Thank You Gifts 101: Unforgettable Tokens of Appreciation

Do you need to give a thank you gift? Words are all we have, as the saying goes, but sometimes, a gift is all that will work. Whether you need a thank you gift for them picking you up from the airport, dog sitting or just a gratitude gift for being a rock of a friend, a thank you gift at the right time is pretty special. You can probably recall some of your favourite gifts from others to say thank you to you, and we’re also betting that you aren’t thinking about the most expensive items when you look back.

Brown box presents being wrapped up with string and purple flowers.

We have a list of thank you gift ideas to make some really unforgettable memories for the recipient but our top tip before you even check your budget or Google a single thank you present is to ensure it’s really a personal gift for the recipient.

From picking a daisy because it reminds them of you and pressing it in the pages of a poetry book from a charity shop for your most delicate friend or getting rugby tickets for your ruck-mad uncle, the perfect gift is going to be different for everyone. (Hopefully, your recipient doesn’t have too much of a taste for the finer things in life!)

That being said, there are some ‘likely to love’ gifts that we think are a great starting point for almost everyone.

List of Thank You Gifts:

Personalised Gifts

Let’s start simple. A great thank you gift is something that’s kept for many years, a treasure, a memory, a capsule of a time. When we say personalised gifts, your mind might leap to a chintzy ‘special sister’ wine glass or a naff looking frame from a card shop. There are millions of other options to consider first! Have a look at these thank you gift ideas.

Compass: Have they helped you on your travels or through a personal voyage? An engraved compass is a smart gift idea they’ll love. Most silverware can be engraved, whether you go for a cafetiere, a pocket watch or something else.

Jewellery: An obvious choice but so hard to get right! Our picks for a safer bet include a dog’s nose, or a child’s thumbprint. Personal, without a name in sight! You might not be able to access their dog or child, so a gift card with a print out of the concept could ensure they can do a little bit of admin and still have a treasured item. Another consideration is the chance to build their own personalised and engraved watch, which combines an experience with a treat.
Personalised sportswear: Sports fan? Get them a personalised rugby ball or a football shirt with their name and number. Cycling fan? A custom print map creator uses their Garmin routes to create a special journey memento.
A bobble head: A custom made-to-look-like your kind benefactor is a gift they will simply keep forever!
A mini me doll: The same also applies for a squishy mini-me doll. If you want a funny memento of their kindness, grab one in their likeness.
A singing telegram: It’s one way to get your thank you across and is utterly personal!

Customised Toblerone package with the message 'Thank you for giving me all my best edges'.

Custom food: Not aware that they are into anything apart from eating? The world is your oyster! Treat them to a personalised Toblerone, marshmallows with their face on or simply send them some ‘bronuts’ (a brownie and donut hybrid) with a personalised card. Consider finding a local restaurant and getting a gift card, or creating your own ‘ticket’ to dine. Canva offers free design software with plenty of templates so you can create your own.
Personal stationary: Need a good card to go with your treat? Get personalised stationery and thank you cards from a brand like Papier.

Eco-conscious Treats

We all want to make the right choice for our planet, but an eco gift doesn’t mean you have to give someone a sack of chickpeas and some health shop toothpaste. These treats are still delightful but aren’t adding to the landfill.

A Tree: A tree is the ultimate eco keepsake and there are so many to buy as a thank you gift nowadays, all delivered directly to the recipient’s door in stylish packaging rather than on a soil-filled van from a garden centre. We love this Irish Oak Tree, representing wisdom, making it a great thank you gift for a teacher or someone associated with your growth.

Haute Florist bouquet of white roses and lilies in a glass vase.

Flowers: “Flowers say I’m sorry, chocolates say I love you” – Lauren Conrad, The Hills. Don’t let yourself be swayed by the wisdom of the beloved reality star! Flowers are a great way to say thank you, but they are also really common in petrol stations and supermarkets, so to stand out you need to demonstrate effort. Consider brands like the Haute Florist who makes dreamy bouquets including exotic florals from Ecuadorian Da Vanda Black Orchids, magnificent Maurv Memory Roses, Black and Sunset Calla Lilies, Scottish Eryngium Thistle, Copper Ruscus, Pistacia and more. Add to your order a stylish votive, chocolates or a vase to make an impactful treat.
Subscription Flowers: Flowers can also be offered as a subscription, so each month they get a bloom through the door. Coco and Bloom offer a 3 – 12 month subscription option that allows a little bit of joy to arrive long beyond your initial thank you.
Animal Sponsorship: Famous for decades, you might worry that giving a goat isn’t going to cut it as a thank you during a cost of living crisis. Things are different now though! Track a shark with a bracelet, or let them pick a bee barn or a ladybird house.

Gifts that seem more expensive than they are:

Helicopter Ride: Did you know you can get a helicopter ride for under £100? Take a look at some of the main experience sites where you can get a trip for around £70.

Aerial shot of country views seen on a helicopter ride experience.

Drinks Package: If you don’t feel you can choose the right wine for their gratitude gift, consider focusing on presentation. Many brands make cocktails and package them up in bright colours for a reasonable cost. A few of these laid in a box with colourful paper and teamed with some premium chocolate feels like a thoughtful and well curated gift.
An Heirloom or Trinket: Spoil them with a gift that feels like a timeless heirloom. Oxfam offers a range of first edition books, coins and memorabilia all online and the prices are very reasonable! A coin from 1889 is only £30 or so, and feels like a thoughtful gift. Don’t forget to explore the whole site for treasures. A Wallace and Gromit teapot was listed for over £80, but for someone, this could be the perfect thank you gift!

Blue tit eating out of a ceramic bird feeder.

Pottery: Anything potted feels like a lovely treat. We love this bird feeder at just £9.99, or this unique fractured design plant pot that looks far more than its £16 price tag, but clay itself can be picked up for under £5 from craft shops. With just a bit of effort and some paint and gloss, you could create your own thank you gift in the form of a coaster, a cup or a holder.
Branded Skincare: Sometimes a brand name does the heavy lifting of making a thank you gift look premium. Our picks include L’Occitane Hand Cream, and while a full tube is around £20, a smaller set is around £12. You can easily pull together a generous looking skincare set even from a local pharmacy. Just focus on some of the french brands, include lip balms and focus on cleaning waters and balms for ‘bulk’ in the gift.

The best ever thank you gift?

We’re going to hop off the fence and say in our opinion, when it comes to a great thank you gift, a Collection Pot is hard to beat.

Perhaps someone has made a significant difference in your community, has been a great teacher, or has touched the lives of many. If so, a group collection made with Collection Pot allows you all to contribute towards a Pot of funds that they can exchange for a gift card or to cash out into their bank account.

Got someone in mind? Why not create an online thank you Pot that shows just how awesome they are?

With Collection Pot it’s 100% free to do so, and so easy!

Elaine Keep

Elaine Keep is an accomplished content writer with over 15 years of experience in the field of marketing and content creation for many leading brands, where she shares her passion for research and helping others through her articles. You can also find her in 'mum mode', walking in the countryside or enjoying the dreamy combo of a new non-fiction book with a tea and chocolate bar to hand.