It’s not necessarily easy to find the perfect gift for anyone, but it can be especially difficult when shopping for your Nana. There are so many things to take into consideration, it’s no wonder that many people fall back on that old (boring) standby: The gift card. But maybe this year, you should fight your way outside that dull box and get grandma something that she’ll actually appreciate! Whether that’s something you make at the kitchen table with your kids or something you buy her that is special and unique – that’s all up to you. Our job is merely to point you in some interesting directions. From there, you may get inspired to check out some gift-giving avenues you would have otherwise ignored. Hopefully, you’ll find the perfect present.

Finding The Right Gifts for Nana

We love our lists here at Personalized By Kate, and we have to admit, there are a lot of great gift-giving advice articles out there on the internet. However, when it comes to pieces centered around grandma gifts, the state of affairs is a bit less praiseworthy. What inspired us to write this post was a decided lack of interesting ideas and creativity on the waves of the Web. We don’t know about your family, but we had to keep our own grandmas in mind when perusing these articles, and we were far from impressed. We wanted to stray away from the dominant theme (tackiness?) and actually find some tips, ideas, and suggestions that could prove useful. For the best place to start, we decided on some general recommendations that should apply to almost everyone.

Avoid stereotypically “old people” gifts – The main problem we had when browsing some of these other lists is that everyone seems to think that when a person reaches the age of, oh, about 55, they are ready to sit in the corner of a nursing home with a half-crocheted afghan on their lap. That doesn’t ring true for us…at all. The seniors in our life are active, engaged, and every bit as interested in living life as they were at half their age. If your Nana is still hiking, exploring, and enjoying life, don’t get her a chintzy gift that HER grandmother would have liked. The world has changed, so keep that in mind when buying your gifts.

Personalization is ALWAYS better – Some gifts can’t be personalized, and we have no problem with those. This is particularly true if your grandmother has already expressed a direct interest in a certain gift; always go with her suggestion instead of substituting your own. But if you’re choosing a gift that could be personalized, our advice is to go ahead and get it done. Surveys show that everyone – seniors included – appreciates gifts more when they are unique and custom-designed.

Know their preferences and dislikes – We’ve all gotten presents that, the moment we stripped away the wrapping paper, we had a thought like, “Well, that’s going back to the store.” It’s not a big deal. It’s a bummer, though, when people who supposedly know us give us presents that are so far outside our interests that it’s almost insulting. If your grandmother is known to loathe sports, for instance, don’t get her tickets to the Cubs!

When possible, focus on experiences – Once you get to be a certain age, actual gifts begin to lose their appeal. Even if you’re living on a tight budget, “stuff” is less and less likely to impress you. Many people would vastly prefer to get experiences as a gift. That could be a birthday dinner, or it could be tickets to a touring Broadway show. It could simply be a chance to spend time with their grandkids and extended family members. Life can be lonely, and that goes double for those heading into their golden years. If you really want to get Nana something special, don’t overlook this potent category.

Be cautious with technology – We know older folks who are just as adept with the latest gadgets as Gen-Z college graduates, but we’ll admit they are the exception to the rule. Technology is moving so quickly that it leaves many seniors behind. They either don’t have any interest in “keeping up with the times,” or the gadgetry is so convoluted that they can’t possibly wrap their heads around it. You might be able to randomly pick a friend and know that they’ll appreciate the latest so-and-so, but that’s not necessarily true of your grandmother. Just be cautious when considering a tech-forward gift for Nana.

All right, now that we’ve covered some basic ground rules (and we know that some rules are meant to be broken!), it’s time to get into the fun stuff. We’ve scoured the internet, we’ve talked to the seniors in our circle, and we’ve come up with some excellent gift ideas for grandma. Here are the ones we liked enough to pass on to you.

#9 – A Special Wine Glass

This wine glass says it all: “Only the best moms get promoted to grandma.” It’s perfect, even if your Nana doesn’t typically go by “grandma.” The point is that you’re honoring everything she did for you when you were growing up, and now you want to pay tribute to that ongoing legacy in a special way. It doesn’t even matter that much if grandma enjoys wine or not. After all, you can always fill a glass like this with juice, tea, or sparkling water. The point – as it is with so many gifts – is the thoughtfulness behind the sentiment. And we love this sentiment.

#8 – Scented Candles

Scented candles are a big hit with young women, moms, and grandmothers alike. Who doesn’t want their home to smell good? And with so many varieties of scents out there, you’ll be able to choose a candle that Nana will fall in love with. You can probably get an idea of what she likes, scent-wise, by visiting her house. Or, if subtle investigation fails, you can always just ask her flat-out. Either way, there’s a pretty good chance you can find a candle to serve the purpose. This is also a great gift idea for shoppers on a budget.

#7 – Soft, Elegant Sleepwear

What we said about active, engaged grandmas above still holds water, but we have to admit that some older folks like to enjoy their retirement years by sleeping in, enjoying a nice cup of coffee or tea as they read the morning news, and generally lazing about the house until early afternoon. If your Nana fits this description, why not get her some comfy clothes that are perfect for sleep, napping, or quietly enjoying the peace of a still home and a good book? Pajamas have come a long way over the last couple of decades, so you can surprise your grandmother with some soft, stylish sleepwear that she’s sure to love.

#6 – An E-Reader

We suppose that, unlike the early adoption days, people read “Kindle” and “e-reader” as synonyms, and that’s fine. In fact, we would probably encourage anyone looking to buy an e-reader to stick with Amazon’s device, because that’s probably going to be the last name standing at the end of the day. And what better time to get Nana a device with which she can read anything in the world she wants? We know that some people are funny about switching to electronic reading devices – indeed, we have a bit of that resistance ourselves. But for those that love to read, it is a handy way to get your hands on as many books as possible. We have to imagine that most grandmas would greatly appreciate this thoughtful gift.

#5 – Food Subscriptions

We know we said at the outset that we weren’t impressed with fuddy-duddy gifts that look as if they were intended for people who are 150 years old, but we’re not blind to the fact that elderly individuals are more limited than they were in their youth. For some, these disabilities are severe, and they aren’t able to do simple things for themselves – things we take for granted, such as going to the grocery store whenever we want. If your Nana has a hard time getting around, why not surprise her with the gift of regularly-delivered food? There are plenty of food subscriptions around, so choose one that best fits your grandmother’s needs, and you’ll remove a great weight off her chest.

#4 – A Classic Photo Book

We mentioned earlier that you should be cautious when buying advanced techno gifts for Nana, and this classic photo book is a good example of how you can bridge the gap between generations. Few of us are walking around with Polaroids anymore, but there are still plenty of ways to get old-fashioned film developed – even if it began its life as a digital image. People who came of age before the internet tend to still have a soft spot for physical photographs, and if you’ve ever spent a few boring hours culling through all of your Facebook photos, you may understand why. With physical pictures, you can open a book, peruse a few shots, and get that good dopamine that tends to diminish when there are thousands of albums to browse. Nana is sure to love this thoughtful and family-oriented gift.

#3 – Doormats and Other Exterior Decorations

If your Nana is anything like ours, she lives for decorating, gardening, and making sure her home looks fabulous, inside and out. When she was a part of the workforce, our grandmother spent most of her time behind a desk. Maybe that’s why she was so eager to spend much of her time moving and enjoying the fresh air once she headed off into the sunset with her gold watch. And she LOVES anything that can beautify her home. That includes outdoor signs, welcome mats, wind chimes – you name it, she digs it. Of course, it’s possible to overdo outdoor decorations, but if you keep your gift simple (a personalized doormat, for instance), you’re certain to bring a smile to her face.

#2 – Silk Pillowcases

Anyone who struggles with their skin or the amount of oils in their hair will find that sleeping on silk provides numerous benefits. People of a certain age tend to experience this more than younger folks (although skin and hair problems can often defy the limits of age). If your Nana finds herself frequently complaining about breakouts or unruly hair, she might be open to trying something new. Plus, if she’s never had the experience of sleeping on a silk pillowcase, she might not know what she’s missing!

#1 – If Mom Says No…Onesie

Okay, maybe this isn’t so much a “gift for nana” as it is a gift for yourself, but this is one of the very rare occasions when we’ll allow that faux pas. After all, a grandmother isn’t a grandmother unless there are grandkids around, right? And chances are pretty good that she enjoys nothing in life more than spending time with them, doting on them, and generally getting to do all the “fun stuff” of a parent without the burdens that come along with parenting. This “If Mom Says No, Grandma Will Say Yes” onesie is a perfect way to put Nana in a place of prestige…while also getting something useful for your infant. Bonus: This onesie is customizable, so you can put your Nana’s name right in the center of the outfit!