What to Give Someone Who Has Everything: 10 Ideas

Start by asking: who are they really?

Before you browse gift lists, three questions usually point you in the right direction.

1. Is what they lack a thing or time? For most people who seem to have everything, the missing piece is time together, not another object.
2. How do they handle the things they own? Someone who keeps everything may enjoy a new item, while someone who loves simplicity will find extra objects a burden. An experience or a memory suits them better.
3. When did they make you laugh or move you most? A shared moment is often the best starting point for a gift.

Your answers to these three questions will tell you which of the ideas below fits them best.

Which gift ideas show you really know them?

These ideas are grouped roughly by budget and by the kind of person they suit.

• A shared experience: A workshop, a concert, a weekend away or a day in a city they love. It suits anyone who values spending time with you.
• The best version of something they already enjoy: If they love coffee, a selection from a small roaster; if they love tea, an unusual blend. Consumables take no shelf space, which suits people who prefer simplicity.
• A donation in their name: A gift to a cause they care about. It suits people who want to avoid more clutter and who have strong values.
• An investment in a hobby: A printing workshop for a photographer, or a cooking class for someone who loves to cook. It suits people who want to keep learning in their field.
• Replacing a small everyday item: An old notebook, wallet or flask they have used for years. Swapping a worn item for a better one quietly says you have been paying attention.
• A printed keepsake made from shared memories: We describe this in detail below.

What these have in common is that none is a generic product you could buy anywhere; each is chosen for one particular person.

How can you add a personal touch for free?

If your budget is tight, or you simply want the gift to feel more personal, things that cost nothing are often the ones people remember longest.

• A handwritten letter: Describe three or five specific reasons you value them. Instead of "I love you," write "the night you called me last winter when..."
• A voice or video message: Gather short messages from family and friends. These are especially precious for people who live far away.
• A book of vouchers: Coupons for shared things to do: a dinner, a walk, a film night.
• A selection of old photographs: Find the forgotten prints or the photos on an old phone, and choose the best few.

Each of these works on its own, but gathered together into a printed keepsake they last much longer.

Is a personalized printed magazine a good gift?

Dear Edition makes personalized printed magazines from your own photos and stories. Dee, an AI assistant, asks questions and drafts the magazine, or you can make it yourself in the editor. Either way you can change everything before ordering. A magazine is printed only after it is ordered and ships with tracking.

What could go on the pages for someone who has everything?

• The cover: Your favourite photo of them, with a headline using their name.
• A page of people who know them: Short notes from friends and family. With the make it together feature, a shared link lets everyone add their own photo and note.
• An interview about their habits: Their morning coffee, the stories they tell again and again, their own turns of phrase.
• Shared memories: Trips, family meals, funny photos, each with a short story underneath.
• A sound page: A QR code on a page can play a voice message or a video, so a relative far away can be heard from the printed page.
• A closing page: A short letter written to them.

Designs are called vibes, and each one is a complete magazine design. You can browse the designs and pick the one that suits the person. Magazines are printed at A4 (210 × 297 mm) and can have between 12 and 52 pages, in steps of 4.

This will not suit everyone. For someone who loves objects or dislikes surprises, an experience may be the better choice. But for anyone who treasures memories and people, it is a gift you cannot buy in a shop.

When should you order, and how should you wrap it?

Timing matters for a printed gift. Production and shipping take time, and the estimated delivery date for your address is shown before you pay, which is the most accurate information you will get. Gathering photos and notes can take longer than the order itself, so start early.

For any occasion, keep an eye on the last order day shown for it, and plan ahead for next time if the date is close.

Keep the wrapping simple: kraft paper, a string bow and a short handwritten note inside. The magazine is the gift itself, so it needs no decoration.

When you are ready, start making a magazine with Dee. Dee asks questions and drafts the pages, and you can change anything you like. For more ideas, see our gift guide.

How this article was made: it was written by the Dear Edition team, and prices, times and dates are read live from our own tables.

Check: the title and phrasing are our own rewrite for English readers, not a translation.

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