Can't go wrong with a quality bottle of liquor. Something that you can take out in fancier occasions.
5 Classy Gift Ideas for Any Time of Year
Photo: Mysza831
Looking for Thanksgiving hostess or Christmas gift ideas that will be well received? Trying to keep your holiday spending in check? Here are five elegant gift ideas that are suitable throughout the year. All of them can be purchased affordably.
Crystal
Vases and fruit bowls might be seen as girl-only gifts by many folks, but well chosen photo frames, mantel clocks and spirit decanters in a neutral design (stay away from hearts and flowers) can easily serve as elegant gift ideas for both men and women. Crystal is timeless, elegant, and if you shop at places like Home Goods and Tuesday Morning, darn cheap.
Book Stands
If you don’t happen to be traveling to Indonesia, Thailand, the Middle East, or Africa, check your local import stores like World Market or outdoor markets where travelers bring back goodies from abroad to sell for a small profit. Hand carved wooden display stands provide an affordable yet exquisite backdrop for sacred texts, coffee table books, and photo essay titles. They make a dramatic decorative statement suitable for numerous design styles. Bonus? They aren’t something you can pick up at just any box store on the street, although they are available to those with a little time to look.
Wine Stoppers
My folks bought us two of these a few years ago and we are complimented on them all the time. The trick? Look for some nice hand blown glass ones with metallic accents and skip the tacky primary colored fruit replicas. I’ve also seen some reasonably tasteful wine stoppers done in various metals. These don’t take up a ton of space, so they are easy to ship. They are also suitable for every decorating style and are not holiday specific, making them suitable for year round giving as well as the numerous winter holidays representing multiple faiths and denominations.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT
Easels
The more dramatic, the better. As affordable gifts go, this one is still higher end and probably more appropriate to give a family member. That being said, if you’re wanting to spend more on someone and want something they will use for years regardless of changing tastes, these things are perfect. They can be a bit tough to find, but I’ve seen brass and other decorative metal ones at furniture stores and custom frame shops. Years ago, I saw the perfect one for me and did not go for it — still regretting the missed opportunity, really. A large brass display easel can hold oil paintings in antique frames, enlarged black and white photos for a theme party, a framed dinner menu, program schedule, and much more. If you can’t get your hands on larger museum quality version, go for a medium table top easel with classic decorative elements. The person who receives it will still get miles of use out of it. Trust me.
Liquor
I’ve suggested this before in last year’s hostess gifts article, but I’m tossing it out again here. Why? Because it’s timeless, unisex, and depending on what you select, uber affordable. Think butterscotch schnapps or coconut rum versus twenty year old single malt. You could also explore this list of ideas for wine pairings if vino is more your speed.
Do you have a favorite standby gift that’s elegant as well as affordable? Sound off below.
Closely Related Readings:
A Classy Christmas on the Cheap and Easy
Six Strategies for Green Gifting
Other Holiday Posts on Wise Bread: Dreaming of a Frugal Christmas, Making Christmas the Smart Way, Dreaming of a Green Christmas and DIY Christmas Gifts for the Under 6 Crowd.
Additional photo credit: House of Sims
Best of Wise Bread
I bought 4 bottles of my favorite budget vino yesterday because it was on sale AND I plan of gifting at least two bottles to friends that like wine but are clueless about buying it.
Glad to see so many fellow liquor fans. It really does provide a fair amount of diversity in gift giving (as does wine), and since liquor stores are everywhere, you don't have to spend forever finding the perfect gift. So it's a time saver when shopping for folks as well.
You can also follow me on Twitter and Trek Hound.
Easels, wow. If I had a gun pointed to my head and was asked to recite 100 classy gifts or die. I would have never come up with that one. Not in a million years.
That being said, I like it. thanks for the great ideas!
I think they serve as the classiest of gifts. I have found they best to share immediately with the giver. I can remember (or not remember, If you know what I mean) many a night spent "pouring" over memories with friend(s). Bottoms up!
Amanda, what a hoot. Bottoms up, indeed. Thanks for stopping by.
You can also follow me on Twitter and Trek Hound.
Just a comment - not everyone drinks. Although I cook with wine occasionally, I just don't like the taste of cocktails. A bottle of liquor would be lost on me. Usually I regift them, but the last one I got, I ended up throwing out because I was moving and couldn't find anyone who wanted it.
I realize that no gift will make everyone happy, but if you cringe at the thought of someone throwing out an unopened bottle of expensive wine or liquor, be sure you're giving it to someone who will drink it.
True, not everyone enjoys wine and spirits. One thing I give to those folks that didn't really make the post is candles. Everyone loves a nice scented kitchen candle, and there are plenty of them out there in scents that men find appealing too. Now that Karen has raised this issue, I'm wondering what other ideas for consumables folks have. Coffees? Teas? Gourmet feature ingredients like finishing salt or truffle oil?
You can also follow me on Twitter and Trek Hound.
Giving food is always difficult because so many people have dietary issues these days. (Although I've never had anyone turn down homemade cookies. Even dieters tell me they can take them to the office.) If you live in an area that has some kind of local food, that makes a good gift. When I lived in GA, I found a store that sold a vidalia onion jam that was made locally. Everyone seemed to like it. Most places have some kind of regional specialty, no matter where you live. (This is better for people who live far away, but even people who live nearby might not know about it.)
I would add that, while I am a drinker myself, its a good idea to use caution when giving alcohol as a gift. Many recovering alcoholics don't advertise they are such. My mother was unable to attend her 30th high school reunion because it was being held at a winery and she knew it wouldn't be good for her sobriety. We shouldn't need to walk on egg shells, just realize that alcohol is far from a universal gift idea.
While it might not be as gift worthy as wine or champagne when it comes to higher end holiday gifts, a nice bottle of sparkling cider goes over nicely at a dinner party or holiday snack gathering. The Ninety-nine cent only store in Tucson used to carry the stuff that went for five to seven dollars in the regular store. For a buck, I always kept a few on hand. When I don't know someone well, I tend to ask if they drink before I bring spirits. If the answer is no, a high quality coffee for after dinner or the sparkling cider tend to both go over well. Anybody else have something that they use to sidestep liquor and dietary issues?
You can also follow me on Twitter and Trek Hound.
Handknit, or any handmade items make great gifts. Take a look at the incredible talent at www.etsy.com.
I wouldn't consider alcohol a classy gift. Something that people would think was expensive even though it might not have been, sure, but classy? I, and many, many others do not drink alcohol and would be offended if given wine or spirits as a gift. That would just tell me the person did not know the very first thing about me.
Possibly your suggestion should include a selection of local specialties. Every region has something they are famous for, but how often do we actually buy those things for ourselves?
Hence the entire above discussion, Christie. Thanks for stopping by.
You can also follow me on Twitter and Trek Hound.
I bake cookies with my 15 year old daughter and have done for about 3 or 4 years. Nothing particularly fantastic or revolutionary about what we do but we hand deliver them and enjoy going around to the various friends and relatives to deliver them.
You know, I'm glad you brought that up because I think just having the kiddos involved and making that family to family contact shows that you value that household's friendship enough to gear your family time towards including them.
You can also follow me on Twitter and Trek Hound.
Sparkling cider is a great choice for a gift. Special coffees or teas are also great gifts - something a person may not do for themselves. You also might want to consider making a CD of some of your favorite music to give to friends.
For the uber-frugal or low on funds...
On the crystal- Crystal rarely shows signs of wear. The only tell-tale of previous ownership is the lack of the little sticker on the bottom, which many people remove.
Goodwill, or the Salvation army, often have an excellent selection of crtal and fine china teapots. They are the equivalent of 75% off retail. You might even find some nice Hall China or original fiesta ware.
Wrapped nicely in a box, used is not discernible. A beautiful item is a beautifuk item, regardless of origin.
