You know the type. They buy what they want when they want it. They're not particularly materialistic, which somehow makes it worse. There's no wishlist to work from, no obvious gap to fill. Every birthday and Christmas you end up staring at a screen wondering what on earth to get them.
The honest answer is that the usual gift categories, books, candles, vouchers, wine, are fine, but they're also what everyone else will default to. If you want to give something that genuinely surprises someone who has everything, you need to go further left field. Here are some ideas that actually work.
Why experiences and objects both have a place
There's a common piece of gift-giving advice that says experiences always beat objects for people who have everything. It's partly true. A cooking class, a day trip, or a ticket to something they'd never book themselves can be genuinely memorable. But it's not the whole picture. The right physical object, chosen with care, can be just as surprising and considerably easier to give. The key is that it needs to be something they couldn't or wouldn't buy themselves, unusual enough to feel considered, well-made enough to earn its place in their home.
Something handmade in Britain that tells a story
Mass-produced gifts from large retailers feel anonymous precisely because they are. An independent maker's product carries something extra, the knowledge that it was designed and made by real people who care about what they're producing. Curious Rabbit's laser-cut wooden kits and gifts are made in Abergavenny, Wales, rated 4.9 stars from over 190 reviews, and cover a range of subjects from a garden shed and railway signal box to a Brownie Camera, Telephone Box Lamp, and Welsh Dragon puzzle. For someone who has everything from a shop, something made in a small Welsh workshop is a different kind of gift entirely. Browse the full range at curiousrabbit.com.
A personalised object they'd never think to commission themselves
Personalisation lifts a gift out of the ordinary when it's done well. Not a name on a mug, but something that reflects a specific interest or place. Several Curious Rabbit products can be personalised, including the garden shed kit (name above the door), the seedboxes (name on the side or lid), and the skip waste container. For someone whose garden, allotment, or desk is their pride and joy, a personalised piece that reflects that is the kind of gift that lands differently from anything generic.
A kit that gives them something to do, not just something to own
The best gifts for people who have everything often aren't objects at all. They're activities with a tangible result. A flatpack model kit gives someone an enjoyable evening's project and a finished piece to display or use. The range includes a Penfold Pillar Post Box, beach hut, bathing hut, Milk Crate, and dog treat box, among many others. All are available as flatpack kits or ready-made, and most can be completed in a single sitting. For someone who says they don't need anything, giving them something to do is a quiet masterstroke.
A genuinely unusual experience
For the person who truly has everything physical, an experience gift done well is hard to beat. The important word is done well. A generic spa voucher or restaurant gift card is appreciated but forgettable. Better options include a lesson in something they've always mentioned wanting to try (pottery, bookbinding, glassblowing), a behind-the-scenes tour of something they're interested in, or a day out built entirely around a specific passion. Airbnb Experiences and Virgin Experience Days are both good starting points for finding something genuinely tailored rather than generic.
Something for a very specific interest
The person who has everything in general rarely has everything related to a particular obsession. If you know they're passionate about railways, gardens, vintage objects, coastal living, or making things with their hands, go deep into that interest rather than broad. Curious Rabbit's collections are organised by interest precisely for this reason. The railway, garden, vintage, beach, and Icons collections each offer something for people who care about those things specifically, and a well-chosen piece from a collection they love will feel infinitely more considered than something broadly appealing.
Something small and exceptionally well-made
There's a category of gift that works beautifully for people who have everything: the small, beautifully crafted object that costs less than you'd expect and looks like it cost more. The pallet coasters sit in this territory. Laser-cut wooden coasters that earn a comment from everyone who sees them, starting from £5, and the kind of thing nobody ever thinks to buy themselves. For a colleague, a neighbour, or anyone where you want to give something thoughtful without overspending, a small well-made object often lands better than something larger and more expected.
The underlying principle
The thread connecting all of these is the same: gifts for people who have everything work when they're specific, unusual, or experiential, ideally all three. Generic gifts signal that not much thought went in. Specific, well-made, independent gifts signal the opposite. That's the whole game.
A note on budget
All of the Curious Rabbit products mentioned in this post start from under £10, with more elaborate builds reaching £50 and beyond. Whether it's a gift for someone special or a well-deserved treat for yourself, there's something in the range for every budget.
Curious Rabbit makes laser-cut wooden flatpack kits and gifts, designed and made in Wales.
