Want to make you gifts meaningful, made to last and impress? Whether your cadeaux is for a birthday, a special occasion or Christmas, I get you covered with a gift tip that makes the difference and with little efforts…
Gift-giving isn’t a matter of size or price. Learn how to customise your presents and find ethical gifts.
When it comes plan your presents for more people, I warmly suggest thinking about the individuals and surprise them with something unexpected but not rashed. Surprise them with uniqueness and colourful papers in multiform folds and shiny ribbons, a pleasure to unwrap. My top gift tips are: buying ethical and/or local, and customising your packages!
Three tips to customise your gifts
- Think about the recipient’s taste and style. (It’s foolproof)
- Choose helpful accessories. (Handmade and ethically sourced items are welcome)
- Make the presentation unconventional… (Where’s the gift?)
Indeed, this year, I’ve created some little ‘favour Christmas bags’ with a secret content and ’embellishment’ on the outside as the real gifts!
I went local and chose a peculiar charity shop. It was Citizen Home in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, now sadly closed. Forget crowded shops full of old craps. I found a store, everything is second-hand, handmade, up-cycled or simply quirky (but new); selected among socially passionate companies using fair-trade ingredients (like the York-based chocolate bars by Choco Affair), natural materials… all goes to support the local community and indigenous populations in Africa, India and South American countries through Shared Earth.
Who doesn’t love scents? Here are some gorgeous handmade soaps by Charlotte George, a little indie company active in Birmingham. These scents and these colours are so visually appealing; they’re an explosion of fruit, seeds and swirls.
It’s the time of the year again, but being generous is costly. How to survive the gift rush? Make people happy with a little while giving back.
Valentina Chirico aka Valens
