50 Surprisingly Thoughtful Gift Card Ideas for Holidays, Birthdays, and Special Occasions

When is ice cream ever a bad idea? Whether you’re shopping for a birthday, milestone celebration, or sympathy occasion, a gift card for ice cream delivery is a good call. Chef-favorite Jeni’s delivers nationwide and sells classic, limited-edition, and unusual flavors, as well as gluten-free and dairy-free options to make everyone happy. Gift cards are available in four denominations, but keep in mind that a shipment of five pints costs $79.

If you’ve never used Thrive Market before, it’s like virtually stepping into the biggest organic grocery store you’ve ever seen. The online retailer stocks 6,000 different organic, non-GMO, and nontoxic products from sustainable brands, all with the benefit of wholesale markdowns. Whether your giftee is prone to bouts of Whole30 or just loves artisanal energy bars, a Thrive Market gift card enables a specialty store online shopping experience for pantry staples.

Whether they’re already Fly By Jing fans or have yet to try the brand’s Sichuan pantry staples and meal starters, this gift card is a good idea for the foodie in your life. It comes in a variety of dollar amounts, and it’s good for everything on the website, including the highly craveable chili crisp and sweet and spicy chili sauce. 

Have a friend who can’t get enough caffeine? Trust us, they’ll be thrilled to receive a gift card from Fellow. The San Francisco-based company is known for its array of barista-worthy gear for the home, including sumptuous coffee beans, an elegant French press, stylish mugs, and Stagg kettles that look gorgeous on the table, stove, or countertop.

Modern cookware brand Material sells everything from cookware and prepware to knives and dinner napkins, making it a good place to buy a gift card for new homeowners or anyone who needs a kitchen upgrade. The brand places an emphasis on sustainability and minimalist functionality, and the resulting products are a home chef’s dream.

Le Creuset’s covetable cookware is on the wish list of even casual home chefs — the brand’s quality is that good. The prices reflect that, so a gift card will be much appreciated by Le Creuset newbies and avid collectors alike.

Home chefs and food lovers will be eager to run to their nearest Williams Sonoma once they get the go-ahead with this gift card. The iconic retailer offers a level of quality in all of its items that anyone would gush over — and if you want to give them some inspiration, you can point them toward The Kitchn’s Williams Sonoma gift guide.

Made In is a chef-inspired (and The Kitchn-loved) cookware company with attractive prices. It’s a great place to shop for hardworking kitchen tools, like nonstick pans that last and super-sharp knives. Luckily, outfitting your favorite home chef is easier than ever with the brand’s convenient digital gift card.

Sure, a Nordstrom gift card can be used on fashion and beauty products, but your recipient can use it on decor and home goods, too. The department store carries top brands like Chilewich, Furbish Studio, Jonathan Adler, and Pom Pom at Home, making it a top destination for anyone moving into a new home or embarking on a home redesign.

For the person who loves a classic-meets-rustic vibe, a Farmhouse Pottery gift card will go a long way. In addition to a wide selection of handmade pottery (including dinnerware and decor), the Vermont-based brand also sells candles, textiles, and artisanal pantry items, so your giftee will have tons of options to choose from. Plus, it’s Ina-approved!

you have an Anthropologie fan in your life — or someone who usually admires the brand from afar — they’re sure to appreciate the chance to snag something off of their wishlist. It might be a piece of decor from one of its gorgeous holiday collections, or a statement-making piece of furniture. Either way, your giftee will thank you for it immensely.

Help them make the most of their family memories — or at the very least, get their photos off their phone — with a gift certificate to Framebridge, one of our favorite custom framing spots. With it, they can custom-frame practically anything (including clothing and objects, like matchbooks!) and rely on the pros at Framebridge to help them pull together the perfect gallery wall.

Who doesn’t love a Target run? Help them knock off a few items from their shopping list, whether it's a piece of seasonal decor, comfy clothing, or even grocery items. You can even plan to join them on their next shopping trip and spend some quality time together, which makes it an even greater gift!

A Walmart gift card is a great choice if you aren’t quite sure what to get your recipient, since the megaretailer has pretty much everything. They can snag a home item from Better Homes & Gardens’ or Drew Barrymore’s collections, or cut down on their weekly grocery costs — the options are virtually endless.

Whether they’re planning their honeymoon or a casual weekend trip, a Hotels.com gift card will help them travel in style. They can use it to book a room at pretty much any hotel, resort, or rental, both nationally and internationally, all while taking advantage of major deals and discounts.

Sometimes escaping the walls of one’s own home is the only way to maintain sanity. Gifting a parent or loved one the chance to choose an experience or accommodation from Airbnb is a great bet for anyone who needs a break — or just loves to travel.

Apartment Therapy editors and writers alike have long been fans of Baggu’s infinitely functional (and seriously cute) reusable bags. The brand has since expanded to travel-ready totes, purses, and pouches, including the cult favorite Small Cloud Carry-on. Available in fun patterns and bright colors, Baggu’s offerings are perfect for your friend who loves their accessories to show off a little personality.

Jet-setters on your gift list will be thrilled to receive a gift card to Away, an editor-favorite, go-to brand for stylish, durable luggage. With it, your recipient can choose the piece (or pieces) of luggage that they want, from large checked bags and tech-friendly wheeled carry-ons to totes, pouches, and waterproof duffles.

When it comes to bedding basics, it’s hard to beat The Company Store. The brand is known for its unfussy, high-quality home essentials like down comforters, bed blankets, and bath towels. Our editors are fans too, and some of their favorite products include a lightweight cotton blanket, cozy wool mattress pad, and quick-drying bath sheet.

Quince is home to some of our editors’ favorite bedding, including airy linen sheets and a cozy down alternative duvet, as well as many other home essentials, like super-absorbent bath towels. The brand even has an Away carry-on dupe that one of our editors swears by for all of her trips, and tons of quality clothing at great price points. Send along our Quince gift guide for everything we recommend.

someone an excuse to splurge on new sheets is an excellent idea — and Brooklinen’s bedding collection is particularly well-loved by Apartment Therapy editors. The brand’s loungewear is also pretty darn nice, so your giftee can treat themselves to something cozy that they’ll practically live in but probably wouldn’t buy for themselves.

A good night’s sleep is priceless, so if you know they’ve been struggling with getting enough rest, Coop is the way to go. Our editors can confirm that the brand's high-quality bedding is a solid investment, especially if your giftee is a hot sleeper. They’ll love Coop’s cooling pillow and blanket just as much as our editors do.

Parachute has earned a reputation for making fantastic all-season bedding (like the very popular Cloud Cotton Quilt). With a gift card to this bed and bath destination, your giftee will have the chance to experience better rest and enjoy a cozier home. Our editors were also thoroughly impressed with Parachute’s bath towels, which are made all the more affordable with the right gift card.

Editor-recommended Cozy Earth has a range of products that’ll help your loved one upgrade their bedding. We’re big fans of the brand’s bamboo sheet set, which is both breathable and seriously soft, as well as the lightweight down alternative comforter, which got the seal of approval from the hot sleepers on our team.

For the stationery lovers out there, consider a Papier gift card. The paper goods brand sells journals, planners, greeting cards, and photo books, as well as supplies like pens, stickers, and organization accessories. With dozens of gorgeous designs to choose from, they’re sure to find something that perfectly suits their style — or they can get a little bit of everything with the brand’s limited-edition Advent calendar.

Blick is one of the best (and biggest) places to shop for art supplies online, so a Blick gift card for your artistic friend will be put to good use. Whether they’re an amateur painter, professional ceramicist, or hobbyist, they’ll be able to buy everything they need to make their art happen.

Jigsaw puzzle fans will love the options at Piecework, a modern puzzle brand that sells a large variety of gorgeous, art-worthy puzzles. Most of the puzzle options are 1000 pieces, but there’s also a collection of smaller, more beginner-friendly puzzles for your friend who’s just starting out. Plus, Piecework has a nice assortment of puzzle-related accessories, like stylish lamps and colorful trays.

Whether they’re hard at work on a new gallery wall layout or love to refresh their space with vintage finds, they’ll get tons of use from an Etsy gift card. They can find just about anything on Etsy, from handcrafted decor and unique art pieces to restored antique furniture and funky lighting. Check out our top recommendations for Etsy gifts, too.

Know someone who loves to learn? Snag them a membership to Skillshare. They can learn all sorts of skills directly from the pros, including everything from art and design to photography, crafting, and even productivity (hello, organization classes!)

If your giftee is a bookworm and you’re finding it tough to wrangle a gift card from their go-to local shop, might we suggest Bookshop.org? The online store helps support local booksellers across the country by giving 75 percent of its profit margins to independent shops.

Although Audible doesn’t technically sell gift cards, you can buy a gift subscription for your loved one who prefers listening to audiobooks over reading physical books. Options include 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month memberships, and they won’t auto-renew when the membership period is over, so you don’t have to worry about unexpected future fees.

You probably know someone who’s been meaning to upgrade their headphones or home office setup — for them, you can’t go wrong with a gift card to Best Buy. Electronics can get pretty pricey, so they’ll be grateful for the opportunity to shave some dollars off their purchase.

Or perhaps your loved one has been putting off subscribing to Disney+? Let them start sooner rather than later by gifting them between $25 and $500 toward a subscription. They’ll have access to everything in Disney+’s catalog, including films and TV shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic.

Terrain is a home and garden brand that’s part of the Anthropologie family, and it specializes in nature-inspired home goods and high-quality gardening tools. Whether they’re a serious gardener or casual lover of the outdoors, they’ll love shopping the brand’s assortment of whimsical decor, unique lighting, and durable outdoor furniture.

For the plant parent in your life, a gift card from The Sill opens the door to a long list of happy, healthy potted plants to add to their collection. From stylish varieties like monstera and fiddle leaf figs to pet-friendly plants such as majesty palms and air plants, there are options for every preference. The site also sells sculptural planters and stands for your plant-loving pal who’s full up on greenery but always in the market for accessories.

If there’s someone on your gift list who can’t get enough of the great outdoors, an REI gift card is sure to make them happy. The retailer has gear for hiking, camping, and biking, plus excellent outerwear that even the casual walking fan will enjoy. With an REI gift card, your recipient will be able to select the stuff that’s right for them, or use it towards an REI membership.

New Englanders know that there are no bad choices when it comes to L.L.Bean, so let a gift card from the Maine-based retailer fill in the gaps in your loved one’s outdoor gear arsenal. They can score everything from wintertime mittens and sweaters to summer essentials like fire pits and s’mores kits.

Help your favorite pet parent show their fur baby some love with a thoughtful gift card to pet mega-site Chewy. Your contribution will give your giftee the funds to score everything from food and medicine (necessities!) to toys and costumes (arguably also necessities?).

The sky’s the limit when it comes to home furnishings at Wayfair, and your giftee will certainly appreciate the online mega-retailer’s giant collection. From small upgrades like lamps, organizers, and kitchen tools to rugs, furniture, and bedding that can completely spruce up a room, Wayfair has it all. Anyone who is in the market for baby gear or pet products will also make excellent use of this gift card.

A gift card to one of the most coveted home goods and furniture stores is sure to surprise and delight anyone on your list. This present can make West Elm‘s high-end sofas, tables, and outdoor furniture more affordable, which is great news for anyone looking to outfit or refresh their living space. Of course, the bedding and bath essentials, as well as West Elm’s wide selection of kitchenware, would all be smart choices, too.

Who doesn’t love Pottery Barn? The editor-loved brand has everything your giftee needs to spruce up their space, including stunning decor, bedding, and furniture. They could grab the AT-approved Cloud Quilt if they’re in the market for a year-round bedding staple, or they could put their gift card toward one of our favorite armchairs.

Well-made, long-lasting furniture is an investment, and a gift card to Article helps someone special in your life get the sofa, chair, or table they really want. Article also sells modern storage pieces, outdoor sets, and beds, so whatever kind of furniture upgrade you want to help someone with, they’ll find the perfect thing at Article.

Whether they’re a beauty obsessive or could just use a little extra self-care, a Sephora gift card won’t go unused. They can use it to buy makeup and skincare they might not otherwise splurge on, or shower essentials they’re running low on. Sephora also sells plenty of mini products if they’re curious about trying something new, as well as fun Advent calendars if they want to buy themselves a gift that keeps on giving.   

For something a little more luxurious, consider a Bluemercury gift card. The retailer specializes in more high-end skincare, including top brands like Obagi, SkinCeuticals, and EltaMD, so your giftee can spend their gift card on something they might be hesitant to splurge on. Beyond beauty, Bluemercury also sells luxe candles, perfume, and hair products.

There’s no better way to say you care about someone than by giving them the gift of self-care — and making your home a comfortable space is key to taking care of yourself. Whether they go for a fresh-scented candle, luxe room spray, or the iconic hotel-favorite hand soap, an Aesop gift card is always a good idea.

Every so often, the editors of Apartment Therapy light up one of our Slack channels with their thoughts on candles. One of the most popular? P.F. Candle Co., a chic candle brand with some really unique scents. A gift card will let your loved one pick out their favorite from a superb selection, though we are partial to this particular fragrance.