Tag: fathers day

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Gifts for Music Lovers

Gifts for music lovers

It’s no secret that I’m a huge music fan – I’m really missing being able to go to gigs during this pandemic (thought I do realise this is such a small thing compared to what a lot of people are going through). I also have quite a few friends who are just as music obsessed as I am, so this week I thought I’d write a blog post with ideas for gifts for music lovers.

Gifts for music lovers
Just so you know, this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and buy I may get a small commission, but it won’t cost you anything.

Gifts for drummers

This wooden clock can be personalised if you fancy

Drummer wooden clock
Drummer wooden clock

Or how about one of these water bottles?

Best drummer ever water bottle
Best drummer ever water bottle
In my head water bottle for drummer
In my head water bottle for drummer

Gifts for guitarists

This pick wallet would make a great gift for a guitarist.
Or for something a bit more substantial, how about this personalised wooden guitar holder?

Romantic music gifts

Of course if this is an anniversary gift or something for your other half, you might need a gift that is a little more romantic. Here are some ideas for turning ‘your song’ into a personalised gift.

Or create a modern version of the old school mix tape… it doesn’t get much more romantic than that – you can even include photos or scans of other special memories.

Personalised USB mix tape

Other gifts for music lovers

And for gifts that are less specific, here’s a selection of all sorts of great gifts for music lovers.
Here’s another mix tape idea. This one comes with a personalised message and a code for a Spotify playlist featuring songs from their birth year – such an original idea!

Or how about this for that person who ‘knows’ their taste in music is better than anyone else’s 😆

My neighbours listen to good music whether they like it or not print
Good music print

This game could be a real hit (sorry 😁) too!

I hope you found some inspiration in these ideas. In the end I found more ideas than I could reasonably fit into one blog post as there’s so much out there for music lovers! 😃

You can also follow my Gifts for Music Lovers Pinterest board for more ideas.

And if you’re looking for a card to accompany your gift, then why not take a look at my music themed greeting card collection. They’re perfect for music fans. See some examples below…

Engagement card
Get well soon card
I love you card
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Homemade edible gifts

homemade cupcakes gift

Left it a bit late to buy a gift? Not quite sure what to get? Homemade edible gifts are a terrific solution as you can whip them up yourself really quickly. And everyone has to eat, right? At the most you might need to make a quick trip to the supermarket and spend a few minutes to an hour actually making the edibles, so within a couple of hours you’ve got yourself a fabulous present to give that is much more personal than anything you could’ve bought elsewhere anyway 😃

How much effort you put into making your edible gifts is completely up to you. If you’re in a bit of a rush then you can just assemble a variety of bought treats in a basket or hamper. If you have some time to spare but not much budget then making something from scratch will usually work out cheaper. Or you can go for something in-between.

Ideas for homemade edible gifts

Whether you’re making them yourself, or just assembling a selection of yummy things you’ve bought in a shop, there are so many things you can choose from:

  • Biscuits – sweet or savoury
  • Chocolate or sweets – homemade or bought
  • Toffee or fudge
  • Macarons, cake pops, cupcakes or muffins
  • A whole cake!
  • Tray bakes or bars
  • Ingredients e.g. to make a cake or biscuits – these look great layered in a jar
  • Coffee, tea or hot chocolate – it’s generally best to go posh with these
  • Jams or chutneys
  • Themed seasonings for keen cooks e.g. for Indian food, or a range of different fancy salts or peppers
  • Dried, candied or fresh fruit

If you’re looking for edible gift recipes and more ideas then take a look at Pinterest – there are loads of ideas on there.

homemade biscuits
Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

Presentation ideas for your homemade gifts

  • Hampers and ‘bouquets’ – for anything and everything
  • Mason jars – for baking mixes, biscuits, sweets, etc
  • Boxes – for tray bakes, cupcakes, muffins and whole cakes
  • Tins – for biscuits, cupcakes, tray bakes or whole cakes, depending on the shape and size
  • Gift bags – best for packaged foods (make your own gift bags)

These are just some ideas but you can be as creative as you like – it’s a great way to get rid of containers that are too nice to throw away but that you don’t really want anymore 😁

Homemade edible gift in box
Photo by Jennifer Schmidt on Unsplash

Making it personal

A handmade edible gift is already more personal than something bought in a shop, but by putting some extra thought into it you can make it even more so. If you have friends who are vegan, coeliacs, on low carb diets or are just known for being coffee freaks or chocoholics you can show how well you know them by creating a gift that really suits them. It’s so easy to Google recipes for all sorts of preferences, allergies and fetishes!
You can also personalise the way you present your gift, for example by making a cute label for the jar or tin, or decorating the cake you’ve baked with their name in icing.

Why homemade edible gifts are the BEST

There are so many reasons why a homemade edible gift is so fabulous to give…

  • Shows how thoughtful you are and that you really know the person it’s for
  • Can be whipped up in a very short space of time
  • Generally costs less than an equivalent bought elsewhere
  • Gets eaten up so you can keep giving the same terrific gift over and over again
  • If for some reason they’re not too keen on it they can get friends or family to finish it off without you ever knowing… it’s much harder to pass on other types of unwanted gifts 😆
  • And they don’t have to find space for it if they don’t want to – they can just eat it all up straight away!

I know I love getting homemade gifts, especially if I can eat them… and I don’t think I’m that unusual. Give it a go. And if you post your awesome homemade edibles on social media, please tag me – I’d love to see!

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Gift wrapping ideas for Father's Day

fathers day gift wrapping shirt gift bag

So you’ve got the Father’s Day card and gift, but you need a way to present them nicely to your Dad… I love to wrap presents up in interesting, fun or just plain gorgeous ways. So I’ve been doing my research to find some clever gift wrapping ideas for Father’s Day. And I’m sharing them with you, you lucky duck!

I should also mention that I’m not a massive fan of buying big rolls of wrapping paper. It just seems so wasteful. I can be a bit tight sometimes but also, you know, the environment! So I love the idea of reusing old wrapping paper, gift bags and other bits I have lying around the house.

DIY gift bags

diy gift bag
Brown paper gift bag

Gift bags are so easy if you have something awkwardly shaped or a few bits and pieces to put together. And they can be reused by your Dad next time he gives a gift so he’ll be grateful for that too 😄

You can easily make your own gift bags from old (or new) wrapping paper, brown paper or even newspaper. And you can also make them exactly the right size. (Am I the only person who can never find a bag that’s not too wide or too tall for the present I’ve bought?!)

This tutorial shows you how to make a DIY gift bag (the examples are for Christmas but obviously apply to Father’s Day too. However I think the tartan is great for Dads at any time of year!) Here’s one I made on the left. I just used an ordinary hole punch, so you don’t need a rectangular punch as suggested.

fathers day gift wrapping bottle
My effort

Bottle wrapping ideas

If you’ve chosen a boozy gift for your Dad then this YouTube video on how to wrap a bottle might come in handy.
I must admit I didn’t like that you could still see what the bottle was inside, so I added a paper ‘cap’ to the top of the bottle to cover it. I used black tissue paper, brown paper for the cap and that same teal ribbon. Next time I’ll also use double sided tape instead of sellotape as I think it will look neater. My effort is on the right…

Clever decorative touches for your wrapping

A gift wrapped in plain white or brown paper or newspaper can be made to look extra special with a few clever decorative touches. I saw an idea on iStock where a gift was tied up with a tape measure bow which I thought was a terrific idea for a Dad who’s a DIY enthusiast.

You can also stick interesting bits and pieces straight onto the wrapping paper.

Here’s a tutorial for an origami shirt that you can fold yourself. I made mine from an A5 piece of plain white printer paper. I used some ribbon for the tie (yes, it’s that same teal ribbon again…) Of course, you could add a bow tie, pockets or buttons instead if you wanted to. Stick it onto a card, a wrapped present or a gift bag like I’ve done and it makes it that much cuter. You could also fold money or a printed Amazon voucher to make these types of paper gifts look more interesting!

More ideas

DIY Gift Wrapping Idea for Musicians by Curious Doodles
DIY Gift Wrapping Idea for Musicians by Curious Doodles

Here are some other gift wrapping ideas I found…

I hope you’ve found this helpful. My Dad tends to get the same types of gifts over and over (booze, chocolates, etc). He doesn’t really need anything else. So by putting in a bit of extra effort with the presentation, he knows I’ve still put some thought into it. That’s got to earn me some brownie points, right? 😁

If you try any of these gift wrapping ideas, or something new inspired by them, please share on social media and tag me. I’d really love to see how your efforts come out!

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The best boozy gifts for Dads

Best boozy gifts for Dad

Most of us in the UK loooooove our booze and it can make a very handy gift for Dads who are notoriously difficult to buy for. (If your Dad doesn’t drink then you may want to skip this post…) I thought that while I research some gifts for my own Dad I’d share them with you here, as you are no doubt someone who cares about the cards and gifts that you give.
Of course not all alcohol themed gifts have to be actual alcohol so as well as actual booze I’ve found some other prezzies that I consider to be the best boozy gifts for Dads when a slightly more original route is needed.

What sort of booze does your Dad like? Mine is a brandy and beer man (not together…) There may be a slight bias towards these in my ideas but you can usually find something similar in the same shop for different types of drinks. So even if your Dad prefers whisky, wine, flamboyant cocktails or any other alcoholic beverages, you should still get some inspiration for him.

Actual boozy gifts

My parents don’t have a lot of room in their house so getting him actual booze as a gift means they don’t have to find somewhere to store it indefinitely. Here are some ideas I’m considering that offer something more than just the alcohol…

Bucket of beer from Prezzybox
Bucket of beer from Prezzybox

This Bucket of Beer from Prezzybox is more interesting than just beer. He’ll have a range of snacks to munch on whilst sampling the ales – I’m pretty sure my Dad would love this. I quite often create my own hampers for my parents but this is already done for me.

Dark Chocolate and Red Wine Gift Hamper from Chocolate Trading Co
Dark Chocolate and Red Wine Gift Hamper from Chocolate Trading Co

This Dark Chocolate Gift Hamper from the Chocolate Trading Co is another strong contender. Rioja and dark chocolate… yum! Or maybe I’ll suggest that my Dad gets this for me instead 😄 There’s also a Milk Chocolate version with Merlot.

Personalised gifts

Personalised brandy glass by personalisedpresentz on Etsy - best boozy gifts
Personalised brandy glass by personalisedpresentz on Etsy

If your budget is a bit more modest then this personalised brandy glass by Personalisedpresentz on Etsy is a very thoughtful gift – or team it with a bottle of his favourite tipple so that he has a keepsake for when the bottle is empty. You could do the same thing with this personalised beer bottle opener from Not On The High Street.

personalised bottle opener
Personalised bottle opener from Not On The High Street

Other boozy gifts

Brewery Tour and Tasting for Two from Prezzybox - best boozy gifts
Brewery Tour and Tasting for Two from Prezzybox

This Brewery Tour and Tasting for Two from Prezzybox would be a terrific gift if you want something you can do with your Dad (once lockdown is over). I wish I’d found this a long time ago, as  I think my Dad would’ve loved this, but sadly I don’t think his health is up to it any more.

Talking Tables Whisky Board Game from Yes I Want It - best boozy gifts
Talking Tables Whisky Board Game from Yes I Want It

If your Dad is a whisky fan then here’s something else you could do together: play this Whisky board game that you’ve bought him! It says no drinking is required, but I’m pretty sure that’s not a rule…

If your Dad is looking for a new hobby (or you think he should be) then this book, Master of Home Distilling, could teach him how to distill his own booze. It might also make him appreciate it more when you do buy him a bottle of something that actually tastes good! Or you could both give it a go and spend time together that way. There are also brewing kits you can buy for making various different types of alcohol so that’s another option if expecting him to star from scratch seems like a step too far.

I hope these gift ideas are as useful to you as they were to me when I was doing my research for this post. Let me know if you get any of them for your own Dad and whether it was a hit or not – I’m always excited to hear from my readers and get feedback.

Finally, don’t forget to get your Dad a card too – take a look at the range in my shop now.

Wine 50th Birthday Card
Wine 50th Birthday Card
Custom Cartoon Portrait Card for Dad
Custom Cartoon Portrait Card for Dad
Whisky 70th birthday card
Whisky 70th Birthday Card

In the spirit of honesty and openness, I wanted to let you know that a few of the links above are affiliate links. This means I could get a small commission if you click on them and buy, but it won’t cost you anything. And I’ve not recommended anything I don’t think is a terrific gift.