GIft ideas for my best friend-she's spent a huge amount on me that I can't afford to reciprocate!

[TwoGinScentedTears]

She's such a wonderful friend. I've had rubbish couple of years and she's totally been there for me.

She's bought me a lovely silver necklace (I know because she sent me photos of 2 to choose between and one had a prices tag on-£80)

Trouble is, I can't afford that! So I need super thoughtful ideas instead.

She likes
Cooking
Drinking
Playing cards and games
Glamour/make up
She reads a little bit
Her kitchen

What is your budget?

Homemade something that you put in really nice looking proper kilner jars or similar, that she'll be able to reuse for years. Choose something that will definitely get used & is too easy to get wrong - biscotti or mincemeat (give the latter as an advent present).

The Great Dalmuti is a great card game which even non-card players like, and not that widely known. I gave it to a friend a few years ago in similar circumstances and she was thrilled.

What's your budget?

Bugger meant to put my budget! £25/30

Oooh, I'll look up that card game TBex

I’d like the Kilner jar biscuits idea

I think with £30 and some bargain hunting you can get something really nice without having to resort to making biccies!! Has she got an Amazon Echo? The dots are currently down to £25.

How about a cookbook and something edible homemade? or some Homemade flavoured gin/vodka?

tbex sorry to crash the thread but is that card game good for 2 people?

She has an echo. She is the type that has everything, they have a comfortable life and also very generous parents that buy amazing gifts.

For her partner I've bought a set of 4 craft beer glasses (all different shapes for the beers) and I also need to buy her dcs something too, butbwe usually do board games/books/token ish presents for the kids.

Does she ever write anything? A fountain pen and a rainbow of cartridges, plus a nice notebook would make a lovely present at that price point.

Or how about a Le Creusset pie dish (TK Maxx usually have them) and a ceramic pie bird? Maybe with a book of pie recipes?

Or some plants for her kitchen? There are some really lovely succulents and cacti around - they seem to be having a bit of a moment.

Or make up a hamper of stuff for a particular cooking theme -
spices/coconut milk/curry leaves etc
stuff to make sushi and a rolling mat
olives, oils, vinegars, anti pasti stuff

Ah, Remus hello! Great to see you're still here. (I've NC'd, was a Julia).

Great ideas-she's also a teacher....so you can imagine her stress levels too.

The White Company sets are lovely.

A sushi making hamper is a good one actually!

Do you have a nice photo of you and her, or her with friends or family you could print and put in a frame?

If she loves cooking then a cookbook, and maybe some obscure ingredients from one of the recipes (tonka beans seem to be a thing at the moment. Round here we use 'tonka' to describe something completely different but hey ho...)

Have a look at Twinkl online bullet journal craft. Lots of teachers find journaling destressing and there are lots of lovely one to choose from. You could get nice pens and stencils too x

Ahh you sound like a lovely thoughtful friend, and I’m sure this is more important than how much you spend on her. I don’t know if this is too much but someone in style and beauty posted a lovely Neals Yard Rose gift set from the Ocado website that was reduced from £55 to £35. Alternately a lovely cookbook?

Hello you!

If she's a teacher, a fountain pen might work well. It feels so much nicer than scratchy biros etc when marking.

Personally, if you go for stationery stuff though, I'd go for a 'normal' notebook, not a bullet journal.

If you go down the cookery route, The Roasting Tin and The Vegetarian Roasting Tin are lovely books for busy cooks.

What does she drink? Costco do a lovely boxed set of a bottle of Grey Goose with a glass that is only £30 which is a real bargain. Or how about a couple of really nice champagne glasses or gin ballons?

The white company have cashmere wrist warmers which are beautiful

How about a 3 month subscription to something like the curry club where she is sent recipes and ingredients each month? Or to Vogue or Elle magazines. There are always deals through Hearst that are really bargainous.

I love the idea of the fountain pen and notebook as well

If you have a look in TK Maxx you can probably find something with an RRP of £80 for a lot less so it'll be an equivalent gift. I bought my SIL a Kate Spade clutch for £29.99 last Christmas. She couldn't believe I'd been so generous - had to confess!! They do lovely scarves, bags, homewear, jewellery... Happy shopping!

Fab ideas. I'm going to look up those cookbooks Remus

And I didn't have a photo of us that's amazing from when we were 8, that would be great framed!

Gin balloons she's got. I've toyed with the idea of fancy cocktail ingredients but not the booze, so fancy 'bitters', sugar syrup, passionfruit puree that kind of thing.

Thanks for the inspiration, I'm getting closer!

My friend recently made me up a hamper from a local Italian deli filled with lots of yummy bits that I'd never normally find in the supermarket. Loved that.