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Unique gifts are important to show people you care, particularly for your friends and loved ones!

I love buying special presents and I try to do something unique and different because I think an element of surprise is what makes gift giving fun (for everyone.) With Christmas coming up I thought it was time to look at how to actually buy the perfect unique gift, as well as some interesting places to start with one of my favourite websites: UncommonGoods.

Having been founded in 1999 in New York it’s a fantastic company that considers individuality and corporate responsibility which are two traits I try to look for in an organization before buying and around a third of their collection is made from recycled or upcycled materials (and we all know I love upcycling.) It’s also a B corporation which means that they have high standards for dealing with social and environmental issues including sustainability, community inclusion, and wage levels. With this in mind, I am going to be sharing some of the coolest stocking fillers and unique gifts for the guy in your life plus some tips on how to think of the perfect unique gift!

Quirky Stocking Filler Ideas

Stocking fillers in this house means less than £10 although, to be honest we try and go cheap and cheerful or you get less in it. Here are a few of my favourite ideas!

1. Red Wine Stain Remover – There is always one!
2. Bottle Cleaning Beans – Sponges to clean out all those sports bottles!
3. Hole In One Mug – For lunchtime fun at the office
4. Food Hugger Set – The cook in your life will be pleased
5. Lump of Coal Soaps – Well you have been threatening coal for the last few weeks!
6. Blackboard Coasters – For entertaining

Perfect Gifts For The Guys

I always find the boys in my family particularly difficult to buy for, this is because whenever I ask for a list they say “dunno.” Also, I have a geeky, tech-loving husband and a sporty, whiskey-loving dad so they are completely different ends of the spectrum so I think I have found something for each of them.

1. Men’s Organizing Travel Pack – This is an amazing way to keep the suitcases organized while away.
2. Personalized Set of Socks – Socks are a running joke in this family, we get them every year!
3. Equation Geek Watch – I bought my husband a binary watch a few years back and he loved it, this would be a funky alternative!
4. Shakespearean Insults Chart – Banter for days!
5. Personalized Whiskey Barrel – This would fall under the whiskey-loving dad category.
6. New York Times Custom Front Page Puzzle – We love puzzles and this one you could get personalized and display after!
7. Silver USB Cufflinks – My husband would love these!
8. The Necktie Travel Roll – For the traveling businessman among you.

5 Tips For Choosing Unique Gifts

There is a knack to gift buying and you don’t have to be terrible at it! Here are some of the things that I do when considering buying a gift for someone.

Consider Their Personality

What type of person are they? Introverted, extroverted, do they like being the centre of attention or stand at the back and observe. Knowing a little about their personality can guide you with choices, for example, introverts will be focused on things they can use at home or that doesn’t make them stand out too much, on the other hand, extroverts might light bright, colourful things that tell a story they can relay. If you don’t feel you know the person well enough to know their complete personality, look at how they interact with others and it should give you an idea.

Research Hobbies

This is an easy way to make sure you get them something that they actually want, like or need, what do they do in their downtime? If they are sporty, get them something to complement this, new trainers, sports bag or water bottle (my husband once got me a personalized towel for my gym bag and I still use it about 5 years later!) or if they prefer to read, get them a new bookmark, reading lamp or snuggly blanket for their reading corner. Look up the sort of things that hobbyist would need and try to accommodate this into your choice.

Personalize Your Gift

I love a good personalization! I recently bought one of my family members a locket that had a mini message scroll inside, it just makes the gift more personal. Plus, you can pretty much get everything personalized now, from wallets and glasses to jewellery and kids toys! Nothing says personal than something that is solely theirs, plus it’s more thoughtful. Just remember that personalization adds shipping time to factor this in during your purchasing.

Include Memories

Do you have a special memory or moment that you share with someone or maybe an inside joke? Turn this into a gift and get them something quirky to remember it, whether it’s your first date or the first time you met, to the night you got drunk and spilled all your secrets, look for that connection to get inspiration.

Create Tradition With A Twist

One of my favorite things to do at the moment is to buy gifts that you would traditionally get someone but that have a new or interesting element to them that makes them more unique. For example, I recently bought someone some cake tins but they were in different shapes (space invaders) and cookie cutters that were in the shape of ninjas! My husband bought me a notebook set for our anniversary but it was a Minnie Mouse anime version which was really cute and made it more interesting (although I am unbias and love all stationary.)

It is a lot easier than you think to buy unique gifts, you just have to know where to look! 

*This post is in collaboration with UncommonGoods who are pretty awesome, go check them out. You can find more information on Sponsored posts, our affiliates and what it means here: Affiliate & Sponsorship Policy*