Carolyn J. Braden • 3 Minute Read
How to Give the Most Thoughtful Gifts
Article Originally Published: 12/28/20
Article Updated: 2/21/25
Scroll to the bottom of this post to see my creative gift idea called Magic Seashells!
I love to give gifts! I am not just talking about material gifts…I also love to give the gift of time. There is nothing more precious than to give someone some of your time. Just a phone call where you listen (actually listen!) to anything and everything they have to say can make someone’s day.
If you still want to give someone a material gift, it doesn’t have to be purchased in a store. You can make the most thoughtful gift without taking a trip to the craft store.
See some of the cool gifts my husband and I have made for special people in our life via my YouTube channel “Carolyn Braden” or view some of the videos throughout this article:
I am constantly thinking of thoughtful gifts to give my loved ones Many of them have everything they need and I always have a hard time thinking of something new and useful to give.
Thinking of gifts to give loved ones also gives me a gift. It’s an opportunity to use my creative talents to make something really cool! And I love making things! Don’t worry if you can't make things, though; you can spend some time writing down the things that the person loved until you stumble upon things you know they would love.
Think about the movies they watch, like superhero movies and series that they have been enjoying - Stranger Things lovers? Check Funko Pop Stranger Things options - or arrange an experience (and you could even go with them).
The Most Thoughtful Gifts + Magic Seashells
Not only are gifts you make for someone thoughtful, they are also memory creators. I would never have remembered making half of the things I made my friends if they hadn’t kept them. Some of them were better than others, but no matter what, the gifts show me that I have always had three specific personality traits: I am thoughtful, giving and creative.
And now it’s time for me to pass on some of my personality traits onto to you if you are in need of gift ideas but are having a creative block!
Keep reading below…my tips are awesome!
Try making a gift like Magic Seashells
Tips on Giving the Most Thoughtful Gifts:
Think about what the person loves and center the gift on that.
Is it God?
Purchase or make something for them where the idea of God is the focus of the gift. I recently gave some daily prayer cards to a friend that I purchased on Amazon. My friend sits in her prayer chair everyday to pray and I thought these cards may be fun tools to use.
Is it home decor?
Visit the Etsy website (Etsy.com) and type in a search term for “trendy home decor”. You will definitely have lots of things to choose from in that search. Once you find something, ask yourself “Can I picture them using this?”. If the answer is yes, then you’ve found the right item.
Is it Hair, Makeup or Skincare?
Try giving a Sephora or Ulta gift card. Target also has a great beauty department too. I recently gifted a brush style hair dryer to my mom. We both love beauty products! See my video review of it by clicking here.
If the recipient is more inclined to be overjoyed by the sight of a new bag or rings, then look for unique pieces and limited editions that might be hard to find elsewhere.
Is it animals?
Again, Etsy.com can give you lots of choices for specific animals.
Is it cooking?
Type in “cool kitchen gadgets” into Amazon’s search and see what cool things pop up for you to choose from!
Is it a specific famous personality or sports team?
Amazon or Etsy can help you with this gift. My brother-in-law loves Bob Ross and I found someone on Etsy (via the Bob Ross social media page) that was a licensed retailer of Bob Ross items (which is important because you really shouldn’t buy unlicensed material, as the original artist/creator will not get any proceeds if you buy it) who made a personalized mouse pad for me to gift.
I try hard not to always give the same themed gift to someone year after year though because they may grow tired of that same idea or get too much of a themed item. I love ladybugs and I used to receive tons of ladybug themed items until I had so many they filled an entire room!
Is it experiences?
I gave a museum gift certificate to my nephew a year ago after talking to his mom about some of his favorite things to do.
Sometimes a plane ticket to see your favorite person (if they live far away) is also nice if you can afford it.
Magic seashells are a fun gift idea
No matter what you give someone, they will appreciate it because they knew you took the time to make it or purchase it for them.
Don’t have the time to make a gift for someone? Visit this post I wrote that includes some creative and thoughtful gift ideas you can order or pick up at a store near you!
My most recent thoughtful homemade gift: Magic Seashells
I adopted an idea I saw on Pinterest (for Gratitude Stones) into my own idea for MAGIC SEASHELLS. I recently moved to Sanibel Island, Florida, which is known for it’s fantastic shelling. I found some large shells (which were empty…a requirement before taking any shells) and cleaned them up.
The Most Thoughtful Gift Ideas: Magic Seashells
I cut small strips of paper with nice sayings like “I love you”, “You are wonderful”, etc. and rolled them up and tucked them loosely inside each shell.
The Most Thoughtful Gift Ideas: Magic Seashells
I adopted a poem that explains to the giftee that they are supposed to hide the shells around their home/in areas where they visit daily (in drawers, in the car, by a bedside).
Free printable for Magic Seashells
Then when they see the shells, it is supposed to remind them how much love them.
Seashell gift ideas
I think this is the perfect gift idea for someone who lives alone. I put together a package of these and sent them to someone who lives alone. People that live alone sometimes get lonely. I thought this was the perfect way to remind them that just because they lives alone, they are never really alone. I am always thinking of them and I wanted them to remember that.
Seashell printable
Free Printable!
Want to give some magic seashells to someone you love? Gather some up (if you don’t live near a beach, most craft stores like Hobby Lobby usually sell bags of them) follow my directions above, and gift them with my poem below! Simply click the button below to access a 5”x 7” PDF file I created which you can save to your own computer and print at home!
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Carolyn J. Braden is the owner of Carolyn’s Blooming Creations is a regular contributor and editor for CBC. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Ways To Help You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.
This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate links. All opinions and ideas expressed in this post, however, are based on my personal point of view.