My favorite gifts to give are when the recipient has no idea I was going to get them a gift! For example, yesterday I gave my colleague a portable french press from Peet’s – she’s an avid coffee fan and in a cruel twist of events, our office espresso machine was taken away. She was completely surprised and its a gift that everyone will be able to enjoy.

My favorite gifts I gave to my family on Christmas were homemade votive holders. They were adorable and everyone seemed to really like them.

I love homemade gifts. the ones that come from creative people and took a lot of heart to make.

I will always remember those gifts the most..

@ItalianPrincess1217: You and I have some kind of cosmic connection today! I really want to make a set for one of my friends! I’ve been collecting directions to do that for months now! Could you share with me how you did it? That would make my day!

@La_chica_gomela We must! Sure I’ll give you some info in a pm. I’ll see if I have any pics for you. It’ll be easier if you can see them. You’ll know what I’m trying to explain.

i have never been as excited as i am to give my boyfriend the piece of stained glass i made him. i just finished it today. its the israel flag but the two lines of the star are extended to make an A, because his name is adam. i think its cool. plus it took me forever so he better love it. and its my first piece of stained glass and i think i’ve found a new hobby!

i’ve gotten a lot of good gifts but none come to mind right now.

@ItalianPrincess1217: Yay!!! Thank you so much!
@deni: That sounds like a blast and really cool! How did you make it?

@deni : I like the stained glass idea. Super crafty.

its quite a process. well sort of. my dad is a stained glass pro so he had all the equipment, i only had to buy the glass. you cut it, grind it down and make everything flat, wrap all the edges in this copper foil stuff, then you sauder (?) it all together on both sides. then frame it. you also have to have a printout of the design, and luckily my dad is very good at freehand on the computer so he made up the pattern and i did the rest. it was fun :)

Oh wow, so you did it the real way! Not the, take a piece of glass, put some liquidy colored stuff on it, and wait for it to dry, fake but fun way. That’s amazing!

@La_chica_gomela ohh yeah no cheating here :) thanks!

I prefer to recieve nothing. In my giving, which I do year-round BTW, I prefer to give anonynously and things that are badly needed. Foodstuffs, clothing, cash, paying an overdue bill that I knew someone couldn’t pay. Sort of like Scrooge and the goose in the last scene of “A Christmas Carol”.

I like to receive and give crazy gifts
Last year I gave my father a painting where Santa was tortured by Eastern Bunny

@Christian95 Roflmao :^D

I like to give gifts that are relatively extravagant but small enough to fit in the stocking. Cos people only expect candy and crap in the stocking.
@deni That sounds awesome!!!! I wish I could make gifts like that. And it’s spelled “solder” ;)

I bought my mum a puppy for her birthday, cutest/best dog ever…Only problem is i like her a whole lot now and want to take her with me when i move out!

I like to give handmade gift baskets with a little of this and a little of that…things that people might like to try and use but will never go out and buy themselves just to see if they like them. I include sample cheeses, crackers, jams, jellies, tins of smoked oysters, pate, etc…plus a good bottle of wine. It’s like a picnic in a nice basket just waiting to be taken on a day trip. I also throw in some flavored olive oils, sun-dried tomatoes, gourmet mustards, dried mushrooms, etc. as a gourmet pack. They are expensive but they are 5 times better than anything I could order online and I do them all by hand with personal notes for each person or family.

I prefer to give gifts that I think of as a result of careful listening. Maybe someone has expressed interest in something, but decides not to buy it. Or, maybe there’s something they’re passionate about, and I can get something related (though, this is dangerous, because usually if they are passionate about something, either they already have what you’re getting them, or they have already got their mind set on something even better, e.g. an L lens when you got them a standard lens with similar specs).

As for receiving, I like things that are not needs, and are something I really want, such as a video game or SACD I’ve been researching but don’t feel wealthy enough to buy.

@Corporate_Avenger Great idea! +GA

Love. (Whatever that lights up their eyes, which is almost anything. I DID SAY ALMOST)

I love to make things myself and gift to my near ones like a monogrammed handkerchief or a lace one or may be a crocheted doily.

I love to receive crystal curios.

@deni – that sounds amazing. I’ve wanted to try making stained glass for years.
my mom and I keep talking about taking a class together

My dad loves candy and for Christmas a few years ago I ordered a box of candy from the 1950s. His eyes lit up like a kid and he counted all of the pieces of candy so that he would know if my step-mom took any! He was so happy… that made it one of the best gifts.

Last year, after my father had passed, I took a picture of him and had a crystal cube engraved in the center with his image. I gave it to my mother and she seemed pleased by it.

My favorite gifts to give….....are to find something from someone’s childhood that they never got…..hunt it down on ebay and give it to them.

My favorite gifts to get….the same….or books. I can never have too many books.

This sounds lame, maybe, but I like gift cards. Then I can go get what I want. Nothing makes me happier than getting a Bath & Body Works gift certificate.

Restaurant gift cards are always good to give. That’s just a free, fun night out for someone who doesn’t have to cook. We give them to our paper carriers & the mail carrier. You can’t go wrong there.

I think my favorite gifts to give are the ones your friends/family talk about wanting a lot, but they don’t tell you to get them that thing. It’s more surprising for them that way.

My favorite types of gifts to recieve are the ones I forget to ask for, but then end up getting anyway. It’s very delightful…

@ClubJenna agreed. i find making “lists” to be sort of silly. its more fun and exciting to use your imagination. plus if you make a list you basically know what youre getting, that is not fun ever

Any gift that lights up the face of the receiver is worth giving to me! I love all my gifts because I know they are given with thoughtfulness and love!

I will talk to people about things they want / like / need… BUT; aren’t going to purchase for themselves for whatever the reason…..

Then; that is the present that I buy for them IF the price is what I think is reasonable for MY budget…

Like, my nephew complains about not having enough boxers ..so , he’ll get boxers from me .
His dad talks about having to go to a car wash or service station to clean out his car ..so he’ll receive a small car vac…. and that is the way I determine gifts.

As for myself; it really does not matter as NO One buys me gifts anymore. I have not had a birthday or Christmas gift in three years or more ..

I like giving people something that they have been dying for, like this year my sister has had her eye on somthing of mine for two years and this year I bought her one of her own. (it’s a silver plated compact mirror with roses etched into it, but sshhh it’s a secret( :) I love recieving anything really from my distant relatives I prefer them to stick to money, that way I can get what I want. From friends….giftcards to my favorite stores ex. Barnes&Noble, and from immediate family just a few things that I ask for or need is just fine, something practical like…. a new pair of sneakers (my current ones, though I love them dearly are falling apart) But I don’t think I’m too picky, my mother yells at me for not being picky enough at times.

I love surprising people with something really thoughtful. The most meaningful gifts ever given to me were very heartfelt.

I’ve always kept in mind what people say they wished for or o i wish i had this or in utter need of something, i note it in my head so when the time comes, you can be sure to be a happy bunny when you get a gift from me. :)

My favorite gifts to give are Christmas ornaments. I include an ornament on a gift to every family member. Most I make and all of them are personalized to represent an event or current activity of the recipient. They enjoy decorating their trees every year and having reminders of past events hanging on their trees. When they grow up and leave home they take their ornaments with them. I’ve been told that it’s nice to have them on their ‘first’ Christmas tree as an adult.

@Cupcake: Whaa? Are you saying you gave your dad 50 year old candy? Are you saying he ate it????

I would like 50 year old candy. Not to eat though obviously.

@La_chica_gomela – no… I ordered a specialty box of candy that was popular in the 1950s… but they are still made today (although not as widely available). This kind of thing.

@Cupcake I was wondering how you might have known twas from the 50’s.

@Cupcake: Ohhhhhhhhhhh! Hahahahahahaha!