Most creative/random gift you've ever given someone?

novella1186

I'm known for thinking outside the box (no pun intended) when it comes to gift-giving. For FI's first birthday that we were together, I gave him lizards. He had mentioned several times that he had anoles as a kid and missed them because they were just entertaining to look at I guess. He was living alone at the time and also mentioned that he needed a pet because it was weird for him to live alone (he'd always had roommates before that). But his apartment complex didn't allow cats or dogs. 

I had a heated tank from a pet snake I used to have, and some rocks and greenery and stuff from when I had my bearded dragon. So I gave FI the tank with lizards in it. 

Since it's Christmas shopping time for a lot of people, this got me thinking. I'm curious to know what random, odd, or creative things you've given someone! 

littlemushroom

I gave DH, then FI, the game Waterworld for the Nintendo Virtual Boy last Christmas.

He had mentioned a few months into dating how he wished he had bought one for his collection when he was a kid and it was on sale because it is worth so much now. He collects everything Nintendo so I scoured eBay until I found one that came with the game, booklet and box inserts, and the box in New condition. He couldn't believe I found it and still talks about how amazing of a gift it was.

I already told him not to expect a gift to top that this year.

jenna8984

Hmmm can't think of anything as random as lizards. But I'm good at taking mental note of what someone wants then going back and buying it for them. I've done that with shirts my friends have pointed out in the mall, video games that DH mentions, Naked palatte for my bridesmaid, DH complained in winter that he needed roof racks for his snowboard- boy was he surprised when I got them for his b-day in August.

loro929

Well, random I can't think of but for me the most creative gift I gave to FI was a scrapbook for his birthday that became basically a book of our love story. Through the years I always saved ticket stubs and train tickets to things we did together and I compiled them all with pictures in a book and gave it to him.

I know there are some very creative chicas on the board, so my scrapbook might not sound so out of the ordinary - but for not so crafty me, that scrapbook was the feat of miracles!

wandajune6

An old boyfriend wasn't able to afford his yearbooks when he was in high school and always regretted it. It took me a few months but I tracked down copies for him. For the record, school librarians tend to buy a few extra copies. They were a pain to find and stupidly expensive but it was probably the best oddball gift I've ever given.

I've also found that craft and science kits are weird but great gifts. I gave a friend in his 20's a kit for making his own bubble gum. A girlfriend of mine got a oddball craft kit. I look at these as the silly activities that you wish were available or that your parents would buy when you're little.

novella1186

wandajune6 said:

An old boyfriend wasn't able to afford his yearbooks when he was in high school and always regretted it. It took me a few months but I tracked down copies for him. For the record, school librarians tend to buy a few extra copies. They were a pain to find and stupidly expensive but it was probably the best oddball gift I've ever given.

I've also found that craft and science kits are weird but great gifts. I gave a friend in his 20's a kit for making his own bubble gum. A girlfriend of mine got a oddball craft kit. I look at these as the silly activities that you wish were available or that your parents would buy when you're little.

Ok, that is so sweet. You are a good gift-giver! 

loro929

novella1186 said:

wandajune6 said:

An old boyfriend wasn't able to afford his yearbooks when he was in high school and always regretted it. It took me a few months but I tracked down copies for him. For the record, school librarians tend to buy a few extra copies. They were a pain to find and stupidly expensive but it was probably the best oddball gift I've ever given.

I've also found that craft and science kits are weird but great gifts. I gave a friend in his 20's a kit for making his own bubble gum. A girlfriend of mine got a oddball craft kit. I look at these as the silly activities that you wish were available or that your parents would buy when you're little.

Ok, that is so sweet. You are a good gift-giver! 

I agree! That was such a thoughtful gift!

climbingsingle

One year I decided to make coasters for my family. It was a cute idea at first. But by the end, I was cursing myself for taking on a crafty project. 

However, everyone seemed to really like them. And of course, my Grandma has hers out all the time. 

littlemushroom

ClimbingBrideNY said:

One year I decided to make coasters for my family. It was a cute idea at first. But by the end, I was cursing myself for taking on a crafty project. 

However, everyone seemed to really like them. And of course, my Grandma has hers out all the time. 

I did the same thing a couple years ago, and agree it was a ton of work. Everyone seemed to really like them. Did you do alcohol ink ones, napkin ones, photo ones?

I started with napkin ones, then switched to tissue paper because it worked better. I got some really nice damask tissue paper for the adults and did colored zebra print for the kids in their favorite colors.

climbingsingle

littlemushroom said:

One year I decided to make coasters for my family. It was a cute idea at first. But by the end, I was cursing myself for taking on a crafty project. 

However, everyone seemed to really like them. And of course, my Grandma has hers out all the time. 

I did the same thing a couple years ago, and agree it was a ton of work. Everyone seemed to really like them. Did you do alcohol ink ones, napkin ones, photo ones? I started with napkin ones, then switched to tissue paper because it worked better. I got some really nice damask tissue paper for the adults and did colored zebra print for the kids in their favorite colors.

I actually used scrapbooking paper, I think. 

Kauris

I tend to do themes every year for birthday gifts. Last year it was Jo Malone products for my friends and Jack Black products for DH's friends. This year it's gift baskets, but I make them myself and tailor them to each person, usually it takes about a week to track down all the fun things I want for them. I did a really awesome beer/snack basket for one of DH's friends and they thought we bought it at the store. I also did some really cute wine/booze baskets for my friends depending on what they drink.

And I think the most random present that was loved was the first Christmas DH and I were dating, I bought him a pair of Adidas shoes, nothing special, but I was completely out of ideas. I've never seen someone so happy about a gift.

novella1186

kasmith1 said:

I tend to do themes every year for birthday gifts. Last year it was Jo Malone products for my friends and Jack Black products for DH's friends. This year it's gift baskets, but I make them myself and tailor them to each person, usually it takes about a week to track down all the fun things I want for them. I did a really awesome beer/snack basket for one of DH's friends and they thought we bought it at the store. I also did some really cute wine/booze baskets for my friends depending on what they drink.

And I think the most random present that was loved was the first Christmas DH and I were dating, I bought him a pair of Adidas shoes, nothing special, but I was completely out of ideas. I've never seen someone so happy about a gift.

Damn. Those baskets sound both work-intensive and amazing! I would love to get something like that! 

Jells2dot0

DH is a huge Nebraska Cornhuskers fan. He grew up in NE and went to school at UNL. The team holds auctions on occasion and they had 5 helmets signed in 2010 and 2011 in honor of their 1970 and 1971 National Championships. The players from those teams signed the helmets. I bid for and won one of the 5 helmets each year. I also got him a game worn jersey from one of their home games-. #25 since his b-day is on the 25th.

Two years ago I did a beer theme- a rare beer club membership, all different styles of beer glasses, a book about which glass to use with each beer type, and a special 6 pack of a beer that rarely gets imported to the US.

jdluvr06

I'm giving my nephew a pet lizard for Christmas this year. Lol

One year I gave my mom frogs. They were those really tiny ones that live in water. Anyway, frogs are her favorite animal so I thought she would love them. I was right. She named them Bonnie and Clyde and they lived for several years. 

ohannabelle

My mother gave me a chainsaw.

I looooooved it. Go, mom! 

ShesSoCold

My siblings and I bought my mom a Bill Wyman metal detector. She had absolutely no interest in metal detecting, but she was a HUGE Stones fan. 

[Deleted User]

The best reaction I ever got to a gift was from my fiance our first Christmas together.  He's a Packer fan *blah* and I got him an owner's share in the team.  He was mostly speachless and then finally said, "You didn't," and I said, "Yes I did." 

steph861

One of the gifts we got the Best Man probably qualifies. We have an inside joke with him (about starting up a weird theme restaurant) so we got my sister to design a logo and we had it printed onto a t-shirt. He loved it.

paperpusher

I gave my brother unicorn meat for Christmas one year.  He has it on his desk at work.




ETA: Comes with a chart of the cuts of unicorn

ShesSoCold

paperpusher said:

I gave my brother unicorn meat for Christmas one year.  He has it on his desk at work.




ETA: Comes with a chart of the cuts of unicorn

I NEED this for my secret santa. NEED. 

NYCMercedes

paperpusher said:

I gave my brother unicorn meat for Christmas one year.  He has it on his desk at work.




ETA: Comes with a chart of the cuts of unicorn

,love how the rainbows come from its butt.

paperpusher

ShesSoCold said:

I NEED this for my secret santa. NEED. 

@ShesSoCold - It's originally from ThinkGeek, but I got a deal on it from Amazon.  It's on there now for $13.23.  In stock.

ShesSoCold

paperpusher said:

ShesSoCold said:

I NEED this for my secret santa. NEED. 

@ShesSoCold - It's originally from ThinkGeek, but I got a deal on it from Amazon.  It's on there now for $13.23.  In stock.

YAHSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. Thank you!

paperpusher

They now have Dragon Meat to go with it, but I'm not sure if it's filled with parts like the Unicorn Meat is.




ETA:  The reviews on this are hilarious
http://www.amazon.com/ThinkGeek-TG81144-Canned-Dragon-Meat/dp/B00FAW08VE/ref=sr_1_19?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1416610747&sr=1-19

SmileDamnit

Last year for DH, I did a "these are a few of your favorite things" theme and got him 'The Book of Boobs' (he loves boob), a handmade cow leather harmonica case (he collects harmonicas), a bottle of Johnnie Walker blue label (scotch is favorite), and a custom Gus bobble head for his office (Gus is his BFF). The bobble head was his favorite

themuffinman16

I got my sister the "50 Shades of Chicken" cookbook.  It is a cookbook that is worded in a very naughty manner. It is hysterical equipped with sexy pictures. She asked for the "50 shades of Grey" book, that year.  She thought I got the book wrong, until she read the pages of the book abnd could not stop laughing.  Then she couldn't share what she was laughing about with our uptight family, which made us laugh even more.

CMGragain

I gave a couple their family genealogy.  I was an amateur researcher for the DAR in Washington, DC.  I traced the groom's roots back to before the American Revolution in Virginia.

Kauris

CMGragain said:

I gave a couple their family genealogy.  I was an amateur researcher for the DAR in Washington, DC.  I traced the groom's roots back to before the American Revolution in Virginia.

That is a super cool gift.

lc07

Each year I take my best friend out for a weird experience. It's always a surprise and generally 2-3 activities. It's fun to research and plan. We've gone to super strange fine dining restaurants, ghost hunting, a Vietnamese coffee shop where girls serve you in underwear, all sorts of off-the-wall stuff. I have my eye on a seance for next year plus something else.. not sure what yet. It's really fun because we are the type of people who have fun together no matter what. So if it's amazing - awesome. If it's a total fail - perhaps even better.

lovesclimbing

ohannabelle said:

My mother gave me a chainsaw.

I looooooved it. Go, mom! 

My FIL gave my MIL a chainsaw for her birthday.  My uncle also gave my aunt one once.  And my parents were given one as a wedding gift. H and I were given a splitting maul for our wedding.

We live in Alaska, what can I say?

I don't know that I've ever given a creative random gift.  I can't think of one anyway.  

The most creative/random gift I've ever received was a wedding gift that was a box of literally everything for ice cream sundaes but the ice cream.  The box had cute sundae serving dishes, an ice cream scoop, a can of cherries, a can of caramel, a can of chocolate sauce, a packet of chopped nuts, and a jar of sprinkles.  It was so cool and unique!  Their card referenced the fact that my family made ice cream all the time, and hoped we liked the gift.  Easily the coolest/most unique gift we received for our wedding.

raissyrais

paperpusher said:

I gave my brother unicorn meat for Christmas one year.  He has it on his desk at work.




ETA: Comes with a chart of the cuts of unicorn

I have to know though, are the cans empty or is there some weight in there?