Project Gift

I was with a girlfriend who’s parents had a Divider in their lounge. It was wood and not looking so good at the time. Her parents were out of town for about 3 days and my girlfriend was looking after the house, so I suggested as a surprise we give the Room Divider a makeover as a present for her parents.

It was one of the old types, made of wood, wallpapered and a glass section at the top. I have no photos of this. I use this example as a suggestion for you, to give you ideas.

People like it when we go out of our way to surprise them and especially if we spend time, money and effort on them, this shows that we care.

What we did was go to the local wallpaper store and ask for wallpaper that was at the end of its run of which they had to get rid of a few rolls – this meant that the wallpaper could be expensive but not worth anything to anyone, so we got it very cheap, and $6 a roll. Originally these wallpaper rolls were over $20 each.

Then we got some sandpaper, some paint brushes, and a nice glossy white paint, got into some old clothes and set to work.

It took about two days (probably) to finish the job and when her parents got home they were very happy to see their Room Divider looking brand new with expensive wallpaper at the bottom on both sides. They showed the Room Divider to their friends for years. My girlfriend and I were super pleased with the results and happy that her parents were so pleased with their gift.

By the way, doing such things with your partner is a wonderful way to bond and enjoy each others company. You get to talk a lot about your lives, past, what you like and dislike, its fun.

These are the types of gifts that last for years, and make people proud of you and happy that you mean something to them.

If you know someone who has something like a Room Divider you can fix up and you think that it will make a good present then you know what to do. You could use your trade to choose the job that they need. If you are a plumber you could fix known leaky taps while you are visiting for free, or if you are a carpenter do some repairs tot eh stairs or whatever while the people are away.

There is always something that people need or want done, and a lovely way to show that you care is to reach out to them in this way to help them and show that they mean something to you.

Presents like this are far more meaningful that what people buy in shops.

All the best from
James M Sandbrook.
15th of December, 2021.