A gift for your parents or in-laws: from the kitchen drawer to the games cupboard
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
6 min reading time
You don't choose a gift for your parents or in-laws based on taste, but on what they already have in their kitchen drawers and game cupboard. With concrete examples, prices, and a December timeline.
You're in your parents' kitchen and you notice it immediately: the bottle opener is loose in the drawer, the corkscrew is a cheap camping one, and on the cupboard there's a board game box missing half its pieces. Meanwhile, you're wondering what to give them in December. That's exactly where the solution lies. A gift for your parents or in-laws is rarely good if you think "what do they like," and usually is if you look at what they already have and where it's worn out, incomplete, or too cheap.
This also works if you don't know your in-laws very well yet. You don't have to guess their taste. You only need to observe what they hold in their hands on an ordinary Sunday.
Why "something nice" so often fails with this group
People in their fifties, sixties, or seventies have one thing in common: if they want something, they buy it themselves. They don't have a wish list because nothing is missing. What they do have are things that just about work. The drawer with duplicate pens. The crooked candlestick. The deck of cards whose cards stick together.
Three categories therefore almost always work:
Replacements. Something they already use, but in a version they wouldn't buy themselves.
Consumables. Things that get used up and therefore don't take up space: candles, oil, soap, candy.
Occasions. Something that fills an evening or an afternoon, preferably together with you.
What rarely works: decoration that needs a place, and appliances that come with a manual.
For the kitchen drawer and the bar
Start with the drawer where everything is kept. A bottle opener that you can hang on the fridge is one of those items people didn't know they were missing. The Polyresin Magnetic Bottle Opener 12.5 cm (€ 9.95) stays on the door instead of disappearing into the drawer. If they drink wine more often, the Muscle Man Corkscrew (€ 14.95) is a replacement with a wink.
Do they cook a lot? Then look for things that are used daily. The Oil Bottle with Spray 300 ml (€ 9.95) dispenses oil in a thin layer instead of a pour, and the Space Gun Ketchup and Mustard Dispenser (€ 17.95) is the kind of gift that always gets a reaction at the table.
For those who like to serve drinks: a Round Ice Cube Tray with Lid for 33 pieces (€ 7.95) is more practical than it sounds: the lid keeps freezer odors out. A Set of 6 Shot Glasses of 60 ml (€ 3.00) is a great addition to a package with something else.
For the games cupboard
As soon as it gets dark early outside, the cupboard opens. This is the category where you get the most impact with a small amount, because you're there yourself when it's used.
The practical corner: what people never buy themselves
There's a category of gifts that nobody buys for themselves and everyone uses afterwards. A Screwdriver Set A-Series, 5-piece (€ 3.99) pays for itself the first time a pair of glasses has a loose arm. A Multitool Keychain 10-in-1 (€ 4.95) is always in their pocket. And if they lose their keys, the Smart Finder Key Tracker White (€ 14.95) is a gift with a daily function.
If one of them takes food to work or to their club, the Faitron HeatsBox Pro, electric lunchbox (€ 119.95) is the kind of joint gift you contribute to with siblings and their partners.
Wrapping and ordering on time
A small gift becomes bigger with the right box. The White Cube Gift Box 12x12x12 cm (€ 2.99) fits around a mug or a candle set, and the Black Gift Box with Window 8.5 x 6 x 3 cm (€ 2.99) shows what's inside without you having to wrap it. If you combine several small items, one box with everything in it is clearer than five separate packages.
Regarding timing: Sinterklaas (Dutch gift-giving evening) falls on Saturday, December 5th this year, and Christmas two weeks later. This means the last two weeks of November are the busiest for both webshops and delivery services. If you order in October or early November, you still have a choice of all variants and colors. If you order the week before December 5th, you buy what's left.
A final tip: write down what you notice when you visit. A note on your phone saying "corkscrew is broken" or "never reads anymore, but does puzzles" is worth more in November than an hour of searching on a gift website.
Looking further yourself
Go through the categories that contain the most useful gifts: Games for dark evenings, Drinks & Bar Accessories for the kitchen and drinks, Candles and Body Care for gifts that get used up, and Gift Wrapping & Gift Boxes to complete the package. Can't figure it out, or want to know if something is still in stock for December? Feel free to email info@verpakkingdeals.nl — we'd be happy to help.
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