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Take the challengeGuest blogger Amy Molloy has you covered for last minute festive gifts!
The best gift I've ever received was a skateboard that my fiancé gave me for my thirtieth birthday—a particularly special present because he'd designed it, carved it and painted the deck himself (#browniepoints).
We all know, the best gifts are often those which are homemade by the giver, especially if they're tailored to the taker's hobbies (or, as with my skateboard, hobbies we want our cooler, future self to have mastered). The internet is currently full of "DIY present" articles tutoring us on how to hammer, knit, crochet and plant our way to the perfect present. But, the truth is not all of us are gifted when it comes to crafting. I am not only short on skills, but also short on time. Now that I'm 31-years-old I don't think my dad will still pretend to be impressed when he unwraps two toilet roll tubes glued together, which I've decorated with sequins ("It's a pen holder for your office, Dad.")
So, how can you craft your own gifts if you're not gifted at crafting? Here are my top cheats:
Consciously Collaborate. After the skateboard, there was a lot of pressure on my partner's last birthday to match it. I couldn't think of a single thing I could make myself—and then I realised I didn't have to. Instead I looked at the skill I do have (writing) and then brainstormed people who might help me make that skill more magical. I reached out to a friend of a friend, singer-songwriter Sunny Amoreena to ask if she would consider collaborating on a good-will project. The result was this song, which tells the story of "us". I wrote the lyrics and then Sunny brought it to life for me. It ended up being a gift for all three of us, as my fiancé loved it and Sunny and I discovered we love working together.
Virtually Outsource. I hadn't been able to find a singer-songwriter to work with, I had a tongue-in-cheek backup plan for my fiancé's present. On the online marketplace, Fiverr (where you can outsource a range of tasks for $5) I found a guy offering to sing a bespoke birthday song… on video…whilst dressed as a cowboy. It might sound bizarre but I know my partner would have found it hilarious, especially as the Christmas before I'd bought him cowboy spurs from Texas. On Fiverr, you can find people to do pretty much anything, from personalised rap songs to opera renditions. You can even get an artist to design a a cartoon strip with your loved one as the main character.
Give Good Food. Articles about "foodie gifts" often give the same suggestions (pickled fruit, honey and herb gardens). But, if you search further into the internet there are great food-related presents that you don't need to have Michelin skills to produce. The best place to find ideas is Pinterest, especially this time of year. When I searched for "food gifts", the suggestions included 'cranberry and lime vodka' (in a hipster, upcycled bottle), 'chai tea mix' (in a hipster upcycled jar) and an article from Grist titled '5 Unpredictable Homemade Food Gifts'. The latter included the idea that you create a cook book of your family's favourite recipes. You don't even have to turn on the oven!
Tailor a Day. There are countless studies which show giving an experience makes people happier than giving them an object. How could you tailor a day especially for a friend of family member, that you can enjoy together? Start with breakfast at their favourite place, go for a walk at their favourite beach, or stroll around a local market. I believe one of the best gift you can give a parent is an entire day of unhurried bonding. I recently flew 10,000miles back to England to go wedding dress shopping with my mum, because it was an experience I wanted us to share together. We had a "mum and daughter sleepover" at a hotel and learnt more about each other than we had in a decade. As an added extra, make a promise not to check your phone for emails or Facebook updates the entire time you're together.
Wrap Up a New Skill. Instead of beating yourself up for not having the skills to make your loved one a gift, you could gift a new skill to them. The organisation, Work-Shop.com.au offers short (unusual) day courses in Sydney Melbourne and Brisbane, and they now offer gift vouchers. Your giftee could learn terrarium making, "light art", tattoo illustration or "how to AirBnb your Space." They're also not the only organisation offering quirky classes. In February, the British company 'Code in a Day' will return to Australia for a series of workshops. As the name suggests, in one day they teach applicants how to code an app using HTML and Java Script. Imagine if your gift ended up changing someone's career path.
Credit: Amy Molloy is a journalist, author and ghost-writer. Her latest book, Diary of a Digital Nomad: How to Run Away with your Responsibilities is available on Amazon and iBooks. Tweet Amy @amy_molloy.
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