I have a brother who is AMAZING at giving gifts. He gives hilarious gag gifts and wraps them creatively (sometimes annoyingly). And his sincere gifts are just so perfect ad so thoughtful. Giving him a gift is crazy hard. Because of the superiority of his gift-giving skills, the pressure is high to get him a gift that is equally, perfectly thoughtful. So in the spirit of this gift-giving season I shall give you three ideas for thoughtful gifts for all of you who, like me, know somebody who's impossible to find a gift for.

A useful item. Sometimes it isn’t the frilly or showy gifts that are most appreciated, but the good quality gifts that will be well used. This item can be anything from a nice pen, a tool, a fancy desk gadget, a laser pointer, the limit is your imagination and your intended receiver’s interests. However, if these gifts are of good quality, as they should be, they can be expensive. Depending on your budget and the price of the gift, you may need to pick a different kind of gift.

Inside joke. These are very individual and can really be anything in the world as long as it has particular meaning to you and the receiver. For example my brother and I used to watch Bob Ross videos on youtube and laugh at them for hours. So for his birthday one year I found a t-shirt with a picture of Bob Ross painting the universe. It was so funny and he absolutely loved it. He still wears it. So if you and your friend have a long standing joke, get them a gift that will remind them of the joke and of you.

Handmade. As long as it isn’t a popsicle stick house or a paper snowflake, a handmade gift shows you care about the receiver enough to put time, effort, and talent into the gift for them. Paint or draw a picture or decorate a mug or coaster. If you aren’t very crafty there are some very easy crafts, such as making a scarf or hat, which make very nice gifts.

Well there you have it. I personally found a nice combination of inside joke and handmade in the gift I decided on for my brother for Christmas this year. I don’t know if it will top any of his own gifts to us but I do hope it will come close. I wish you all a very merry Christmas and the best of luck in your gift giving!