It’s happened to the best of us: A last-minute party invitation, a forgotten birthday or an overnight guest—and no gift. Whether it’s simply poor planning on our part or truly an unexpected affair that’s popped up, feeling unprepared and rushed to get a gift (any gift at this point) can add stress to our already busy days—and take the joy out of it all.
Fortunately, Vicki, our Creative Production Manager, shared her incredibly sensible solution to this common problem, and it’s sure to save us all from any future embarrassment. She calls it the Gift Drawer. Here’s how it works: dedicate a drawer (a basket or shelf in a closet work just as well, too) to stash a variety of cute, giftable items to match any occasion that may sneak up on you. Brilliant, right? And with the holidays fast approaching, there couldn’t be a better time to start your own gift drawer. Here are Vicki’s top three tips:
1. Go for Variety
Keep an assortment of items on hand, so you’ll always have the perfect hostess, birthday or graduation gift. Some of our favorites are scented candles, serving utensils, tea towels, cocktail napkins, holiday ornaments, books and, of course, wine.
2. Be a Bargain Hunter
The benefit of being prepared is that you can take advantage of sales and never have to pay full price for a gift again. The next time you’re out shopping, check out the sales and bargain bins. At the bookstore, look for markdowns on great cookbooks, coffee table books and journals. Also, those huge end-of-season sales are always a great time to restock your drawer.
3. Perfect the Presentation
The beauty of the gift drawer is that you can grab it and go. So be sure to keep at the ready all the tools and trimmings that can make your gift look special—and not at all last minute. Pretty gift bags, wine bags, ribbon, natural twine and gift tags are all essentials for the well-stocked Gift Drawer.
So if you’ll excuse us, we have some shopping to do! Let us know how your Gift Drawer works for you. And be sure to share your best gift ideas in the comments below.
