Once I was given a wonderful gift — a bag of walnuts. Each nut was carefully split into two parts, it was enclosed with quotes from songs and some souvenirs — a pendant, a glass ball. Then the nut was glued — it was possible to open it only with a knife. There were 14 nuts for two weeks and a request to open one nut a day. Of course, the first thing I did every morning was grabbing a knife to get another present.
This is not the end of the story! A few years later, a large shopping center held a competition — it was necessary to tell the story of the most magical gift you had. My story about nuts reached the final, and after a small contest I won a card for purchases for a large sum — so the gift got an unexpected and impressive continuation.

Recently, when I remembered this story again, I have decided to gather a collection of gift ideas that are budget-friendly, but really memorable. The main thing in them is a little of your imagination, time and a sincere desire to please a beloved one.

From my experience, I can remember a kinder surprise with unexpected content, the idea was similar to the nuts — it looked completely untouched, but inside was a pendant.

Another gift that still causes me an acute attack of sentimentality and endless gratitude — birthday according to the wish list. No, it's not when you write the wish list. This is when a person for some time writes everything that you mentioned down, specific objects or abstract "something tasty", and then hands it all together with the list. Here, of course, the budget can turn out differently, but even if it is quite inexpensive wishlist, attention of a close person to your words and even fleeting desires is priceless.

I asked my friends to recall the most exciting, but simple and cute gifts that they made and received themselves. I really liked one more idea with kinder surprises — this time not to hide anything in them, but to put them in a cardboard box from eggs, so that someone finds it in the fridge. :)

The simplest gifts are fruits, berries that will be memorable gifts if you give many of them in a beautiful bucket or box.

The most romantic idea with sweets is to hide Raffaello candies around the apartment, workplace, pockets, purse — everywhere!

Here is another idea to find small gifts — put them in a box with sawdust or soft shavings. How nice would it be to dig there and find treasure as a treasure hunter.

What I always dreamed of, but it has not come true yet — a box in a box, and another box inside, which goes almost infinitely to some tiny box with a gift, but my friend suggested the opposite option — a very small thing in a huge box, and all the space is filled with balloons. Better with helium ones, but even if not, it'll be fun!

By the way, as for the boxes, do you all agree that if you give a jewellery box, it is necessary to put something in it? It seems to me that otherwise a feeling of slight disappointment is inevitable.

Ambiguous option, to some it may seem cruel, but I liked it — to paint a bouquet with a favorite colour of your friend. Yes, many shades can be found in stores, but not all and not always.

Endless space for unusual gifts give books.
One idea I looked on the Internet — you can prepare a few envelopes, hide items that are mentioned in the book, and sign on which pages to open them.
You can put bookmarks, photos, postcards, dried leaves with a signature in a book — it is impossible to overdo it!

You can arrange a book quiz, for example, from the first letters of the answers to the questions on the plot you will find where to look for another gift (which can also be somehow symbolically associated with the book).

From quizzes to quests. Remember how we used to draw treasure maps for each other when we were kids? All this can be done on a city scale, and if you are afraid to leave tips or gifts in secluded places, now you can ask almost any barista or a seller in a small shop to be a mysterious intermediary.

Perfect gift for tired friends and beloved ones, especially for young mothers, is a certificate for the "Day for You". It's not just a SPA-day, the perfect day for you means that someone prepares food and decorates the apartment on a holiday :)

Do not forget about the classics — poems and songs. To write a poem, you can search for rhymes on special sites, don't see anything wrong in it :) don't be afraid that it may turn out not a masterpiece, famous for centuries — but who knows. There are people who come to the holiday with a poem for the hero of the occasion. Be careful with poems and songs for men! In fact, it is pleasant for almost everyone, but to receive too much praise is embarrassing, many told me that it would be better to have something with humor.

I found these ideas online. Ordinary movie night can be with such a set:

I don't know what would actually happen if you lit all those sparklers at the same time, but it looks impressive:

I have already seen an article about a wonderful set of gifts "Open when" (when you want warmth, when you are lonely, when you want to return to childhood), but in an inexpensive version you can replace boxes with envelopes with postcards, photos or notes — it will also be very sincere!

Such envelopes are especially important at the time of separation. Here is an example of a jar with notes from a father to his daughter for each day of their forced parting:

Framed maps — where we met, where we got married, where we live — you can choose any location of significant events, for example, for a friend choose places of trips with a year.

Option for all — for beloved ones, friends, mom or grandmother. Notebook-alphabet about what we love and appreciate in them, from A to Z.

What are the most romantic, interesting, memorable, magical gifts you have ever made or received? Let's remember good moments and give each other ideas :)