A heartfelt gift. Getting ready for the holidays: options for thoughtful gifts

A gift is a piece of the soul, carefully taken out from the depths of the heart and carefully packaged in a beautiful box with a red bow on the lid. For me it has always been like this. I came up with ideas for gifts for my loved ones long before the “X” date. At least a month in advance, I began to have clandestine conversations with their friends, carefully asking in conversations what my heart was in right now.

I gave things - exactly those that people would like to receive now. Gave gifts self made- I remember how I clumsily knitted a sweater for my beloved man, sewed a funny patterned balaclava for an avid skier, and made a cover for a toy car for a racing fan. She gave me trips - there were small weekends in cozy hotels, and long vacations to other cities with a full excursion program. She gave me emotions - among the most vivid memories I remember was a parachute jump for someone who dreamed of it, and dog sledding with wonderful blue-eyed huskies.

All gifts were unexpected, not discussed in advance, not planned. And, as far as I remember, they always hit the mark: eyes shining with happiness cannot lie.

The older we get, the more pragmatism appears in us.

We stop making cute nonsense and crazy presents for no reason. Is there a holiday coming? OK. For ordinary people, a box of chocolates is enough (by the way, have you noticed that they always give the same chocolates in white boxes?) and a bottle of champagne, which is sold in the store at a discount. Not for ordinary people - well, here you have to “try” and go to one of the many “unusual” gift shops. There are a lot of things in such places, and everyone normal person he is horrified that they could be given to him, too.

Jokes about socks, underpants and razors on February 23 are worn out, best gift on March 8 - of course, perfume, and from this year also a turquoise pedicure file. Manufacturers of everything in the world make our life easier by pre-packing all these banalities into beautiful boxes - even in choosing the packaging, the donor will not be able to show individuality, because there is no longer any need to choose it.

The heroes of the occasion are also sinners. They don’t expect something like that from their friends - now it’s fashionable to give out wish lists with the addresses of stores where the desired things are sold. The color, size and style are, of course, specified - we will not give our guests a single step of freedom. Well, it’s convenient: but you’ll definitely get what you want. I have nothing against it. In many cases this is appropriate and correct.

But as the well-known Ippolit from the soulful Soviet film said, “the spirit of adventurism has disappeared in us.” Maybe someone else remembers the times when a gift was a surprise?

For the last few years, there has been a man next to me who categorically did not want to choose gifts for me: “I don’t want to, I won’t, I don’t know how.” No, he wasn't greedy. Money - please, and this talk about the soul - dismiss me, dismiss me.

I spent a lot of effort explaining how important his choice was to me. She gave several options for gifts so that he could take the one he liked best. She pointed out stores where absolutely any item would suit me. No use. It got to the point that he proposed to me with the words: “I don’t know which ring to choose, should you do it yourself?”

And I chose. But she didn’t use it - although this, as they say, is a completely different story. I remembered this last March 8th, when almost stranger gave me two tickets to the planetarium, where I had never been and where I had really wanted to go for a year. He gave it exactly the way it should be done: unexpectedly, with all his heart, with a 100% hit on target and a red bow on the envelope.

When the first shock passed - where, how did he know? - I remembered that when we met - an ordinary business meeting - we said a few words about the planetarium. Probably then, in some incredible way, he realized that I wanted to go there.

And I know many such stories. When a bouquet of daisies in winter was remembered by the birthday girl more than the long-awaited iPhone, and a handmade photo album overshadowed a string of pearls. When self-knitted mittens became the main gift under the tree. When a pack of vitamins was just given as a gift - in the most difficult winter time with an acute lack of daylight, constant frosts and getting ready to go outside, as if in outer space.

When an ordinary pillow came in handy - the old one was already outlived last days and did not provide any comfort. And even people in my life managed to give money in such a way that the gift was not impersonal and very, very expensive: an envelope with a certain amount, on which a bicycle was drawn clumsily, but from the heart (a dream of that time), and also hung in the bathroom on clothespins bills, each of which had a list attached to it, what kind of things a person could please himself with this money.

A gift is always the first consideration. Attention to our words, dreams and desires.

Show your loved ones more often that you know, hear and understand them. Give your loved ones a piece of your soul, and they will repay you in kind.

Ekaterina Golovina

When receiving gifts, we want it to be a pleasant surprise for us, as well as a useful or very beautiful thing. But the most important thing we want from a gift and from the person who gives it to us is personal relationship!

I want the gift to be more than just an unnecessary or given away item. An item purchased in order to somehow, through a stump, fulfill the debt of the donor. Namely, that object that is created, selected, made - namely specifically for you, taking into account your wishes and preferences.

This is the kind of gift that will delight you, be remembered for a long time and bring a lot of pleasure. These are exactly the kind of real heart-warming gifts that will be author’s gifts - handmade gifts , handmade by master craftsmen. Such souvenirs have a number of undeniable advantages compared to mass production.

Uniqueness and secret meaning

Probably the main advantage of handmade gifts is that a present of this kind can be made taking into account the specific wishes and requirements of the customer. What makes something more valuable and unique.

A product of this kind can carry a hidden meaning that will be understandable only to a limited circle of people. And such a gift will undoubtedly bring much more pleasure to its owner.

Quality and detailing

TO benefits exclusive gifts include the fact that a handmade object is subject to careful elaboration by the master.

The gift will be the embodiment of the soul, thoughts, knowledge and skills, and life experience of the author.

The result of the work of an individual craftsman is several times higher quality and thoughtful than a similar factory-produced product.

Many options

Another undeniable advantage is the variety of execution options for the same thing.

Do you want to give your boss a horse, a symbol of freedom and speed?

Please, everything is at your service - the horse can be made using almost any technique, from embroidery and beadwork to designer toys and wooden sculptures.

What types of handmade gifts are there?

What are the most common, popular and popular gifts? - a box of chocolates, really? But you can make candy bouquets, candy figures and even sculptures! How surprised will the recipients be when they receive such beauty as a gift:

Handmade jewelry

Piece by pebble, by bead, by the smallest bead - the master’s hands collect jewelry. Jewelry is meant to decorate us.

And when you buy jewelry in a store and go out into the street, you see a dozen more exactly the same twin clones on other girls, will you be pleased? This is no longer a decoration, but an equalization. Or “incubator”, as they joked in the good old Soviet times :)

Author's dolls

Author's doll and toy - that's where the most exclusive gift is! The master, of course, will take into account your requirements as a customer, but each of his creations - be it dolls or toys - will have its own character, appearance, facial expression and mood!

The doll is already individual from the very first moment of creation. It’s not for nothing that in ancient times dolls had a sacred meaning.

Interior items

Decorate your everyday life with unique products made using the decoupage technique - boxes, boxes, key holders, furniture - taking into account your wishes and preferences.

In general, think, our dear consumers of goods and services, who you want to be - an individual or one of many, many, many, whether part of the gray crowd or a thinking adequate person!

We thank the craftsmen Lyubov Laptenkova, Galina Masyuk, Anna Morzhina, Maria Vladimirova, Natalya Lodygina for kindly providing photographs of their products. If you liked our work, write to us in the section

A gift is a thing that is given as a gift with all the heart. It can also be called a sign of respect, a way of expressing feelings and attitude towards the person for whom the gift is intended.

Gifts are an integral part of life in many different societies. Despite the difference in culture and language, a spiritual gift occupies an important, central place in each of them. What is it? Is it possible to make it with your own hands?

A little about the meaning

Gifts that are presented to those closest and dear people from the bottom of the heart, demonstrate the feelings sincerely experienced by the giver, are called sincere.

They don't have to be expensive. On the contrary, in recent years, handmade gifts have become increasingly popular.

Men's gifts

Heartfelt DIY gifts for representatives strong half humanity can be original, expressing feelings. Here are several options for this type of gift.

Bouquet of fish

Original gift, which can be presented to a man who loves to spend a weekend evening with a good snack. Making a composition is not difficult. To do this, you will need dried fish of the same size, the tails should be tied together.

Making a present is not difficult, and both the author and the person to whom the gift is presented will have a lot of impressions.

An original notebook, for example, can be useful for writing down your favorite recipes and interesting thoughts. Unusual - great way collect memories of some memorable event in one place.

Presentation

Using a computer program, you can create a legendary presentation for your sister or beloved wife. It may consist of beautiful poems (perhaps even your own composition), wishes, favorite music.

Gift certificate to the salon

What about emotions as a gift? As an example, a certificate for visiting a beauty salon. What exactly it should cover is up to the one who will give it to decide. It is important to consider what the recipient likes.

Decor

A friend who loves to decorate her home will surely like the painting. For those who do not know how to embroider, an easier, but no less original and beautiful option is offered.

It consists in covering the embroidery blank with a thin layer of colorless glue and then applying beads according to the pattern.

Once the adhesive is completely dry, the finished masterpiece is placed in a pre-prepared frame. Pictures made from rhinestones look interesting. For those who are interested in mosaics, they will not present any particular difficulties.

Fridge magnet

For a mother, wife, sister or bride, a gift with a soul would be, for example, a photograph with a magnet. This photo will decorate your refrigerator. He can depict anything, the main thing is that everything corresponds to the theme of the holiday to which the gift is dedicated. A photo mug can be an excellent gift option. Here are some great options:

Bouquets

What woman would refuse a bouquet of flowers? That’s right, none, especially if it’s a composition from your favorites

Positive psychology 07.02.2016

My dear readers, today I have an unusual article on my blog. I want to talk to you about gifts for the soul. Do you like to give them? What about receiving? I will say about myself that such gifts are always especially dear to me. I myself love to find something so spiritually interesting, and how I value those gifts that are given to me for the soul and from the heart.

Probably, many of you also want something for the soul - to do something for the soul, to buy something for the soul, to give something from the heart to loved ones and friends. I want these to be things that are inspiring, that mean something, that speak about something... Sometimes you go to stores, look for something interesting there, and don’t find anything that resonates in your soul.

For those who love to give and receive gifts for the soul

On New Year I just received such a gift from Lena Khutornaya. Many of you know her. Lena runs a column on my blog and also edits all the articles in our magazine Scents of Happiness. I received from Lena a panel that is so affectionately called “Lullaby”.

And how I was amazed by the description of this work. I want to introduce it to you: “This will be your sweetest dream, the most beautiful, the most tender. It will be so long, so deep and realistic that it will seem better than any life. And yet you know, you feel that such dreams are possible only because we live. And therefore you will wake up and move on with your life. And your life, of course, will be better than any dream, because only it is real enough to give you real happiness.”

This panel stands in front of me, warms my soul, light comes from it, I feel its energy. Lena's work is filled with soul, warmth, love, and precisely light. They contain a message of striving for the best, an impulse of faith in the future, in all the good that is in us.

Here is Lena's work, which I received as a gift. Panel "Lullaby".

Heartfelt gifts for a woman, a man, a girlfriend, a friend, a loved one

All drawings say something, mean something, but in fact the main thing is what we ourselves see in them, as in all creative objects. If the soul responds, if something stirs inside, then this is it, the one. If, at the sight of drawings, thoughts appear, associations with something or someone, if they are pleasant, or curious, or just something very necessary, such that they came and do not go away, then for some reason we need it , and this is always the main indicator of the need for something...

I myself love images that evoke movements of the soul, revival in it, a rush of inspiration. You take a direct look, and the inside becomes warmer, the flower brightens, and the flower from which something is then born begins to bloom. It's like growing your own garden - a garden in your soul. You never know what it will be like, but something beautiful is born in it every time.

Such drawings help to grow this garden, like light, moisture, invisible, but so necessary for growth, development, and advancement.

Blossoms for us. Prosperity. Magic.

Everything depends on us, and sometimes it’s just a matter of whether we respond to our impulse or not. Therefore, you need to listen and hear yourself. And see what will help us realize our dreams.

Paintings and panels as a gift

Drawings can be presented in the form of panels on plastic or on canvas. All drawings are accompanied by texts, so that the desired image can be selected both by pattern and color, and by the meaning it contains.

Dance of the night butterfly

A marvelous garden blooms by the lake, in a valley between the mountains. It's always summer there, and wonderful music plays there every night. Let your dance be light and patterned like a lace shawl on your shoulders beautiful woman. Share it with the one you love. The garden is blooming, filled with love. And may it always bloom.

Silk Moon

I will see the depth behind the beauty of the patterns. Wisdom will be revealed in the depths. Wisdom will give strength. The forces will help me on my path. And the beauty of the pattern will be born and lead.

Melua Sun

Sensuality and passion. Depth and tenderness. Velvety, soft, warm. Spicy, hot, juicy. Strong - to the point of screaming. Overwhelming - to the point of pain. Pouring out - to the point of tears. Calming, lulling... You will always reach the center of your sun, because this sun is in you.

Achievement

You'll catch up when you stop catching up.

Cards for congratulations

Also, drawings can be presented in the form of postcards with texts. Printed on matte paper, they look very deep, bright, velvety.

Intuitive and metaphorical cards

Intuitive cards are used for harmonization, for mood, for inspiration. Also, using them, you can purposefully work on yourself, on your spiritual growth, dealing with the problems and tasks that face us. They awaken our intuition, subconscious and help us find answers within ourselves, because only we ourselves know these answers.

You can read more about intuitive and metaphorical maps.

You probably noticed the names of the panels and the description itself. How subtle everything is. I myself love looking at these panels, Lena’s drawings, and I always read the descriptions. And I don’t just read, but re-read them. This gives me an extraordinary inner state - it is difficult to describe it in words. Probably, if each of us were asked: “What is the soul?” How would you respond? That’s exactly what it’s all about here... And the mystery, and the magnetism, and the light, and the peace, and the message, and our hopes and dreams.

And Lena also has wonderful books. I also read them with pleasure when I want something so extraordinarily soulful. I'm currently re-reading her book My Beautiful Game. I always read Lena’s books slowly, you know, as they say, savoring them.

All books by Elena Khutornaya can be viewed here.

In my opinion, such gifts for the soul can be given to your friends, they are suitable for both men and women, it will be a pleasure to give this gift to your loved one - to surprise him. There are many reasons to give such a gift. It could be a gift for the soul for a birthday, some kind of joint event, a holiday. And just a gift for no reason. Is it bad? I think that he will never leave you indifferent. And your friends can rejoice with you. For me personally, it is a great joy to give gifts and see how sincerely people enjoy them.