When searching for cool gifts for friends, loved ones, colleagues, clients and others, explore unique gift ideas because they tend to be thoughtful gifts, and thoughtful gifts are generally the ones recipients treasure most.
As you search for unique gift ideas, remember that a thoughtful gift isn’t just unique—it’s appropriate for the occasion. A personalized mug stuffed with dry hot cocoa ingredients, for example, can be an excellent Christmas gift but probably not the right choice for a wedding gift. Similarly, a cinnamon-scented candle is an occasion-appropriate gift for a Thanksgiving host, but it would feel generic, especially if the host doesn’t care for candles.
So, what is the perfect gift? It’s a gift that sits at the intersection of occasion-appropriate and personalized. It fits both the recipient and the reason for giving the gift. In this article, we’ll explore some unique gift ideas you can keep in mind for your next gift-giving occasion.
Table of contents
- Birthday gift ideas
- Wedding gift ideas
- Anniversary gift ideas
- Christmas gift ideas
- Housewarming gift ideas
- Baby shower gift ideas
- Retirement gift ideas
- Graduation gift ideas
- Gifts for any occasion
Birthday gift ideas
When it comes to cool gifts for birthdays, just about anything goes! Birthdays are fun, so with a birthday gift, you can be silly or off-the-wall with your gift idea. And since they’re solely about the birthday girl or boy, you should personalize a gift to their precise tastes.
Maybe a copy of their favorite author’s latest book would be the perfect gift. Or maybe a customized beer glass with their name etched into the glass. This kind of gift tends to be popular for milestone birthdays, like 21, 30, 40 and 50.
Source: Custom beer glass via VistaPrint
For a younger birthday girl or boy, a personalized backpack is the perfect unique gift idea, and it’s practical!
Source: Custom backpack via VistaPrint
Wedding gift ideas
Wedding gifts need to celebrate the couple, not just the partner you’re closest with. Some good starting points include wall art, like wood and canvas prints, that the couple can display in their home.
Source: Wood prints with a special memory or photo via VistaPrint
Wedding gift etiquette varies between cultures, so ensure your gift is appropriate for the culture of the couple getting married.
Other ideas could include personalized wine glasses or an acrylic block bearing their wedding date.
Anniversary gift ideas
Much like weddings, anniversaries are celebrations of love! Great choices for anniversary gifts include personalized photo gifts.
Source: Photo print via VistaPrint
Anniversary gifts can be similar to engagement gifts, so don’t be afraid to look for inspiration in engagement gift suggestions. Both occasions celebrate a couple’s longevity, so a thoughtful gift is one that recognizes them as a pair and highlights their special bond.
Maybe something like a personalized blanket would be a great choice:
Source: Custom blanket via VistaPrint
Keep in mind that people celebrating wedding anniversaries, especially those celebrating milestone anniversaries like 10, 20 or even more years together, likely have a lot of “stuff” in their homes. For these couples, great gifts can be experiences, like a gift certificate to a new restaurant in town or tickets to an event they would both enjoy, like a concert or sporting event. Another great gift idea is consumables, like high-end chocolates or a bag of their favorite coffee beans.
What if you’re the one celebrating an anniversary and you’re shopping for a great gift for your partner? The same guidelines apply—the best gifts celebrate you as a couple and the life you’ve built together. But because you’re buying for a partner, there’s room to buy something more expensive or intimate, like a piece of jewelry. Maybe this is the year you “upgrade” your wedding rings?
Need more ideas for parents? Check out these best gift ideas for dad and mom.
Christmas gift ideas
What is a thoughtful gift for Christmas? Something personalized that evokes the warm, fuzzy feelings of the holiday season. A fugly holiday sweater with their name stitched into the design might be the right call this Christmas.
Or a personalized mug from which they can sip cocoa as they sit by the fire.
Source: Custom speckled mugs via VistaPrint
Like birthday presents, cool Christmas gifts for kids aren’t the same as thoughtful gifts for adults. An adult would love to receive a cutting board with their initials, but a kid, not so much. Stick to toys for the kids on Christmas. That’s what they want most.
Other gift ideas for kids and adults could be cozy new socks or personalized sports clothing. Think about what the recipient would appreciate this Christmas and shop how you would shop for a birthday gift for them. Christmas gifts, like birthday gifts, have room to be irreverent and fun.
Need more ideas? Check out our holiday gift guide for everyone on your list.
Don’t forget your furry friends on Christmas! Pets love getting presents just as much as people do!
Housewarming gift ideas
What is the perfect gift for a housewarming party? Any gift that makes the recipient’s new home feel more “them.”
As you plan your housewarming gift, keep the recipient’s tastes in mind. What colors do they like? What is their overall style? Think about the kinds of things they’ll need in their new home and which items they likely won’t receive from others. They might end up with three blenders at their housewarming party but no welcome mat!
There’s some overlap between housewarming gifts, engagement gifts, wedding gifts and anniversary gifts. This is because, often, they’re a gift for a couple rather than an individual. However, plenty of people live on their own, so you could absolutely find yourself buying a housewarming gift for a single person! Gifts for these events are often decor, like custom pillows, and household items like kitchenware.
Source: Personalized pillows via VistaPrint
It’s common for housewarmings to have gift registries. Choose something from the registry to ensure your gift is wanted and appreciated!
Baby shower gift ideas
When you buy a baby shower gift, you’re not really buying a gift for the mom-to-be. You’re buying a gift for her new baby. But in a way, a baby shower gift is also a gift for the baby’s parents, especially if it’s something like a set of burping cloths, a diaper bag or a personalized baby book.
Source: Personalized photo book via VistaPrint
That said, other great baby shower gift ideas are onesies and other baby clothes, decor for the baby’s room and much-needed baby gear like a car seat, highchair or set of baby utensils. Baby shower gifts also tend to be necessities more than “just for fun” items… but definitely keep fun and the recipient’s style in mind as you explore baby shower gift options!
At most baby showers, there’s at least one “big” gift, like a stroller or crib. Because these gifts can be fairly expensive, you may choose to chip in with a group to buy the big gift for the parents-to-be. They’ll appreciate it for sure!
Retirement gift ideas
If a colleague is retiring, you may be invited to their retirement party. Similarly, you may be invited to a retirement party for a friend or loved one. Either way, you’re celebrating the retiree’s career and sending them off into a relaxing yet invigorating post-career stage.
Good retirement gifts are related to the recipient’s hobbies since they’ll have a lot more time on their hands to do what they enjoy! A personalized golf set, baking tools, fishing gear or a poker set can be a great choice for the retiree.
Source: via Depositphotos
Other good choices for retirement gifts include gifts commemorating their career, like a piece of wall art featuring a photo of their team or a gift that relates to their career in some way, like a mug with an image of a drafting set for a retiring engineer.
If you’re considering a gag gift, make sure you’re 100% certain the recipient will find it funny. There are few things more awkward than a gag gift that falls flat and ruins the vibe of the party.
Graduation gift ideas
In a way, graduation is the opposite of retirement. A new graduate will likely soon enter the workforce, while a new retiree is exiting the workforce. However, don’t feel like your gift has to reflect the graduate’s career plans—the real goal with a graduation gift is to celebrate the graduate’s hard work and achievement. Gift the new graduate a watch, a piece of jewelry or a fancy fountain pen or leatherbound journal to mark the occasion.
Source: Custom faux leather journal by VistaPrint
Popular graduation gifts include sweatshirts and other apparel featuring the graduate’s alma mater, possibly with their class year or the word “alumni.” Other solid choices include personalized drinkware or other items they can bring to their new place now that they’re moving out of (or into!) the dorms.
Other good choices for graduation gifts are gifts that help the new graduate create a solid foundation as they enter adulthood. This could be a gift card to a store that stocks professional clothing so they can start building a professional wardrobe or a new computer or other tech gear. Less expensive options are a personalized steel-walled coffee mug or custom water bottle for their daily commute.
Cool gifts for any occasion
Some gifts don’t need an occasion! Send somebody a gift to show that you’re thinking of them, or commemorate a day that’s personal to your relationship, like the day you met or the anniversary of an amazing concert you saw together. Personalized gifts are always a great choice when it comes to gifts like these.
Source: Custom water bottle via VistaPrint
You may find yourself needing to give a gift to a client, vendor or business partner. Gifts like these generally need to be on the serious side. Keep it professional and give them something that can stay in the office, like a custom print of their building or a basket of goodies the whole team can share. There’s a level of formality necessary for corporate gifts that would feel too stuffy for personal gifts, and this is because you have a more formal relationship with colleagues, clients, vendors and partners than you do with your family and friends. Gifts should still be personalized and thoughtful, but something like jewelry or a T-shirt may be too personal.
Other scenarios you can celebrate with a “just because” gift include promotions, end-of-semester or year, your pet’s gotcha day or simply because you’re going to visit a friend or loved one. Focus on cool gifts that aren’t particularly sentimental or significant for these since they tend to be more casual than other gift-giving occasions.
Choosing the perfect gift
So, what is the perfect gift to give? A thoughtful gift. What is a thoughtful gift? A gift that’s:
- Unique
- Personalized
- Appropriate for the occasion
We realize this keeps things pretty broad. You know the recipient best, so trust your instincts while you use the list above to find the perfect present.
Source: Custom coasters via VistaPrint
Sometimes, the easiest way to find a great gift is to look at what’s currently trending. This can spark ideas and ensure you give something that feels fresh. Some popular gifting trends to explore include:
- Sustainable gifts. These could be gifts made from recycled or upcycled materials or gifts that help the recipient adopt eco-conscious habits, like a countertop compost pail or a set of reusable shopping bags.
- Self-care gifts. Self-care comes in many forms, from soothing skincare routines to opportunities to unplug. Some good choices in this category could be products you know the recipient uses or accessories they can use to get more “me time,” like a yoga mat or noise-canceling headphones.
- Gifts that support small businesses. If your recipient prioritizes supporting small and locally owned businesses, give them something from a local artisan or entrepreneur. This way, you’re showing that you know what they like, and you and the recipient can feel good about supporting a small or up-and-coming creator.
Find the perfect unique gift for any occasion
Giving gifts is fun! Whatever you’re celebrating, get into the spirit of the occasion by choosing a thoughtful, personalized gift for the lucky recipient. It doesn’t need to be fancy or expensive, just something that shows you care.
And if you aren’t sure what to give, just remember this easy formula: occasion plus the recipient’s unique taste equals the perfect gift. So, if you’re giving a birthday gift to a gamer, a new pair of gaming headphones is the perfect choice. Or if you’re giving a Christmas gift to a retired grandmother of three, a warm sweatshirt that celebrates grandmotherhood will evoke smiles and a big “thank you” on Christmas morning.
