Chosing the Perfect Occasion Gift

House warming gifts are amongst the most difficult gifts to choose, even when you know the recipient well. Household basics aren't always appropriate and equipment is expensive. A bunch of flowers won't last, a plant means maintenance and salt and coal, while traditional, seem a little out of date. What's left? My personal choice is usually an art gift , an object which can be displayed or hung somewhere. Your friend can enjoy it and from time to time think of you, the person who gave it. The biggest problem is that original art can be expensive, while reproductions can be tacky. Where can you go to find an unusual, but good quality art gift?

My favorite source of presents of all kinds has always been museums, whether filled with art or history of both. I'd like to say I have a secret identity as a master criminal, liberating priceless objects from their museum cases, but my life is not that exciting. I don't source my museum gifts from the exhibits, but when I get the chance I love to visit museum stores. These are usually packed with interesting items, often very good quality replicas of the exhibit. Museum stores are literally a 'gift' for anyone looking for something truly unusual to give as a present.

While you may not know enough about your friend's taste to be sure of buying something pleasing, the objects in a museum gift shop are usually filled with history, often linked with legend and more than a smidgeon of symbolism. Look at what the object has to say rather than just at the object, the history as well as the art, and it's far easier to find the ideal gift, for any occasion, especially if you live near a museum.

As I look around my home I know that some of the objects which give the most pleasure are those that remind me of the people who were kind enough to give them to me, gifts that speak of our common interests and shared pasts, gifts that have moved with me from one house to the next and become part of my life.

The art of the gift is to find that special item for every event, from house warming to graduation, birthday, Christmas and wedding. The ideal gift is an item which is one part you, one part the friend you are giving it to and one part something else; art, symbol, memory or hope for the future, and for that a museum gift is ideal.

If your town, like most, doesn't have one of the great art galleries or museums of the world, there's no need to make the trek to London, Paris or New York. You can find all the museum gifts you need under one roof; your own. Just get out your laptop, climb aboard the internet and go looking.