They feel you with them vicariously, and that leads to a greater sense of connection.
Many experiences are expensive (sky diving anyone?), so our favorite hack, if you’ve got limited cash, is to create the feeling of an experience with a small material gift.
For example, Clementine’s co-founder, Kathryn, once gave a friend a small pot of mint with a note that said once the mint grew, she and her friend would drink mojitos together using it. And they did! Cue a sense of connection.
3. Be sappy
Here is one that was new to me: Most of us shy away from sentimentality in gifts.
Our fear of getting the sentiment wrong (Too silly? Too sappy? Not sappy enough??) prevents us from getting it right.
Gifts that show a lot of sentiment – such as a handmade mug that took hours to shape or a new flavor of tea you went to a special shop to be mixed – can actually show how much you care, and the recipient recognizes this.
We give gifts to show we care. So don’t be afraid to make the recipient feel loved and appreciated. People like gifts with emotional value.
But if you’re nervous about it, see our next point:
4. Diversify!
No, I’m not talking about stocks or bonds.
Another study of gifting suggested that you can help yourself out by giving a person a variety of gifts, such as a small sentimental gift plus a gift that you know they’ll like (see point #1).
5. Sharing is caring
I once gave my best friend an automatic soap dispenser for Christmas.
Yes, that initially sounds lame, right?
But in an attached card, I shared that I have three of these automatic soap dispensers in my house, and they are by far my favorite appliance ever.
Months later, she texted me, “I think of you every time I wash my hands! We love our automatic soap dispenser!”
By buying something for someone that you use regularly or also bought yourself, you can help forge a sense of connection.
Research even shows that recipients feel closer to gift givers when they say, ‘I bought the same thing for myself’ as opposed to something like, “I put in a lot of effort” or “I read the reviews and it looks good.”
That’s it! Five tips to help you be the best gifter you can be.
~~> Ready to shop?
As gift experts, we spend a lot of time shopping for gifts on the web. Here are some of our current favorites.
Top 5 experience gifts
- 7-Day Birthday Countdown Calendar from Clementine Countdowns
- Monthly half-dozen cookie deliveries from Cravory Cookies
- Moonlight hike with REI
- 3-month mediation subscription to Waking Up
- Independent bookseller gift card from Bookshop
Top 5 gifts under $20
- Moon milk travel candle from Tiny Bandit (We're obsessed with this amazing scent)
- Googly Eye Money Purse from the MoMA Design Store
- Little puzzle thing - Rainbow Jelly from Areaware
- Cotton Stitched Rope Coasters from November 19
- Rechargeable Flameless Candle Lighter from Fontana Candle Co. (Pair with #1 for a spectacular gift set!)
Top 5 gifts under $50
- Subpar Parks 1,000-piece puzzle from Amber Share Design & Illustration (so funny, couldn't stop laughing as we put the pieces together)
- Design Your Own Bar Necklace from Nautically Northern
- Hemstitched Personalized Cloth Cocktail Napkins, Set of 4 from Tuckernuck
- Flagship Variety Pack of 12 Sodas from United Sodas
- Monogrammed Serving Board from Crate & Barrel
Top 5 unique gifts for kids
- 7-Day Birthday Countdown Calendar for Kids from Clementine Countdowns
- Mag-Pad Magnetic Drawing Board at Learning Express
- Top Secret Friendship Notes from Mr. Boddington's Studio
- The Comfy Dream Jr. from the Comfort Bros
- Nappling Weighted Blanket from Bearaby
clementinecountdowns.com
