30 of the best thank you gifts to show your appreciation and gratitude in 2023
Browse our list of thoughtful, unique and affordable thank you gifts to show gratitude to a loved one
When there aren't enough words to show your gratitude, the best thank you gifts surely will. From chocolate-covered strawberries that spell out "thank you" to a reusable tote filled with their favorites, these gifts will give them all the feels.
Whether you want to return the love to your neighbor that helped you move in or show your mom how appreciative you are this Mother's day, these tokens of appreciation will be cherished for years to come. A thank you gift is a simple yet thoughtful way to show you've acknowledged their support and kindness - and it doesn't have to break the bank, either.
From the best beauty gift ideas to thoughtful gifts that keep on giving, our pick of the 30 best thank you gifts will surprise and delight any recipient. Most of our picks are suitable for all ages, so they could also double up as one of the best 50th birthday gifts or even a sweet 18th birthday gift.
Best thank you gifts for 2023
Where to find the best thank you gifts in the US
- Amazon: Great for last-minute thank you gifts with fast delivery
- Anthropologie: Cute trinkets, quirky homeware, and personalized dishes
- Etsy: The perfect spot for unique custom gifts from small businesses
- Edible Arrangements: Delicious fruit arrangements delivered to their front door
- FTD: Shop fresh flowers from local florists and sweet gifts with same-day delivery
- Luna: Cozy weighted blankets that helps ease stress and anxiety
- Macys: Shop luxury make up, fragrance and fashion pieces from big brands
- Nordstrom: The ultimate hub for high-end and affordable gifts
- Target: Shop everything from affordable gifts to homeware to candles
- The Sill: Thank them with some greenery from this online plant store
- Uncommon Goods: The perfect spot to shop one-of-a-kind thank you gifts
- Urban Outfitters: Browse a wide range of quirky fashion and on-trend homeware
Our pick of the best thank you gifts in the US
1. Milk Bar Assorted Cookie Tin
Whether they've been your friend for years or you just met them this month, a sweet treat is always a great gift option, especially when it's a tin of Milk Bar cookies. This assortment features six individually wrapped cookies in Milk Bar's mouth-watering flavors: Compost, Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow, Chocolate Confetti, Corn, and Blueberry & Cream.
And no need to worry about buying a gift bag. These cookies all come housed in a cute tin they can reuse.
2. Embroidered Thank You Tote
You might be familiar with this iconic message on plastic bags when ordering takeout or at the corner store. It’s a small way for businesses to let their customers know they appreciate you. And now you can do the same for your giftee by filling this unique “thank you” reusable tote with all their favorite things. The bag alone will put a smile on their face.
3. Monogram Coasters (Set of 4)
Personalized gifts are the perfect way to show you’ve taken the extra step and thought of a gift made specifically for them. And these handmade, monogram marble coasters are a simple yet thoughtful gift you can give to anyone no matter the severity of your relationship. All you have to know is the first letter of their last name.
The set comes with four white marble coasters that’ll go well with any color scheme. These coasters also make a great gift for couples or a sweet housewarming gift.
4. Luna Sweet Dreams Cotton Weighted Blanket
Luna makes some of the best high-quality weighted blankets - and they're more affordable than most name-brand competitors. You can show your gift recipient how much you care for their health by gifting them this comforting sleep aid that helps reduce anxiety, ease stress, and provides an overall better sleep experience.
5. Fresh Grapefruit Signature Candle
You can never go wrong with gifting one of the best scented candles. The White Company’s single-wick Fresh Grapefruit candle is the perfect spring candle with citrusy fragrance notes of grapefruit, jasmine, and orange flower. The wax is hand poured into a glass vessel, making it an excellent holder to store all their favorite trinkets.
6. Thank You Belgian Chocolate Berry-Gram
There’s no better way to show your appreciation than a dozen dark chocolate-covered strawberries that spell out “thank you” in white chocolate drizzles. Your giftee will feel all the love after every bite they take. This delightful treat also makes a great long-distance relationship gift to show your gratitude for them.
7. Heart-Shaped Tea Bags
These heart-shaped tea bags make for a sweet and thoughtful gift for those who can't go a day without their morning or evening cup of tea. The tea's heart-shaped bags can represent your love and appreciation for your giftee. Each box has 15 bags containing five English breakfast teas, five Earl Greys, and five white berries. Complete the gift with one of the best travel coffee mugs if you're feeling extra generous.
8. Hoya Heart Plant
House plants are a simple way to add color and decor to one’s home. Whether they’re a plant parent to many or a green thumb in training, this heart-shaped plant doesn’t require much upkeep, making it the perfect thank you gift for anyone’s space.
9. Lush Sleepy Gift Set
Lush is home to handmade and ethically sourced body and hair products with lovely scents. Lush’s Sleepy shower gel is our shopping writer, Kenedee's personal favorite. This gift set includes the shower gel and its matching body lotion. Although the shower gel only comes in a 3.3oz bottle, one to two drops in the palm go a long way. Its sweet lavender scent not only smells amazing but relaxes your body.
This bath set is the perfect self-care gift for the mom who deserves some pampering or the teacher who needs to unwind after a long school day.
10. Strawberry Patch Basket
A bouquet is a classic gift for any occasion, and this gorgeous arrangement from FTD will warm anyone’s heart. Inspired by a strawberry patch, this basket is filled with pink disbud mums, alstroemerias, carnations, hypericum berries, and orange roses.
Because of its same-day delivery option and fresh flowers coming straight from local florists, FTD is one of our top picks for the best flower delivery services. Your giftee will be surprised when they open their front door to this beautiful and unique arrangement.
11. Starbucks Gift Card
Gift cards might not be the fanciest gift, but it holds sentimental value when it's one to your giftee's favorite place. This is a simple yet thoughtful thank you gift for the coffee-obsessed co-worker who covered your shift or the college student who can't start their day without a grande white mocha.
12. Minuty M Rosé
A bottle of wine is another classic thank you gift. It's an easy gift that doesn't require much thought but is thoughtful and makes a lovely gift for the home. This Provence rosé is the perfect summertime drink with tropical fruit notes. Plus, we love the slender and sophisticated bottle.
13. Tiled Margot Monogram Mug
Not only will your giftee love having a personalized mug, but they'll also enjoy drinking their morning coffee or afternoon tea from it. This Anthropologie favorite gives you all the French feels with its bistro tile design. And if you're wondering if it's as gorgeous in person as online, our shopping expert Kenedee can personally vouch that it is!
14. Papier Gratitude Journal
Return the love and give your giftee something to be thankful for. Papier's gratitude journal is a thoughtful gift that helps you see the joy in life with daily prompts, affirmations, activities, and more. Papier allows you to customize the journal for free to make it even more special. Check out our Papier discount codes before buying - you can save those extra cents to buy a nice pen too.
15. Smitten Kitchen Every Day Cookbook
Whether they're a master chef in the kitchen or just starting to get in the swing of cooking, gifting one of the best cookbooks is a wholesome thank you gift for just about anyone. They'll love discovering new delicious recipes with this fan-favorite Smitten Kitchen cookbook.
With over 100 mouthwatering recipes that don't require a lot of energy to make, there's a breakfast dish, pasta, salad, or dessert they'll master and love.
Where to find the best thank you gifts in the UK
- Bloom & Wild: A wide range of seasonal blooms, delivered in letterbox-friendly packages
- Buyagift: Shop hundreds of gift vouchers, from spa days to city breaks
- Don't Buy Her Flowers: See gift packages by occasion, or make your own
- Etsy: Choose from unique, thoughtful gifts from independent brands
- Fortnum & Mason: Home of hampers for all occasions and recipients
- I Want One of Those: Thoughtful and quirky gifts, with personalized options
- John Lewis: Browse affordable thank you gifts, including sweet treats
- Liberty of London: High-end gifts to show gratitude, from homes to beauty
- Marks and Spencer: Gift bags, beautiful bouquets and much more
- Not on the High Street: Browse unique gifts from small, independent brands
- Oliver Bonas: Shop home, fashion, furniture and beauty gifts at great prices
- The White Company: Thoughtful gifts galore from this popular brand
- Urban Outfitters: Tech, fashion and homeware gifts to show appreciation
- Selfridges: Shop fragrances, beauty gifts and more, at a range of prices
Our pick of the best thank you gifts in the UK
1. The White Company White Pompelmo Hand & Nail Set
The best thank you gifts are things that the recipient wouldn’t usually treat themselves to - so this White Company set is perfect. This sophisticated hand and nail set includes White Pompelmo hand wash and an accompanying hand and nail cream, both of which feature a zesty grapefruit, lemon and lime scent. A luxurious gift that looks much more expensive than it is, it’ll be appreciated by friends, family members and colleagues alike. This is also a sweet gift for couples if you're looking for a trinket to give to any new homeowners.
2. Charbonnel et Walker Caramel Biscuit Truffles
Sweet treats will always go down well as a thank you gift, and truffles will make your recipient feel extra fancy. These caramelized biscuit truffles would be perfect alongside a bottle of bubbly.
3. Bloom & Wild The Pippa Liberty Gift Set
Inspired by a classic print from Liberty of London, this gift set from Bloom & Wild features a 22-stem bouquet, a chocolate bar and a greetings card. Blooms from the flower delivery service arrive in bud, so they’ll last even longer, and the gift will fit through the letterbox in its 100% recyclable packaging. Bloom & Wild offers a huge range of seasonal and impressive bouquets, but this gift set adds a nice extra touch.
4. Fortnum and Mason Thank You Hamper
Fortnum and Mason is known for its high-quality hampers, and this option is no exception. Filled with marc de Champagne truffles, 15 Earl Grey tea bags, three tins of biscuits and more, this hamper is a truly decadent gift for a special recipient, who will certainly feel your gratitude with this selection of goodies.
5. Neom Wellbeing Pod Mini
Designed to make it easy to fill small spaces with fresh scents within minutes, the Neom Wellbeing Pod Mini has a device that removes the stopper of Neom’s essential oil bottles, so your recipient can simply pop one into this travel-size diffuser and leave it to work its magic. With three intensity settings, the diffuser will suit anyone who’s after a more subtle scent to their space, and a full charge means you can use the diffuser for up to 50 hours. Pair this sweet gift with one of the best essential oils.
6. Oliver Bonas Cherish Butterfly Top & Shorts Pajama Set
Nothing feels more luxurious than putting on a brand new pair of soft, silky pajamas, so they’ll love this pair from Oliver Bonas, one of the best pajamas for women. With a design that features floral motifs and elegant butterflies, this set mixes comfort with style, due to its oversized shirt and adjustable drawstring shorts.
7. Moleskine Classic Notebook
Gifting a token of appreciation gift to a teacher or creative in your life? The Moleskine journal is a staple for a reason, known for its high-quality design. With a soft leather cover available in several different colors, rounded corners and a ribbon bookmark, the notebook can be used for journaling, scribbling notes, as a productivity planner, or for anything else. Pair this gift with a fancy fountain pen for a present they’ll remember for years.
8. Personalized Spa Hamper
Gift something a little more personal than a voucher for a spa treatment with this customizable pamper hamper. With the ‘standard’ option, the personalized gift box is filled with a mini prosecco bottle (with a label that can read your recipient’s name), two tealights, a chocolate bar, a bag of popcorn, and a bath bomb, while the ‘deluxe’ version will see the bottle upgraded to full size, and adds a dried flower bouquet.
9. Anthropologie Kai Tile Frame
If you’re buying a token of gratitude for someone close to you, such as a bridesmaid, best friend or parent, print out one of your favorite pictures of the two of you and display it in this gorgeous frame from Anthropologie. The geometric pattern of the frame has a vintage feel, and the sturdy wood it’s made from means that they can keep the picture pride of place for years to come.
10. Bloomposy Pastel Dried Flowers Set
A bunch of fresh blooms is a classic thank you gift idea, but gifting dried flowers ensures that your token of appreciation will last even longer. This beautifully presented package of dried flowers easily fits through the letterbox, and the sustainable stems are hand-picked by professional florists.
11. Set of Three Cow Print Hand-Painted Vases
If you opt for a bunch of dried flowers as a thank you gift, why not accompany it with this set of unique vases? Each vase is painted to order, meaning your lucky recipient will receive a truly one-of-a-kind gift. The abstract vases are designed to hold dried stems rather than fresh flowers, and each vase will fit around 2-5 stems.
12. Sanctuary Spa Little Moments Gift Set
You can’t go wrong with a self-care gift set from Sanctuary Spa. The delicate new Lily & Rose scent is featured in the body wash, body scrub and body lotion in this set, which comes in a pink floral gift box. Give the gift of relaxation to someone who really deserves it.
13. Biscuiteers School of Icing Gift Voucher
Gift a budding baker in your life a day out to remember with a gift certificate to the Biscuiteers School of Icing, where they’ll learn the ropes of icing with the experts in a small two-hour class. They’ll be able to leave with a tin of biscuits that they’ve iced themselves, alongside an apron and a certificate.
14. Thank You Seed Box Gardening Gift
If you’re looking for the best gifts for gardeners for a green-fingered friend, look no further than this unique gift box, which includes a packet of larkspur flower seeds and a personalized slate, to sit alongside the budding flowers in your recipient’s garden. The slate can read ‘thank you’, the name of your recipient, or alternative words of your choice.
15. Cheshire Hoops with Carved Labradorite
These elegant earrings are sustainably hand-made and delivered in plastic-free packaging, with every order resulting in a tree planted, making this a great sustainable gift. The sterling silver and gold-plated hoops are attached to subtle labradorite pendants in a gorgeous blue-green - while labradorite is not an official birthstone, it is often associated with Aquarius, making these earrings one of the best zodiac gifts, too.
What is a token of appreciation and what is considered an appropriate token of thanks if you don’t have a large budget?
Dayna Isom Johnson, Trend Expert at Etsy, tells us that a token of appreciation "is something that shows gratitude, whether it be an act of kindness, a card or a gift. More than ever, shoppers are prioritizing extra-thoughtful gifts that show their appreciation for loved ones, so if in doubt, I always opt for something customized or personalized - to me, nothing says 'thank you' like a one-of-a-kind gift that's tailor-made just for the recipient". Johnson adds that when looking for a personalized gift, considering the recipient's "personal style, hobbies and interests, or whether they've had a recent life change (like a new home)" is the best way to find something special.
Wizz Selvey, former Head of Buying at Selfridges, echoes this sentiment. "If you're looking for small acts of gratitude to show someone you care, get personal! What are the small things they may be cutting back on, that you can treat them to as a thank you?", she says. "You can often get creative with smaller gifts, so think about what they will appreciate. Self-care or bath products? Sweets like a cake or chocolates? Or are they the type of person who will appreciate a luxury box of tea, or coffee?"
How much should you spend on a thank you gift?
There isn't a specific amount on how much you should spend on gifts because it all boils down to what you're comfortable spending. But if you need a little more guidance, Seema Bansal Chadha, Co-founder of Venus et Fleur and gifting expert explains to woman&home that the amount really depends on your relationship with the person - and the occasion.
A thank you gift for a teacher, work colleague, or acquaintance that you're not incredibly close to, should be purchased with a smaller budget in mind than, say, for a close friend, family member or member of your wedding party. "You will probably want to spend more on a thank you gift for a close friend or family member than a coworker or somebody you don't know as well," agrees Chadha.
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Selvey tells us that for a smaller token of gratitude, "budget from £5-£15 (or approx. $6-$18). Gifts in this category might include things like bottles of prosecco or wine, boxes of chocolates and truffles, a hand-made bar of soap or small scented candle. Holly Harper, Head of Product Curation at Not on the High Street, also believes that affordable thank you gifts are easy to find, such as "seed packets (that will grow into something and act as a reminder of the gift), or creative twists on the classics, like boxes of chocolates, teas or hand soaps."
For someone who you're a little closer to, a budget for a thank you gift could fall into a similar terrain as, for example, what you might spend when looking for one of the best 30th birthday gifts or one of the best gifts for couples.
Chadha explains what's most important is that you express your gratitude and sincerity through a heartfelt gift, rather than working to a specific budget though. "Try to make it feel personal and look out for anything they may like, such as their favorite color."
Hannah is the UK Shopping Writer for woman&home. As a shopping writer, Hannah has written on everything from period pants to wine subscriptions, and is especially interested in sustainable alternatives to well-known products, as well as books and homeware accessories.
Before she joined the team at woman&home Hannah headed up the social media accounts for Wonderland in 2019, where she was also a Contributing Editor for the magazine’s sister titles. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hannah also explored evolving shopping trends at New York Magazine’s The Strategist UK, researching everything from face masks to status candles and even pens.
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