Gift IdeasGift ideas for a friend
Friends are the easiest: you know their jokes, their snacks and their weaknesses. The best gifts for friends refer to something only the two of you understand.
A handwritten letter
Say three specific things you are grateful for. It is kept longer than any object.
A framed photograph of the two of you
Choose a photo they have not seen for years. Print it larger than you think.
A box of their favourite sweets
Find out the exact shop and the exact sweet. Precision is the gift.
A potted plant
Pick a hardy one that survives missed waterings: money plant, snake plant or jade.
A bar of fine chocolate or a small chocolate box
A safe choice when you do not know someone well.
A book you loved
Write a line on the first page saying why you chose it for them.
A set of diyas or scented candles
Hand-painted clay diyas suit the season and support a local potter.
A jar of homemade pickle, jam or laddus
Label it with the date and what is inside. Homemade food carries your time in it.
A photo collage printed as a poster
Collect pictures from friends and family first, then join them in any collage maker and print the result.
A keychain with a name or a small photo
Useful every day and impossible to have too many of.
A cooked meal delivered to the house
Ask what day suits them and bring it in containers that need not be returned.
A mug with a line only your team understands
Inside jokes make the best farewell gifts.
A book of messages from everyone
Pass a notebook around quietly, or collect messages on the phone and print them.
A playlist of songs that mean something to you both
Write a line about each song. Share it on the day.
A scrapbook of your time together
Tickets, photos, notes. It takes evenings to make and is never thrown away.
A meal you cook yourself
Their favourite dish, a set table, phones away.
A jar of notes
Fifty small slips, each with a memory or a reason you are glad of them.
A hand-knitted or hand-stitched item
A scarf, a cushion cover, an embroidered handkerchief.
A homemade cake or batch of cookies
Bake their favourite flavour and pack it in a tin they can keep.
A plum cake or homemade sweets
The traditional Christmas gift to neighbours and friends.
A small wrapped gift within the agreed limit
For Secret Santa: something useful, amusing and unisex if you do not know the person.
A good umbrella or raincoat
Unromantic and thanked for every monsoon.
A board game for the whole family
Choose one that grandparents and children can play together.
A day out together
A film, lunch and a walk. Put the phone away for the day.
A gift card for a shop they use
Less personal, never wasted. Good when you live far away.
A hamper of snacks and tea
Build it yourself in a reusable basket. Choose things the person actually eats.
A phone cover, stand or power bank
Check the phone model first.
A fitness band, skipping rope or yoga mat
Only for someone who has started exercising, never as a hint.
Sports gear for their game
A racket grip, a pair of gloves, a jersey of their team.
A makeup or skin care set
Buy what she already uses. Shades and skin types are personal.
Earrings or a bracelet
Easier than a ring, because no size is needed.
Dates and dry fruits in a decorated box
A traditional gift when visiting on Eid.
A cooking spice box filled with fresh spices
A masala dabba for a new kitchen.
Dinner at the place they keep mentioning
Book the table, arrange the travel, and pay before the bill arrives.
Tickets to a concert, play or match
For the fan of a band, a team or the theatre. Go with them.
A class or workshop
Pottery, cooking, music, dance, photography: something they said they would try one day.
A spa or salon voucher
For someone who looks after everyone except themselves.
A travel bag or backpack
For someone starting a new job, a new city or a long-planned journey.
Headphones or earphones
Find out whether they prefer wired or wireless, and what they listen on.
A first-job kit
A formal shirt, a good bag and a notebook for someone starting work.
No idea matches these choices. Set one of the boxes back to "Any".
Your shortlist
How to choose for a friend
- A shared memory, printed, framed or turned into a small album, costs little and lands well.
- Food is never wrong for a friend.
- For a group gift, collect money from everyone and buy one thing they really want, not five small things.
About the spending levels
This site does not quote prices, because prices change with the city, the shop and the year. Each idea is marked with one of four levels instead:
- Token: A small gesture: the cost of a snack or a few cups of tea.
- Modest: An everyday gift for friends and family.
- Generous: A special gift for someone close or a big occasion.
- Grand: A once-in-years gift, often given by a family together.
Questions people ask
What is a good gift for a friend?
Start from what the person does every day and what they would not buy for themselves. On this page, "A handwritten letter" and "A small wrapped gift within the agreed limit" are two ideas that suit most people.
What if I have very little to spend?
Choose the Token level in the filter. Handmade and personal gifts, such as a handwritten letter, cost little and are often the ones remembered.
Gifts for other people
Guides
- Shagun: giving moneyThe envelope, the extra rupee and how to decide the amount.
- Gifting etiquetteGiving, receiving, regifting and gifts to avoid.
- Return giftsIdeas for birthdays, weddings, pujas and housewarmings.
- Gift wrappingWrap a box neatly, or wrap without paper at all.
- Gift messagesShort lines to write on a tag or card, to copy.
- Secret Santa name drawerPair everyone for a gift exchange on one phone.