Top Ten Gift Ideas for Those Who Have it All

最怕幫哪種人買禮物？

大多數的人的回答應該都是..."那種什麼都不缺的人"（或是發現自己缺什麼就馬上迫不及待去採購的人...）

以下就是針對這類族群的禮物採購建議...



Top Ten Gift Ideas for Those Who Have it All

By Judith Blakley



People who have it all are not looking for the rest of us to give them gifts of more things. Those who have it all would rather have a gift that shows some thought behind it. Personalized items like uniquely labeled wine bottles, keepsake quilts or reproduced antique family photos make the perfect gifts.



Gifts that take more time than funds make a bigger impact to those on your shopping list who don’t need anything because they already have everything.



Choose a few of these top ten gift ideas for those who have it all, and avoid those last minute trinket purchases we all make when we just don’t know what else to buy.



1. Personalize Wine



Small wineries will custom label their wine for your gifts. This has become common in weddings, but you can also do this for gifting.



Several years ago, we purchased several three packs of flavored wine from a local winery. We made up our own winter names for each flavor and customized the labels as wishing a Merry Christmas from our family. The winery gift boxed the wine for us, and the gifts were a big hit. Each gift box (three bottles of wine each) was under twenty-five dollars.



2. Keepsake Quilt



In my family, the ones who have it all are the grandparents. If that is that case, then this keepsake quilt is the perfect choice of gift. We gave this gift several years ago, and it is still a big hit with the grandparents. We have also given this keepsake quilt to our daughter's teacher and other teachers raved about it.



This easy to make personalized quilt is a fun project for you and your children to do together. Your child uses fabric paint to draw pictures on quilting squares. The sewing is all simple straight stitches and the quilting is done through tacking with yarn. The quilt is supposed to look handmade by children, so there is no need for perfection. This keepsake quilt is something anyone can do.



For step by step instructions, see my article "Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas: A Personalized Keepsake Quilt Your Children Can Make." The instructions are very clear and easy to follow with suggestions on where to find everything you need to complete the project are also included.



3. Keepsake Versions of Classic Board Games



Dependent upon your budget, you may choose to purchase the keepsake versions that the manufacturer produces or the more expensive editions produced by collectables companies, such as The Franklin Mint.



The least expensive option is to purchase one of the many glass chess boards found at toy stores across the country. They give a bigger bang for your money.



These keepsake versions are nice to have on display and are a perfect gift for the person who has everything.



4. Night at a Bed and Breakfast



One of the best gifts you can give someone who has it all is a night at a bed and breakfast. Most small towns have at least one quaint inn where visitors are welcomed like guests in a home. The bed and breakfast owners live in their inn and serve up a special dish of hospitality you won’t find anywhere else.



Guests are not just treated for breakfast, usually around a communal table with lively conversation, but usually a nightcap in the parlor and special insider advice about where to shop and tour in town.



Contact the Chamber of Commerce in a small town within three hours of their home and ask for phone numbers of their bed and breakfast inns. The innkeepers will be more than willing to assist you in making this gift perfect.



5. American Flag Flown OverThe Capitol Building



This gift requires some planning, as there are sometimes long waiting lists for these flags. In general, plan for six to eight weeks.



Each day, dozens of flags are flown over the United States Capitol building for the sole purpose of being given to citizens as mementos. United States Senators, United States Congress Representatives and United States Architect of the Capitol staff members have access to these flags.



If you know someone who works for the Architect of the Capitol, the Senate or Congress, that is who you should go to first. If not, then call your Senator or Representative’s office and ask for a flag. They may want it to be for a special occasion, so be prepared with an explanation of why this person deserves the gift of a flag.



Reasons you could give could be geared towards public service, military service, community involvement, notable life event, etc.



The flag will be sent directly to you. You could purchase a case with or without an engraved plate. Craft stores and discount department stores sometimes carry flag cases.



With proper planning, this would be the perfect gift for the person who already has everything else.



6. Tickets



Consider giving ski lift tickets. If you live in an area of the country where the ski resorts are within a few hours drive, you do not have to add the cost of an overnight stay to your gift.



Community theatre or dinner theatre tickets are generally less expensive than tickets to a major venue. You can usually arrange for the gift recipients to choose which show they want to see during the regular season, and they will include a theatre schedule with your open-ended ticket purchase.



7. Antique Photo



In every family there is the one aunt who has all of the old family photos. Borrow a photo or two and have them professionally reproduced and enlarged. This will cost a little more than just copying them at one of those automated photo machines, but the person who has it all can tell the difference in quality.



Most craft and department stores carry photo mats which fit nicely into standard sized frames. Use a photo mat and an antique style frame to finish off the total look.



8. Small Luxury Items



Everyone has their personal luxury items, but we do not always treat ourselves. Buy that person who has it all, their favorite small luxury items and they will love you for it.



I have my special soap from Crabtree & Evelyn that I rarely buy, but absolutely love. I am also a big fan of Godiva Chocolate, but will only buy one piece at a time for myself.



My husband enjoys the occasional cigar, and his favorites are not cheap. He refuses to spend the money on himself, so it’s always an easy gift.



9. Lessons



Most of us have a few things we would love to learn to do, but either do not have the time to make arrangements for lessons or just have never gotten around to doing so. This makes lessons such a unique and fun gift to give.



Dance lessons are easy to arrange and can vary from ballroom to salsa. You could arrange for one sample lesson, or a full series of in-depth lessons. This is something many people would love to do, but would never think of doing for themselves.

Art lessons are another fun gift to give. Many arts centers offer classes in painting, quilting, crafts or sculpting. In my area, there are even classes available for learning how to make stained glass objects.



10. Homemade Desserts


The easiest and most inexpensive gift to give someone when there is just nothing else to give would be something homemade from your kitchen. If you take the time to dress your homemade goodies in a nice holiday box with ribbon and a handwritten note, this can be a very thoughtful and appreciated gift.



Do not simply bake a dozen cookies. Bake miniature cakes or flavored breads. Make homemade candy. Whip up a pie from scratch. Take a family secret recipe and box it up in a reusable container.



Personalize your homemade gift with a holiday poem or relevant Biblical verse.





2006 © Associated Content, All rights reserved