All posts tagged: Recommended Gifting

The best Mother’s Day presents, according to Telegraph readers

The best Mother’s Day presents, according to Telegraph readers

Bryan, from the South East, was deeply moved while clearing out his mother’s belongings after her death. “She’d held onto every single card I’d ever sent to her since before I could actually write her name. I expect she’d bought that one and guided my infant hand to write it.” “She was a pragmatic, hard-lived woman not given to emotion, but she’d clearly valued those cards. It’s not the expensive presents she wanted, just a quiet, sincere expression of appreciation and knowing she was loved,” Bryan says. The best gift Jayne, from Yorkshire, received was her first as a grandma. “My daughter couldn’t afford much, so she made a card and inside it was a foot and hand print of my then 6-month-old grandson, I cried!” “I still have that print alongside larger ones of when he was a little older in a frame, on my stairway,” she says. Jayne will never forget how her mum reacted when she gifted her a Pendelfin bunny, which she bought when she was 12 years old with her …

Best dried flowers for gifts 2026, including Bloom & Wild and Lisa Angel

Best dried flowers for gifts 2026, including Bloom & Wild and Lisa Angel

Everyone loves fresh, everlasting flower bouquets but they aren’t the easiest arrangements to care for and their maintenance can take up a lot of time. Thankfully, there’s another option: dried flowers. These natural blooms are a more sustainable choice, offering longevity and guaranteeing forever-artful arrangements with low maintenance. Like fresh flowers, dried blooms or preserved flowers are available in a surprising range of vivid tones. As an interiors and DIY specialist, I’ve always found them the easiest go-to option for home decoration. With Mother’s Day approaching, they also make superb gifts, since they’re hardy and travel well. Several retailers across the UK offer beautiful bunches, from well-known names like Bloom & Wild and Lisa Angel to more boutique options such as Grace & Thorn. Prices vary widely, from as little as £11.66 to over £100 for a bouquet. These florals make lovely mantelpiece or side-table decorations, eye-catching centrepieces or simple gifts for mum and dad. You can read my reviews of the best dried flowers below, followed by answers to the most frequently asked questions …

Why is Lego so expensive? And why is it so popular? A Lego master answers your questions

Why is Lego so expensive? And why is it so popular? A Lego master answers your questions

Sales of Lego have increased dramatically over the past few years, with more adults than ever before getting into building with blocks. Recommended’s own tech editor, Nathan Spendelow, spent a gruelling 18 hours putting together Lego’s Star Wars Death Star, callusing his hands and getting a sore back in the process. One longtime fan who has made Lego his full-time career is Graham E. Hancock. The editor of monthly Lego magazine Blocks, he’s also the author of several books about Lego, including LEGO Heroes: LEGO Builders Changing Our World – One Brick at a Time, Lego Fun Family Challenges and LEGO Star Wars: The Force of Creativity. As a lifelong Lego fan, there’s nobody better to answer your questions about bricks, including why they’re so expensive, exciting new launches and which sets he would recommend for children and those with dexterity issues. We caught up with Hancock for our Readers Ask series, where industry specialists answer queries from our Telegraph Recommended Reader Panel. Read his answers below. How can I determine whether the difficulty level …

How to Wrap Awkward Valentine’s Day Gifts: Romantic & Creative Ideas

How to Wrap Awkward Valentine’s Day Gifts: Romantic & Creative Ideas

Nothing elevates a present like beautiful wrapping; and when it comes to achieving a professional-level finish, who better to turn to for advice than one of the UK’s leading gift-wrapping experts? When Jane Means started her own gift-wrapping business 31 years ago after spotting a gap in the market for such a service, it was an art that was rather undervalued in the UK. Now, she employs a team of 20 and offers gift-wrapping courses online and in person. She has also wrapped for the royal household and a host of luxury brands including Dior, Ralph Lauren and Tiffany and has launched her own line in wrapping paper, ribbons, tags and tape. With Valentine’s Day approaching, we asked for her expert tips for wrapping any shape of present. For the low-down, see Jane’s step-by-step guides below. You will need: Good-quality paper Tissue paper Scissors Double-sided tape Ribbons How to wrap a bottle Source link

The best and worst Valentine’s gifts, according to Telegraph readers

The best and worst Valentine’s gifts, according to Telegraph readers

“Small gestures are the best,” Anna from the South East says. She remembers receiving a bicycle bell for safer cycling as a student in Oxford: “He attached it in the early hours as a surprise.” The most interesting gift that reader Pip, from the South East, has given were bright red socks. “My other half modelled them for me, but nothing else.” What started out as an affordable gift is now becoming a serious commitment for Londoner Marie’s husband: “He always gives me roses, one more for every year. We have been married 50 years this year.” Fiona, from the South West, also has a rose-giving tradition with her husband, whom she otherwise describes as “romantic as a slug”. The couple lived in Hong Kong for many years, where “it is customary to send eleven red roses because ‘you are the 12th and treasured one’. That was quite sweet,” she recalls. “Years later, he realised he’d forgotten to buy me a Valentine card so set about designing and printing one. I was presented with a …

As a Lego collector, these are the 12 best Lego sets of 2026

As a Lego collector, these are the 12 best Lego sets of 2026

No single Lego set is the perfect choice for everyone. I always recommend starting with a theme that best fits the interests of your intended recipient or your own tastes. This can include movies or TV shows such as Star Wars, Wicked, Bluey or Peppa Pig, or broader themes like space, animals or plants. Each Lego set has a recommended age rating on the box. This dictates the size of the Lego bricks, as well as how complicated the build process is. If you’re buying for a young child, for example, it would be best to go for a Lego set with larger, less complex pieces and simple step-by-step instructions. Calculating the ‘price per piece’ can also provide a good indication of each set’s value for money. This is simple: you just need to divide the total cost of the set by the number of pieces. Something to be mindful of is that licensed sets, such as Harry Potter and Star Wars, typically cost more per piece than Lego’s own themes. Finally, if you time …