Find the Perfect Gift Every Time (in Less Than 30 Minutes!): 4 Key Questions

If you’re looking for a neat little formula that will help you find the perfect gift every time, you’re in luck!

Sure, finding the perfect gift isn’t always easy and no “one size fits all” solution could possibly give you the best results, but we at Thoughtful Gift Club know that already.

Instead, we’ve taken years of experience finding perfect gifts for people from all walks of life and created 4 easy questions that you can ask in order to figure out THE perfect gift for your lucky recipient, whether it’s a loved one, a friend, a colleague, or even just an acquaintance.

This might be a bold claim, but by using the questions below, most people should be able to find the perfect gift in less than 30 minutes.

If you want something physical to work on, you can click here to download a worksheet containing this information, but feel free to just refer to the questions below and write them down on your own piece of paper or phone.

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General Tips for Finding the Perfect Thoughtful Gift for Anyone

Here at Thoughtful Gift Club, we believe that the perfect thoughtful gift always fulfills the following three requirements:

1. It references something

No thoughtful gift should be random. Anything you buy for your lucky recipient should reference something that has been said or done.

We know this sounds intimidating, but it’s really just a matter of choosing a gift that isn’t coming out of left field! Here are some examples of things your gift can reference:

• Something they’ve explicitly said that they like/enjoy
• A special memory that you two share
• A hobby they’ve been meaning to start/get back into
• A recent/soon-to-be milestone event or change
• A nerdy obsession that they have
• An inside joke that you two share

2. It is personal

The perfect thoughtful gift should be personal in the sense that not just anybody off the street would enjoy it.

If you can find a gift that only your recipient would adore, that’s usually a sign that you’ve found a supremely thoughtful gift.

Of course, it’s possible to make a more generic gift feel personal and thoughtful – all you need is a great card/packaging. On that note…

3. It is all presented in a thoughtful package

Never underestimate the “presentation” of your gift. Truly, you can have the most thoughtful gift in the world, but presented without any wrapping or explanation, it might fall flat.

This isn’t just about wrapping the gift nicely – it’s about adding thoughtful little details that emphasize the value or thought behind the gift.

At the very least, be sure to include somewhere in your card (or even just a note) the reason you got them this gift, so your thought process/intention was clear.

Here are some examples of cute little phrases you can write:

• Something to get you started with your [insert long forsaken hobby] journey
• Hope this reminds you of the time [insert fun memory related to your gift]
• Throwback to when you joked about needing a [insert gift]. Well, here we are…
• A little something for whenever you feel [insert perfect occasion to use gift]

4 Questions to Ask in Order to Find the Perfect Gift

Below, you’ll find the four crucial questions you need to ask in order to find the perfect thoughtful gift. In the next section, we’ll explain how you can use these answers to think up gift ideas. For now though, just focus on answering the following questions.

1. What is something they’re obsessed with?

Think back to your recent conversations with this person: what are they really into right now? This could be a hobby, TV show, movies, trends, etc. The key here is to pick something they have mentioned recently.

2. Have they mentioned anything they need?

Think back to your recent conversations with this person: have they mentioned needing anything recently? This can be as overt as recalling that their favourite pen broke, or as subtle as them saying “I wish I had more ___”.

3. Do they have any big milestones or life changes that have recently passed, or that are coming up?

Think about big events in their lives, like a big move, a promotion, a bucket list trip, etc.

4. Do they have any hobbies or endeavours they’ve been putting off?

Think about things that your gift recipient likes to do in their spare time, or things they mentioned they would like to do more often or learn (e.g. cooking, a certain sport, a new instrument, etc.)

How to Use Your Answers to Find the Perfect Gift Idea

Hopefully our simple questions from the previous section have helped to get the ideas flowing, but if you need some extra help figuring out the perfect gift based on your answers, here are some ideas for inspiration.

1. Based on your answers from Question #1 (something they’re obsessed with), here are some ideas:

• If there’s a snack/flavour/food they’re obsessed with, put together a basket or gift box full of treats related to their obsession 
• If there’s a show/movie they currently love, get them some geeky apparel or decor items related to their obsession, all the better if it’s also something from Question #2 (something they need). Alternatively, get them a basket of their favourite snacks and have a cute note that says “Fuel for your [insert movie/show] marathons”
• If it’s a hobby they’re obsessing over, get them a cool gadget or tool that will help them with this hobby, all the better if you get it personalized in some way (e.g. engraving, embossing, etc.)

2. Based on your answers from Question #2 (something they need), here are some ideas:

• Get them a replacement for something that they broke recently (e.g. something they need a replacement for), paired with a cute note like “Since your last [insert gift] imploded”, etc.
• If their need is not a material thing, get them a gift basket filled with items that fulfill the need in question, e.g. pampering/spa items for when they need more relaxation time, a subscription to a cooking box if they need more time to cook, etc.
• If it’s a big purchase, consider getting them a gift card for it, but make it thoughtful by wrapping it in a fun/cute way that represents the item (e.g. a crying cartoon baby with arms wrapped around the gift card if the purchase is a new crib)

3. Based on your answers from Question #3 (recent/soon-to-be milestones), here are some ideas:

• Make them a printed memory book/photo book of their recent milestone (e.g. graduation, wedding, big trip, etc.) Consider getting them a voucher for a memory book/photo book if this milestone is still to come 
• Get them other decor items related to this milestone (e.g. a customized portrait of the house they’re moving away from, a framed photo from their big trip, etc.)
• Get them a personalized good that will be helpful for their upcoming milestone (e.g. a personalized camera strap for their big trip, customized wine glasses for their new house, etc.)

4. Based on your answers from Question #4 (hobbies they’ve been putting off), here are some ideas:

• Gift them a class related to the hobby they’ve been putting off (whether it’s online or in-person) along with a cute note saying “something to finally get you started on your [insert hobby] journey” 
• Get them a starter set in the hobby they’ve been putting off 
• Get them a tool that will help them pursue this hobby and get it personalized with their initials, name, nickname, etc.
• Get them a book related to this hobby
• For a fun budget idea, put together a cute “[Insert hobby] Starter Kit” where you put together a bunch of free YouTube tutorials/online resources related to their hobby,, a jar full of positive affirmations like “you got this!” along with one inexpensive tool or trinket related to this hobby

Final Tips for Finding the Perfect Gift Idea (for Anyone!)

Still stuck? Here are some final tips for you:

Check their Pinterest. This is a serious goldmine of information! Stalking your gift recipient’s Pinterest will give you clues on things they aspire to have, in addition to cues on their general style, likes, interests, etc. 

Check their social media in general. A quick glance at someone’s Facebook, Twitter or Instagram will give you plenty of information. In particular, you should see things they’ve posted or shared for ideas on what they’re interested in at the moment

Ask someone close to them for ideas. You can even ask them the questions from the worksheet if you’re stuck! Asking for a second opinion can often be very helpful in gift brainstorming and give you ideas you might have never even considered. Of course, only ask someone you could reliably trust to not spill the beans!

Slyly ask their opinion on something under the guise that it’s for you/someone else. This tactic is only advisable if you’re smooth enough to get away with it…! That said, if you’re not 100% sure about your gift idea and you want to test the waters a little bit, you should definitely slip it into conversation to gauge their reaction. Some phrases you could use include “I’ve been thinking about getting a [insert gift]” or “Someone just bought my friend a [insert gift] which I think is so cool. What do you think?”

Browse Etsy by searching “personalized gift for [recipient]”. You will usually find some really unique and fun ideas by searching this, but be careful, you’ll probably end up wanting something for yourself too. You can browse our Personalized Gifts section here for more inspiration, which brings us to our final tip…

Browse Thoughtful Gift Club for more ideas! Our website is dedicated to finding the perfect gift for your loved ones, so be sure to check out more of the site for ideas.

Best of luck finding the perfect gift!

Let us know in the comments if you still need help. We’re always happy to share more ideas!