Thinking Outside the Gift Box: 75 Simple & Meaningful Gift Ideas

At a loss for new meaningful gift ideas?

Prepare to kickstart your creativity!

Let me guess. You’re probably thinking to yourself:

But I don’t have enough money.
I don’t have enough time.
I’m not creative enough.

What if I told you that sometimes, the most meaningful gifts are the simple ones? Not necessarily gifts that cost the most or take a lot of time…

but gifts that come from the heart.

And by golly, you’ve got heart!

Now you just need a guide to help translate that heart of yours into affordable, do-able, meaningful gifts.

Thinking Outside the Gift Box by Lauren Lanker | 75 Simple & Meaningful Gift Ideas to Spark Your Creativity

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Enter…Thinking Outside the Gift Box!

Your springboard for creative gift-giving straight from the heart.

Prepare to Kickstart Your Creativity with Thinking Outside the Gift Box: 75 Simple & Meaningful Gift Ideas by Lauren Lanker | Now available in paperback!

In this 178-Page Book You Will Discover…

21 Story-Filled Chapters

The gift ideas in this book stem from stories in my own life of some of the greatest gifts I have received as well as favorite gifts I have given. Gifts of experience, gifts of personalization, gifts of the written word. But they all hold one thing in common. They are gifts that send a message loud and clear that says, “You are known and you are loved.”

75 Actionable Gift Ideas

This is not just a book to read, but to do. So, every gift idea is broken down by estimated cost (as low as $0) and time (as short as 5 mins.), kid-friendly factor, and a supply list. That’s a total of 75 actionable ways to shower love upon all the people in your life: from your little niece to your co-worker to “the man who has everything.” Gifts for all kinds!

FREE BONUS:
Toolkit of 11 Printables

Every copy of the book comes with a FREE BONUS of 11 beautifully designed printables that accompany the gift ideas: gift tags, mini-books, survival kits, bookmarks, surprise notes, and more. There’s no need for you to reinvent the wheel! I’ve done everything I can to make your gift-giving process both fun and easy.

Convinced?

Jump right to the packages!

As a busy mom and entrepreneur, I feel like I’ve been a gift-giving failure lately. I needed new, simple, thoughtful ideas, and Lauren delivered! Thinking Outside the Gift Box is like training wheels for creative gift-giving, helping us all find our gift-giving balance between thoughtfulness, time required, and money spent. This will definitely be my go-to resource for gift ideas.

Jackie Hernandez

School of Decorating

Thinking Outside the Gift Box is so much more than than a simple book of crafty gift ideas. It’s an exercise in creativity through gift-giving. Lauren’s skillful writing draws you in with stories of personal experiences that have inspired her to create unique gifts of all kinds. Her questions will draw undiscovered creativity and inspiration out of your soul and truly cause you to think and create outside of the gift box!

Meredith LeRoy

Unoriginal Mom

Lauren’s book has given me handmade gift ideas for years to come, gifts wrapped beautifully in ribbons of joy. She has done a phenomenal job of sharing various ways to personalize each gift idea for any recipient or gift-giving occasion. I’ve found myself anxiously anticipating the next opportunity to put together one of these awesome gifts!

Kirsten Thompson

Sweet Tea & Saving Grace

Here’s a sneak peek at that resource-rich Printables Toolkit!

Each copy of the book comes with a FREE BONUS of a Printables Toolkit with 11 Gift-Giving Resources to help you carry out the many gift ideas in Thinking Outside the Gift Box!

Ready to nab ’em?

Jump right to the packages!

Meet the Author

Hiya, friends! I’m Lauren, and I am a blogger, author, and lover of all things heart-made.

Since the inception of my blog The Thinking Closet in September 2012, I have shared over 80 gift-related tutorials and garnered over 18 million pageviews. I’m on a mission to help you break down the walls that stand between you and your creativity. So, you’ll find that my writing places an emphasis on the process: on embracing imperfections, making messes, and laughing along the way. As Dan Eldon said, “The journey is the destination.”

In my free time, I enjoy bike rides with my handsome hubby Mark and glow stick dance parties with our daughters, Juniper and Pepper. I am a proud flip-flop wearing Floridian, residing in Orlando, with roots in New York where I grew up feasting on Sal’s Pizzeria and falling in love with musical theatre. When I’m not painting in the margins of my Journaling Bible, I can be found directing theatre…or sometimes wandering onto the stage myself.

To read more about me than you ever wanted to know, you can visit my blog’s “About” page.

The Ultimate Book Package

Everything you need to take meaningful gift-giving by storm!

Buy Now for $45

Paperback Book Signed by the Author
178 pages of gift-giving inspiration, actionable examples, and the tools you need to turn those ideas into reality.

Gift-Giving Supply Kit
4 of Lauren’s favorite gift-giving supplies assembled just for you to help make gift wrapping more fun.

FREE Shipping
Free shipping to all 50 U.S. states. Books in stock and ready to ship to your doorstep…right now!

FREE BONUS: Printables Toolkit
Your gift-giving toolkit of 11 ready-to-rock printables to help you carry out the gift ideas in the book. (20 pages.)

PDF eBook
Don’t wait for your paperback to arrive to spark your creativity. Start reading your PDF version right away!

Audio Book
For those who like to listen on the go! Read by the author herself. (Don’t worry; she spared you her silly accents.)

DIY Gift Wrap Guide
Your last-minute gift wrap woes are gone with 101 Creative Gift Wrap Ideas guaranteed to inspire.

Birthday & Anniversary Calendar
Monthly & year-at-a-glance printable calendar to help you keep track of loved ones’ birthdays and anniversaries.

Holiday Gift Tracker
Make a list and check it twice! Here’s a handy dandy chart for brainstorming gift ideas and setting a budget.

Inspirational Quote Printables
4 artfully-designed printables featuring wisdom from the greats, all ready to be framed and turned into gifts themselves!

Inspirational Quote Cards
4 artfully-designed printable cards, perfect for thank yous, special occasions, or “just because.”

Brainstorming Worksheet
One page worksheet to help you dream and scheme up gift ideas for even your most “challenging” recipients!

Expert Interview with Kalyn Brooke
Exclusive access to a 30-minute interview with Kalyn Brooke on “Frugal Gift-Giving with Intention.”

Expert Interview with Abby Lawson
Exclusive access to a 30-minute interview with Abby Lawson on “Gift-Wrap Organization.”

Expert Interview with Keri Bassett
Exclusive access to a 30-minute interview with Keri on “How to Host a Pinterest-Inspired Gift-Making Party.”

And to thank you for your purchase you’ll also receive…

Discounted Gift Copy Rate
All customers receive an email with a special discount for purchasing additional gift copies!

The Paperback Package

Buy Now for $24.50

Paperback Book
178 pages of gift-giving inspiration, actionable examples, and the tools you need to turn those ideas into reality.

FREE Shipping
Free shipping to all 50 U.S. states. Books in stock and ready to ship to your doorstep…right now!

FREE BONUS: Printables Toolkit
Your gift-giving toolkit of 11 ready-to-rock printables to help you carry out the gift ideas in the book. (20 pages.)

PDF eBook
Don’t wait for your paperback to arrive to spark your creativity. Start reading your PDF version right away!

Inspirational Quote Printables
4 artfully-designed printables featuring wisdom from the greats, all ready to be framed and turned into gifts themselves!

Inspirational Quote Cards
4 artfully-designed printable cards, perfect for thank yous, special occasions, or “just because.”

And to thank you for your purchase you’ll also receive…

Discounted Gift Copy Rate
All customers receive an email with a special discount for purchasing additional gift copies!

The PDF Package

Buy Now for $9.99

PDF eBook
Don’t wait for your paperback to arrive to spark your creativity. Start reading your PDF version right away!

FREE BONUS: Printables Toolkit
Your gift-giving toolkit of 11 ready-to-rock printables to help you carry out the gift ideas in the book. (20 pages.)

Inspirational Quote Printables
4 artfully-designed printables featuring wisdom from the greats, all ready to be framed and turned into gifts themselves!

Inspirational Quote Cards
4 artfully-designed printable cards, perfect for thank yous, special occasions, or “just because.”

And to thank you for your purchase you’ll also receive…

Discounted Gift Copy Rate
All customers receive an email with a special discount for purchasing additional gift copies!

Finally, the disease has been diagnosed — Gifter’s Block — and the plan of treatment has been laid out thanks to Lauren and her book, Thinking Outside the Gift Box. If you also struggle with giving meaningful gifts that don’t break the bank, then this is the book for you. Not only does Lauren give us dozens of gift ideas, but she also challenges us to celebrate the people around us “in a way that is unique and specific to them.” After reading this book, you will look at gift-giving in a new way.

Barbara Deatherage

Worth Doing Poorly

Frequently Asked Questions

The Ultimate Book Package is the best by far because it is jam-packed with bonus resources and tools that will support your gift-giving for years to come. However, if you’re on a tight budget, the book-and-printable combo in both the Paperback Package and PDF Package are 178 pages of meaty material that you can sink your teeth into!

Thanks for your interest! Actually, my book is available for order in online and local bookstores across the globe. So, your best bet is to search online at your largest chain bookstores, including Amazon. That way, you can place your order for pick-up or more affordable shipping. So exciting!

This book isn’t a collection of craft tutorials, but rather it features stories from my own life about the meaningful gifts I have received and given. Instead of simply telling you what to do, I want to ignite a fire within you to unlock your own creative potential. You’ll receive a bevy of resources to help you in your journey like gift examples, photos, and printables. But I like to think that this book is like a practice coach, cheering you on as you develop your own gift-giving confidence — helping you to see how very easy it is to give meaningful gifts when they come straight from the heart.

Paperbacks are in stock and ready to ship within 3 – 5 business days. You will receive an email as soon as your package has shipped, along with a U.S.P.S. tracking number, so you can stalk your mail carrier until it arrives!

Once you make a purchase, you will receive an email from yours truly with special instructions for how to purchase additional copies at a discounted gift rate. This is my small way of saying thank you for your support! To gift any of the packages with digital downloads, just select the gift icon by the name field at check out and follow the prompts.

I’ve worked hard to ensure this book reaches people of all kinds, in all walks of life. And I’m confident that its value far exceeds the purchase price. However, if this doesn’t get your creative juices flowin’ or you aren’t satisfied with your purchase for any reason, you can forward me your purchase receipt within 30 days for a full refund. No problemo.

Giving Back

10% of all income generated from this book will go to supporting non-profit organizations doing meaningful work around the globe. Thanks for partnering with me in this way!

PDF Package