There are occasions in life where you want to present someone you love with an item or token which demonstrates your affection. Sometimes these gifts can be small, like a coffee, and sometimes you want something with a little more sentiment. That doesn’t mean it has to be flashy or expensive, which can often feel performative, but something that has a real warmth behind it. Therefore, something you’ve made is just the ticket! This can be hard to find inspiration for, so we have compiled a list of fun and meaningful gifts your friend will treasure and appreciate.
Pottery
Not only is pottery a fun, relaxing and rewarding hobby, it yields beautiful products of art. This is also brilliant for people who don’t consider themselves gifted artists, because the beauty of pottery and working with clay is often the abstract shapes and interesting texture each individual can find. You can make something practical that they can use every day and be reminded of you, like a bowl or a mug, or you can make something purely decorative, to place a little bit of yourself in their home. Try taking a pottery class or even consider purchasing your own clay at home!
Handmade Clothing
This is a fantastic idea for practical and sentimental items that are inexpensive to obtain. Crocheted and knitted items have been booming in popularity recently as a trendy and sustainable element of fashion. There are lots of videos and patterns online which are easy to follow, and you can end up with beautiful garments for merely the cost of wool, which from trusted brands like really maria is high-quality, soft and doesn’t break the bank. These items can be as small and easy, or large and complicated as you decide to make them, from phone cases, to bags, tops, hats and even blankets. For those with children, plush toys are an amazing way to present children with toys with a lot of meaning and sentiment.
Jewellery
Handmade jewellery is a great way to create very pretty adornments which can be worn every day. We recommend purchasing some flexible wire and sterling silver or leather chains, and then hunting outside for some interesting rocks. If you live near a beach, sea glass shells and even fossils can make beautiful jewellery as necklaces or earrings. You can make a day of it with your friend by the two of you heading out for your materials and spending an afternoon or evening making jewellery for each other and leaving with wonderful memories and a material gift to remind you of each other.
Artwork
Giving a friend a piece of artwork can take courage, but it’s often met with absolute joy. The integrity of art coupled with the sentiment of presenting it as a gift, a unique, one-of-a-kind, impossible to replicate piece of yourself, can evoke a lot of emotion.
Try out some of these gift ideas for not only wonderful presents, but really fun ways to unwind and find creative pursuits.
