style scout
This month, our design magpie, an enthusiastic gift-giver, shares her tips on finding the ideal present (hint: it’s a year-round occupation)
I’ll begin with the usual disclaimer that Christmas is about more than spending money and receiving presents but, that said, this column is going to be about exactly that. I’m very fortunate that my husband and I are very good at buying gifts for one another. I will usually find his present well in advance of the big day (the main issue being where to hide it), while he’s more last-minute. His deadline may be tighter, but he always puts a lot of thought into what he’s giving me and makes sure it’s beautifully wrapped with a big ribbon, which I always appreciate.
My mother-in-law, a great giftgiver, prides herself on research, usually buying me something lovely India Knight has recommended, while my mum shows her love through homemade gifts. Every year, she crafts the kids an item of clothing or a knitted doll. Last year, she made me an incredible orangescented salt scrub. It means so much when it’s something she’s created herself. Handmade things are also brilliantly tricky to re-gift, being that bit more personal (and devoid of a gift receipt). That’s not to say I’m totally against redistributing unwanted pressies. In fact, there can be something quite nice about passing items on to someone more suited to them; a friend who will love them in a way you never would (as long as they aren’t monogrammed, of course!). My tip to avoid embarassment is just to make sure everyone’s honest about it.
Lucky as Iam to have such thoughtful people in my life, I definitely do prefer the act of giving gifts to receiving them. Regular readers of this column won’t be surprised to hear just how much I enjoy hunting down the perfect present in shops or vintage markets, becoming instantly excited when I find something I know a loved one will appreciate. I’m on the hunt year-round and, while I’m sure there will be the odd present I find myself buying well into the second half of December, a lot of my shopping will have been done months in advance – often during a lazy late-night browse of online store Vinted.
This type of forward-thinking is an inherited trait –my mum always used to buy our presents in the January sales and then save them for our birthdays o
