It’s that time of the year when people put all of their focus on the holiday rituals. Decorating trees, singing Christmas jingles and looking for the right gift for their loved ones. No one can deny that exchanging presents is a significant part of the whole celebration. We all know it feels great, right? Especially if you receive something special and thoughtful that lets you know much others care about you.
When it comes to relationships, creativity, kindness and humor are very important in keeping the spark alive. And there are plenty of boyfriends and husbands who can’t seem to stop surprising their partners in the best possible way. We at Bored Panda want to show off some of the most wholesome and dreamy Christmas gifts people have ever given their SOs, so we put together a list for you to see.
Scroll down, upvote your favorites and let us know if you find them inspiring in the comments below! Also, don’t forget to check out our previous post about it right here.
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Husband Spends 2 Years Planting Thousands Of Scented Flowers For His Blind Wife To Smell And Get Her Out Of Depression
When it comes to thinking of the right gift, there are plenty of factors to consider. What the person enjoys, what is the message you want to express and how to surprise them with it. We already talked about how some people ended up getting the worst gifts ever and what were the mistakes behind them. If you wish to avoid getting involved in such stories, just remember that there are two main goals when it comes to buying things for your loved ones: to make them happy and to strengthen your relationship.
In order to achieve them, you have to come up with a memorable gift that will show how much you care about them. Usually, people think that the most special gifts are the ones they come up with themselves. But more often than not, people tend to be happier when they receive something they actually wished for. So the obvious solution is to ask them directly, although it may seem like failing in the thoughtfulness area.
Often, spending so much time thinking of the perfect gift can really make you feel anxious. What if the person will think this is a terrible gift? Or what if others will buy something better? When it comes to this, there’s always a social risk involved. A thoughtful gift can strengthen your relationship and make you feel even more connected to each other than you were before. A bad gift can do the opposite.
My Dog Passed Away Last Month And My Boyfriend Got Me Flowers In The Shape Of My Dog And I Am In Love
Research shows that undesirable gifts can have an impact on the way we see our partners or spouses. Gifting plays a big role in determining if there’s a similarity in tastes and interests between the two people. After a couple of experiments with 62 participants, it became clear that the things we buy have an influence on how we see the future of our relationships, and sometimes not in a good way.
When people received an undesirable gift, "men viewed themselves as relatively dissimilar from their girlfriend and reported a more negative outlook on the relationship’s future. Women responded to their boyfriend’s poor gift choice by inflating their reports of similarity to him, leaving their relationship outlook intact," the researchers explained.
"Although we suggest that this gender difference emerged because women marshaled psychological defenses in response to the threat posed by receiving a bad gift, it is possible that women were less displeased with the bad gift than were men."
“Safety Glasses” That I Made For My Wife’s Optometry Office
He's One Heck Of A Wholesome Boyfriend
If done right, gift-giving can actually be one of the best ways to manifest your love. In 1992, Gary Chapman released a best-selling book called The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate which revolutionized the way we can see our relationships. According to him, there are five romantic ways people give and receive love: physical touch, quality time, acts of service, words of affirmation and gift-giving.
And today, we are particularly interested in the gift-giving one. It means that we actually "speak" through the way we choose and give presents to our better halves. This does not mean that people who identify themselves with this love language are constantly buying statement gifts and doing grand gestures. It’s mostly about small tokens and cute surprises and not about greediness at all.
My GF Loves Fairytales So, To Propose, I Built Her A Fairytale Storybook With Secret Puzzles Inside
Made My Girlfriend A Custom Desk For Her Tiny Apartment So She Can Stop Working At The Kitchen Counter
Mark Williams, a licensed mental health counselor and relationship coach said, "If you or your partner’s love language is gifts, that means you feel loved [or that you’re demonstrating love] with a tangible item." It doesn’t matter if it’s a pair of comfy Christmas socks or a brand new car, the important thing is the idea behind it—showing that you are always on their mind. There’s also a sentimental value to it, because every time you’ll look at the present, it will remind you of the experience.
This Lady Getting A PHD Graduation Postponed But Also Getting A Graduation Gift From Her Husband
My Dad Surprised My Mom For Their 30th Anniversary And Had A Bench Dedicated To Her At The Park Where They Always Walk Together
My Mom's New BF Literally Built Her A Wall To Display Her Collection
My dad used to get so mad every time my mom would come home with a new coffee mug (she likes to collect them). This is why we don't settle for loser boys, ladies.
That is a very nice thing to do and it looks great. If collecting something makes someone happy then why not (as long as it doesn't over take your home)
It’s not always easy to determine what love language your partner prefers most. “We often speak the love language to our partners that we ourselves want to receive. Meaning, if your partner buys you an album two days after you talk about how much you love a new band, or gets you a subscription to a magazine they think you’d like, it’s likely that their love language is gift giving,” Williams explained.
My Husband Is A Firefighter And He Built This Indoor Playhouse For Our Foster Children
Today’s My 25th Birthday, My Husband Is A Pastry Chef And Made Me A Cake
I Made This Tree Skirt By Quilting My Daughter's Old Baby Clothes For My Wife This Christmas
I’m a novice sewer and this was my first go at quilting. I’m kinda proud, to be truthful.
Also, if your SO is extremely enthusiastic about the gifts they received from you and brag about them to their friends, that’s also a pretty obvious sign that gifts could be their preferred love language. "If you pass a bakery every day on the way home from work, look at it through the lens of ‘My partner really feels loved when I bring them gifts’ and stop in for a pastry before heading home. They don’t have to be big purchases, and they don’t have to be all the time," Williams suggested.
I Made My Girlfriend A Smart Mirror For Her Birthday
We Were In A Long Line At The Grocery. This Man Said He Had To Go Use The Restroom, But Instead He Secretly Bought Flowers For His Wife And Hid Them Behind His Back
My Boyfriend Told Me I Had To Come Home Late Last Night. Surprised Me With This
If your other half’s love language is gifts, it might be really beneficial for you as well because it turns out that giving might be even better than receiving. According to research in Psychological Science, it seems that happiness does not decline or at least decline slower for those, who repeatedly gave gifts to others, compared to people who received those same gifts over and over again.
That's A Thoughtful And Beautiful Anniversary Gift
My Wife Asked For A Gold Bicycle. I Bought An Old 70’s Ross Kids Bike And Turn It Into A Low Rider
Fixed My Makeup After Ugly Crying From The Gift My Husband Gave Me
"If you want to sustain happiness over time, past research tells us that we need to take a break from what we’re currently consuming and experience something new," Ed O’Brien, experimental social psychologist and co-author of the research, said. "Repeated giving, even in identical ways to identical others, may continue to feel relatively fresh and relatively pleasurable the more that we do it."
My Husband Made Me This When We First Started Dating
All the guys at his work were making fun of him at first until he was done and then they wanted him to make them one for their girlfriends. I just wanted to share his talent somewhere.
Wedding Day Gift From My Husband. Inside That Glass, Ball Is Crushed Up Petals From The Very First Bouquet Of Flowers He Ever Got Me
Those Everyday Life Things Of Knowing Each Other So Well
I'm doing this every year for new years. such a great way to capture what happened that year.
One of the experiments that researchers did was giving 96 university students $5 every day for 5 days to spend on the exact same thing every time. They were randomly selected to spend the money on themselves or on someone else and at the end of each day, they reflected on their experience and overall happiness. And it showed a clear pattern: "Those who spent money on themselves reported a steady decline in happiness over the 5-day period. But the happiness did not seem to fade for those who gave their money to someone else."
A Bouquet Of Chicken Nuggets
He’s Definitely A Keeper
My Husband Built My Dogs A Dream Dog House
One reason behind this seems to be that people who focus on the outcome, like getting paid or receiving a gift, tend to become less affected by the experience itself. However, when people focus on the action, they are not thinking about or comparing the outcomes but rather focus on the experience which brings them happiness.
My Girlfriend Loves Giraffes – So I Made Her One
Boyfriend Goals
Outstanding Gift
I love this charming book case and that fact it will benefit children :)
Looking through the list makes you think that these boyfriends and husbands should feel just as happy and excited as the sweethearts who were pleasantly surprised by such thoughtful and wholesome gifts. But remember, the most precious thing you can give your significant other is actually pretty simple: your attention and your love.
My Husband Had Rotator Cuff Surgery Yesterday. I Found This On Our Whiteboard This Morning And He Must Have Wrote It With His Non-Dominant Hand
My husband has taken pride in what he’s dubbed “Fresh Flower Friday” and hasn’t missed a Friday in almost six years. It’s the best bouquet he’s ever given me.
My Wife Needed A Background For Her Zoom Calls. So I Made This
A Picture I Made For My Wife To Celebrate 10 Years Of Marriage
Something I Made For My Girlfriend. Been Practicing A Lot Since September And Here’s The Result
My 35 Year Wedding Anniversary Gift To My Wife
He Has The Biggest Smile Right As He's About To Give His Girlfriend Her Valentine's Gift For The First Time
My Long-Distance Girlfriend Loves The Outdoors, So For Her Birthday, I Made Her An Automata
On Our First Date, I Jokingly Told My Boyfriend I Loved Jeff Goldblum’s Half-Shirtless Scene In Jurassic Park So Much, I Wished I Had A Giant Painting Of It
Four months later on my birthday, he gave me this painting.
My Wife Wrote A Book, So For Her Birthday I Bound It
My wife wrote a novel over the course of the last 2 years. It's the first book of a trilogy. For her birthday I got the idea to hand bind it so she could see what will one day be a printed reality in bookstores across the world!
Wholesome
A Genius Idea
It says: "One year. One year of laugh, love & memories. I want to spend so many more years with this woman. She brought a light into my life that I never knew could of existed. I love you Sophia, happy one year baby. Tim"
My Boyfriend Made Me A Pretty Paperlamp With My Travellers In It
Thank you so muuch I love youuu and thiiis AAAH.
You can change the color of the lamp with a remote too.
It's My Birthday. My Husband Made Me A Blanket Fort In The Living Room, Bought Me A Season Of Bob's Burgers And A Bottle Of Wine. He's A Great Man
This Is What I Have Waiting For Her Instead
My wife got up at 2 am this morning to hike a mountain with some friends. She's on her way home right now and probably thinks she's going to have to immediately take over taking care of the kids so I can get my work done.
A Blanket Chest I Made For My Future Wife, We Get Married On Saturday. Its Make Out Of Walnut Wood And Brass Plugs
I Ran Out Of Way To Express My Love To My Girlfriend So I Started Learning How To Paint So I Could Paint For Her
I Made My Girlfriend A Huge Doll's House As A Proposal
I Sent My Boyfriend The Post Earlier With The Taco Heart That Someone Made - This Was Waiting For Me When I Got Home From Work. I’d Say It’s A Darn Good Effort
Husband Built Me A Greenhouse For My Succulents. Much Needed When It Monsoons Every Single Day In Mobile, AL
That's Sweet
What A Keeper
My Boyfriend 3D Printed Me A Wreath (We Are Going To Paint It Green And Red, Just Wanted To Show Off)
I Made My Wife A Pensieve From Harry Potter For Her Wedding Gift
I glued a magnet to the tip of the wand. Each of the bottles also has a magnet glued inside the bottom. Again, the bottle sticks to the wand due to the aforementioned magnets. To anyone who thinks this may sound callous, getting attacked is kind of the point of Stingray City. When you get in the water, they give you a piece of squid to hold onto. This attracts the rays so they swarm you. It's in Grand Cayman and super fun.
DIY Watch For My Girlfriend
The blue part of the dial is a star chart, representing the positions of the stars on the day we met, from the place we met.
My Husband Put Serious Thought Into The Paper-Themed 1st Wedding Anniversary And Cartoonized Our Relationship. I Love It So Much
My Boyfriend's Christmas Gift To Me. Heart Is Full
It Became The Family Joke To Watch Me Go Ballistic Over The Fabric Scissors. So Hubby Made This
My Husband Built This House For Our Cat As A Christmas Present. Stan Is Always A Content Meatloaf In His Little Home
My Super Cool Boyfriend Made This For My Birthday. Thanks For Making Me Feel Special
Boyfriend Gave Me This Poster Of Prison Mike Made Entirely Of Pictures Of Us
A While Ago I Built A Mario Themed Planter For My Wife
Colored Pencil Mother's Day Popcorn Bowl For My Wife
Home Made Scrabble Set As Gift For My Wife
Lego Flower Bouquet
My Man's Got The Sound Waves Of Him Saying He Loves Me Printed On A Canvas
My Husband Gifted Me With A Trip To Europe To Visit Family I Haven't Seen In 20 Years
My Boyfriend Got Me This As An Anniversary Gift
My Boyfriend 3D-Printed Me A Tiny Toothless
My Boyfriend Made Me This For My Birthday. I’m Feeling A Positive Energy From This Gift
Now After 2 Years, My Husband Surprised Me With The Most Amazing Wedding Ring I Have Ever Seen. He Picked The Design Himself. I Can’t Believe It
When we eloped, my husband and I were on a tight budget. I used my mom’s ring (a gift) as my wedding ring.
He's learned he's descended from royalty. It even has cabochon rubies!
I Made My Girlfriend A Rose Out Of Copper For Valentines Day
Big Props To The Hubby
DIY Project For His Girlfriend
I Made A Jewelry Case For Christmas For My Girlfriend
I Built A Custom Engraved Wedding Bench Set As A Gift To My Wife For Our 5th Anniversary
The wife has no idea I am doing this, and it won't be revealed to her until the morning of our anniversary.
For My Girlfriend's Birthday I Made Up This Wine Featuring An Illustration Of Her With Her Best Friend - Named After Their Favorite Book
My Valentine's Gift For My Wife. I Bought A Chest At A Craft Store. Sanded It, Stained It, Sealed It, Engraved It, And Filled It With 365 Love Notes: One A Day Until Next Valentine's
My Husband Made A Ring Out Of Parking Tokens From The Day Each Of Our Kids Were Born
I Built A 5-Speed City Bike For My Wife
My wife had been wanting a bike, and I wanted her to have one too since I love riding and always wish she could come with me.
Advent Calendar I Made For My Girlfriend Last Year, I Definitely Got Some Things Wrong But Enjoyed The Chance To Try Some New Skills
I might give it another go in a few years but I’m happy with it for now.
My Husband, Who Is Not A Hp Fan Himself, Bought Me The Hogwarts 3D Puzzle And Built It With Me While Watching All 8 Movies
My Husband Built Me This Beautiful Wall To Hold All My Spices And Blends
Before, they were in various containers in a cupboard. It brings me such joy! No more having to take everything out of the cabinet to get what I need. For anyone wondering, it cost about $100 to build not including the jars.
I've Been Saying Since Quarantine How Much I Miss Getting Massages. So For My Birthday, He Bought Me A Massage Table And Learned How To Do Deep Tissue Massages
My husband is the absolute cutest. I went in to take a nap and when I woke up he had transformed our living room into a massage studio.
Anniversary Gift From My Husband. An Amish Crochet Basket He Commissioned - He Knows Me So Well
I love all kinds of baskets, but especially ones with only one special purpose.
My Boyfriend Made This Light-Up Star Map For Me, And It's Easily The Best Present I've Ever Gotten
Today Is My Birthday And My Husband Wrote Me A Book
This Is Too Pure
Looks kind of weird shaped, but also it looks like it would be more comfortable to write with than a regular straight pen!
Amazing Present From My Husband To Celebrate Our 1 Year Anniversary. Traditionally A Paper Gift. So Excited For This Set, I've Wanted It Forever
Great present. We're in the US. I gave my husband the set from the UK when the final edition was released.
My Boyfriend Made Me My Very Own Portfolio Binder To Help Motivate My Career In Art For Valentine’s Day. I Almost Threw Up I’m So Happy
He made it from scratch and engraved the cover with my weird signature that I have tattooed on my back.
I’m Going Through Some Bad Depression Right Now And My Husband Surprised Me With Sunflowers. It Made Me Ugly Cry With Happiness
My Fiancée Finally Got To See Her Anniversary Gift. Anniversary Was In April But Covid
For Our 10-Year Anniversary Today My Husband Gifted Me A Potting Shed To Help With This Natural Therapy
Over lockdown, I found gardening really helped with my anxiety and depression. I couldn't think of a more pure and perfect gift.
My Boyfriend Built Me The Plant Stand I’ve Wanted Forever With Leftover Wood We Had Laying Around
Been having a really rough week mental health-wise and just got home after a horrible day at work to see this.
My Boyfriend 3D Printed Me A Cat Yarn Bowl
I Made My Wife A Side Table For Our Anniversary, Then Planted It At IKEA With A "Happy Anniversary" Price Tag To Surprise Her
This Is What Love Looks Like
My Husband Made This Book-Holder-Opener For Me To Ease Hand Cramping
Cat Knocked Down My Christmas Tree. Told My BF To Look For An Ornament Which Was Given To Me By His Mom. Found It Broken. Without Telling Me, He Ordered A Whole Set
I found these a day later. Honest to goodness, made me almost cry.
That's Sweet
What A Cool Gift And A Creative Husband
I Made A String Art Of My Beautiful Wife For Mother's Day
My Girlfriend Loves Tsum Tsums So I Built A Holder For Her Collection
I Carved Harry Potter's Mum's Magic Wand For My Girlfriend's Birthday Present
My girlfriend is a massive Harry Potter Fan, so for her birthday, I decided to make her a magic wand, based on the description of the wand of her favorite character, Harry's Mum, Lily.
My Boyfriend Made Me A “Clinical Survival Kit”
I start my nursing clinical this Wednesday at the hospital and he knows how nervous I am... The thought he put into this. Like even put it some “Aleve” in case I get a headache, and SB gift card and lunch money.
That Looks So Good
"An Oven Cooks Things And I Put The Tomatoes In"
I Made My Girlfriend A Timeframe For Our Anniversary
I Had An Absolutely Soul-Destroying Day At Work
I came home to find my boyfriend had done this. Complete with a homemade bath caddy, my favorite cheeses and chocolate-dipped strawberries. It looked even better by candlelight.
This Was His Gift To Me For Valentine's Day. I Cried Happy Tears
My husband and I have been leaving notes for each since we got married last June because we have different sleep schedules.
I Made A Thing For The Girl I Love
Anniversary #1 is supposed to be paper, so I decided wood was close enough and I made a thing out of wood!
Hubby Made Me A Potting Bench
When He 3D Prints You A Brush Stand He's A Keeper
I Dropped My Travel Blush And Broke Off The Part That Kept It Shut, So My Boyfriend 3D Printed Me A Container That Keeps It Secure
Hubby Made Me A Nail Rack Out Of An Antique Clock
That's AT LEAST $500 worth of nail polish right there. (And yes, I am definitely jealous 😆)
He's A Keeper
I Have Been Sending Handwritten Letters To My Wife For Almost Three Years. For Our Fifth Wedding Anniversary, I Built My Wife A Sour Cherry Custom Box To Store Her Letters In
I love her so much, I wish I could do stuff like this for her everyday.
I Made A 50 Nanometer Thick Portrait Of My Girlfriend For Her Birthday
I Created A Valentine's Day Makeup Box For My Girlfriend
Today My Boyfriend Surprised Me With A Digital Keyboard For An Early Birthday Gift
I have been dying to learn how to play for years. He did a ton of research and got me everything I could possibly need to learn. I can't express how happy this makes me. It means everything to me.
My BF Gave Me The Cutest Gift For My Birthday Yesterday
My Boyfriend 3D Printed Me Some Plumbobs. I Love Them So Much. I Keep Them On Top Of My Computer Monitor Ft. A Plumbella Vid On It
My mom has cancer and won't survive, I always look at the moon and think of her, so my boyfriend bought me a ring with a little moonstone in it so I "always have the moon with me to think of her during cloudy nights" :)
That’s so sweet, yet a little sad. May you have lots of hugs and wonderful memories with your mum in the time she has left xx
Load More Replies...One day I came home to a coffee mug that that said "To my wife. I wish I could turn back the clock to find you sooner and love you longer. I may not be your first kiss, your first date or your first love, but I just want to be your last everything." With a picture of the old couple from "Up" on it. Made me cry.
Seriously, where are these men? Are they internet myths? I've never known or seen a man ever do anything like this for the woman in his life. It's wonderful, but dammit i'm riven with envy, I'd love to experience someone caring about me this much. 36yrs old and I've never had a man do anything more than pickup flowers and a box of chocolates from the gas station on his way home for my birthday. WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?! I'll move where you are if i have to!
My husband is one of these men. Literally: he built the playhouse in number 12! He is astonishingly caring and considerate and is amazing. He is a volunteer firefighter and he is a professional Airstream restorer. He built this playhouse for our foster children, who moved the flowers out of the window boxes and took apart the cardboard play campfire we had to pretend the playhouse was on fire!
Load More Replies...My mom has cancer and won't survive, I always look at the moon and think of her, so my boyfriend bought me a ring with a little moonstone in it so I "always have the moon with me to think of her during cloudy nights" :)
That’s so sweet, yet a little sad. May you have lots of hugs and wonderful memories with your mum in the time she has left xx
Load More Replies...One day I came home to a coffee mug that that said "To my wife. I wish I could turn back the clock to find you sooner and love you longer. I may not be your first kiss, your first date or your first love, but I just want to be your last everything." With a picture of the old couple from "Up" on it. Made me cry.
Seriously, where are these men? Are they internet myths? I've never known or seen a man ever do anything like this for the woman in his life. It's wonderful, but dammit i'm riven with envy, I'd love to experience someone caring about me this much. 36yrs old and I've never had a man do anything more than pickup flowers and a box of chocolates from the gas station on his way home for my birthday. WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?! I'll move where you are if i have to!
My husband is one of these men. Literally: he built the playhouse in number 12! He is astonishingly caring and considerate and is amazing. He is a volunteer firefighter and he is a professional Airstream restorer. He built this playhouse for our foster children, who moved the flowers out of the window boxes and took apart the cardboard play campfire we had to pretend the playhouse was on fire!
Load More Replies...