Finding the Perfect Christmas Gift for Every Recipient

Preparing for Christmas is one of the most exciting times of the year. Putting up decorations, hanging parols, singing Christmas songs, teaching children why we celebrate Christmas and spending special time with our extended families is all part of what makes Christmas such a wonderful holiday. This is also the time of the year when we have the opportunity to show our family members, friends, co-workers and other important people in our lives just how much they mean to us. This traditionally takes the form of selecting one or more gifts for each person on our Christmas shopping list, and we, of course, want each of those gifts to be meaningful and memorable.

Unfortunately, some people on our lists are always more difficult to shop for, making it a challenge each year to find yet another unique, thoughtful gift for those people. Examples of people who are often more difficult to shop for when it comes to finding Christmas gifts include men, relatives and friends who seem to have everything, and people who have the money to purchase whatever they might want or who have expensive taste.

There are two important things to remember when trying to shop for these people on your Christmas list. First, the gift must fit in your shopping budget, regardless of how extravagant their preferences might be. Christmas is not about how much you spend on gifts, and there is no reason to spend more than you can afford on a gift for someone just because he or she generally likes expensive things. Secondly, you are giving each person a gift to bring them joy and show them how much they mean to you; therefore, you should focus on that aspect of gift giving, rather than torturing yourself with worries that you might get a gift that is not good enough or is wrong in some way.

Here are five tips to make finding Christmas gifts for challenging recipients much easier:

1. Look for clues in what they say or what is in their home or office. This will help you determine what might be a meaningful gift. For example, perhaps they will mention in conversation that they like a certain sports team, or there could be books by a particular author in their home. You could then purchase a book they do not yet have by that author or is that in the same genre, or you could get them sports memorabilia related to their favorite team.
    
2. Give them something unexpected and out of the ordinary. One example might be a tagine, which is a cooking pot used in Morocco and the Middle East to create flavorful vegetable and meat dishes. These can be ordered online, where you will also find tagine cookbooks to include in the gift.
    
3. Give them something consumable. If he or she seems to have everything, they probably do not need one more thing to clutter up their home. Instead, consider giving a gift that is consumable, such as a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant or beauty salon, a gift basket with food and wine, or a gift card to their favorite local or online store.
    
4. Get creative. Homemade gifts are generally inexpensive and show that you took the time to create a special gift just for the recipient. Do-it-yourself Christmas gifts can be simple or intricate, so even if you are not necessarily the crafty sort, you are sure to be able to come up with homemade Christmas gift ideas that will fit your talents and skill level. The first thing to do is consider what types of crafts or art you enjoy creating. For example, if you paint or draw, a unique piece of art that you created is a perfect gift to give to people who are difficult to shop for, and it is sure to be appreciated. The same can be said for knit or sewn item, items carved or made from wood, paper crafts, intricately crafted parols or other decorations, personalized poetry given in a frame, handmade pottery, hand-woven baskets or artisan jewelry.

   If you are not particularly gifted in arts and crafts, you could instead make simple gifts, such as scented bath salts and bath oils, or beaded jewelry. Alternatively, you can also seek out a local crafter or artist to make unique, handmade gifts. If the gift recipient is a family member, you might also consider enlisting the assistance of your children to make homemade gifts that are sure to be treasured by grandparents or uncles.

5. Consider gifts of faith. Christmas is, after all, a religious holiday dedicated to celebrating the birth of Christ; therefore, religious gifts are a great option. A beautiful rosary, faith jewelry or an intricately embroidered prayer shawl is the type of gift that will be appreciated regardless of its monetary value and is something that even the person who has everything could use. This makes religious gifts an ideal option for hard-to-shop-for folks on your Christmas list.
    

Of course, not everyone will equally appreciate a religious gift, so this type of Christmas present is more appropriate for people whom you know well enough to know whether or not a faith-based gift would be suitable.

When selecting gifts for people who have expensive tastes or who are generally difficult to shop for, remember that is not the price or size of the gift that makes it special. Extravagance does not always equal thoughtfulness and a luxury gift is not always a meaningful one. Taking the time to choose or make a gift that you hope will bring joy to each recipient is what makes each gift special. And that is also what makes the gifts in line with the tradition of Christmas gift giving and Christmas spirit.