You know the one. The person who has everything, and still won’t give you a single gift idea. Shopping for the person who has everything is its own special brand of stress. They already own the gadgets. They bought the fancy candle for themselves last Tuesday. If they want a new sweater, they go out and get a new sweater, and it’s nicer than the one you were going to pick.
So what do you get someone who has everything?
Something they would never buy for themselves, and couldn’t find at the mall if they tried. That’s where art comes in. Yes, I’m biased. Hear me out anyway.
Why Art Is the Best Gift for Someone Who Has Everything
Most gifts get used up, worn out or quietly tucked into a drawer by February. Art goes on the wall and stays there. It’s there with their morning coffee, and it’s there when they flop onto the couch after a long day. Years from now, it’ll still be there.
It’s also personal in a way a gift card never will be.
When you pick out a piece of art for someone, you’re really saying, “I looked at this and thought of you.” People who have everything don’t get told that very often. Everyone else just grabs another bottle of wine.
And here’s a little secret about the people on your list who are impossible to buy for. They usually have great taste, and they’re picky about what goes on their walls. A thoughtful print shows you noticed.
Bonus: art gifts don’t need batteries, don’t come in the wrong size, and won’t end up in the line of post-holiday returns. That alone deserves a medal.
How to Choose Art for Someone Else (Without Panicking)
Buying art for another person feels risky. It doesn’t have to be. You don’t need an art degree, just a bit of detective work.
Start with what they love, not what their living room looks like. Do they spend every summer at the lake? Talk about their dog like it’s a person? Plan every vacation around snorkelling? The subject matters way more than whether the colours match their throw pillows. Art lovers mix things up all the time, and a piece with meaning will always find a spot.
Then peek at their style. Some people love soft, dreamy watercolour. Others lean toward bold black and white. If their walls are full of moody photography, a pastel bunny might be a stretch (unless it’s for the grandkids’ room, in which case, go wild).
Not sure about wall space? Go smaller. A modest print can slide into a hallway, a bookshelf or an office. A giant statement piece is a gamble unless you’ve actually measured.
When all else fails, trust your gut. If it made you think of them right away, that’s your answer.
Gifts for Animal Lovers and Ocean Lovers
Animal people are honestly the easiest people to shop for. You already know what makes them happy.
The Big Pufferfish is a crowd favourite, a big, spotted watercolour puffer that somehow manages to look both serious and ridiculous at the same time. It’s also a sweet pick for an ocean-themed nursery.
Gifts for ocean lovers don’t have to be another seashell candle. Just saying.
On dry land, there’s plenty for the animal lovers too. Untamed is a watercolour tiger with a windswept mane and serious attitude. I Lived to Tell is a charcoal lioness with its eyes on the horizon, perfect for the strong woman in your life who has been through a thing or two. Bird watchers will fall for Sitting Pretty, a little nuthatch perched on a branch.
And if your friend has a bit of sass? Guinea Got Sass was made for them. Trust me.
Gift Ideas for New Parents
New parents get onesies. So many onesies. The baby outgrows them in about three weeks, and then they live in a bin in the basement forever.
Nursery art is different. It hangs on the wall through the midnight feedings, the first steps and the “why is the sky blue” phase. Some pieces even move with the kid into their big-kid room.
My Storybook Nursery collection was made for exactly this. Balloon Bunny floats along on a bunch of balloons, Save the Whale has a whale being carried off on an adventure, and Radish the Rabbit is just plain charming. They’re sweet without being sugary, which tired parents appreciate more than you’d think.
For the new mom specifically, A Mother’s Kiss is a charcoal drawing of a mama giraffe nuzzling its baby. Keep the tissues handy.
Of all the gifts for new parents out there, this is one they’ll still have when the diapers are a distant memory.
Unique Christmas Gifts They’ll Pull Out Every Year
Holiday art is sneaky. You give it once, and it becomes part of their Christmas forever.
Every December, out comes the tree, out come the ornaments, and out comes that print you gave them. It turns into a little tradition, and every year they’ll think of you while they hang it. That’s a lot of mileage for one gift.
A few of my favourite Christmas art gifts:
- Fleece Navidad, a fluffy sheep tucked into a holly wreath (the pun is free of charge)
- Deck the Antlers, a deer whose antlers are decked out in garland and baubles
- Frosty Flourishes, a snowman drawn in calligraphy swirls
- Branches & Baubles, for the person who goes all out on ornaments
If you’re hunting for Christmas gifts for mom who has everything, this is your sign. Moms are famous for saying they don’t want anything. Then they keep the handmade ornament from grade two for forty years. They’re sentimental. Use it.
And for the person who truly has it all? Go for an original painting. Majestic and Peaceful Hilltop are one of a kind, which means nobody else on the planet will have the same one. Hard to top that.
A Quick Note on Framing
My prints arrive unframed, and that’s on purpose.
A frame is a surprisingly personal choice. The sleek black one that looks amazing in your place might look totally off in their farmhouse kitchen. Leaving it unframed lets them pick something that suits their home, and their walls will thank them for it.
Want to make it a complete gift anyway? Tuck in a gift card for a local framing shop, or check the print size on the listing and grab a simple frame to match. Either way, they get art that actually fits their space.
Make It a Set With a Matching Card
Here’s my favourite trick. Many of my prints have a matching note card featuring the same artwork, so you can give the print and the card together. It looks like you planned it for weeks, even if you ordered it on a Thursday night.
The cards are blank inside, which means the message is all yours. Write down why you picked that piece for them. One honest sentence is plenty.
That little note might end up being the part they keep the longest. (If you need convincing, here’s why a note card beats a text every single time.)
Still Can’t Decide? Let Them Choose
Look, we get it.
You’ve scrolled, you’ve squinted, you’ve held your phone up to your living room wall trying to picture it in their space. And you’re still stuck. That’s where a digital gift card swoops in to save the day. They get to pick the piece that speaks to their soul, and you get full credit for being the thoughtful one.
Gift cards come in $10, $25, $50, $100 and $150, and they’re delivered straight to their inbox. No wrapping. No shipping. No last-minute panic at the post office.
Everyone wins. Especially you. 😉
The Gift They Didn’t Know They Wanted
The person who has everything doesn’t need more stuff. What they don’t have is a piece of art someone picked out just for them.
So skip the gadget aisle this year. Browse the art prints, find the one that made you think of them, and let the wall do the talking.
Their “I don’t need anything” era officially ends now. 🎁