Small stationery gifts under Rs. 1,000 that don’t feel like an afterthought
A good small gift is not a cheap version of a big one. It is something the person will use on a Tuesday and think of you. Here are five ways to put one together for under Rs. 1,000 — birthdays, thank-yous, exam season, or no reason at all.
What you are working with
Two things, really: an A5 spiral notebook at Rs. 425 — five covers, 160 pages, lies flat — and the Eid Festivities card set at Rs. 150. Almost every combination below is one of each, or two of one.
1. One notebook and a card — Rs. 575
The default, and it is hard to beat. A card turns a notebook from a thing into a gesture, and it gives you somewhere to write the sentence you would otherwise say awkwardly at the door. Pick Cherry Print if you do not know their taste well.
2. Two notebooks, one each — Rs. 850
For a friend you actually talk to. Buy the cover that is obviously them, and one for yourself, and you have a small running joke rather than a transaction. Pink Hoodie Girl and It Made Sense in My Head is the pairing people go for.
3. The exam-season kit — Rs. 425
A student with three subjects left does not want a scented candle. They want a fresh notebook that opens flat next to a laptop. Important Thoughts is the calm one — greens, a forest, no slogan to explain to an invigilator.
4. The new-job gift — Rs. 575
Somebody starting somewhere new will be in meetings they cannot fully follow for about a month, taking notes the whole time. One Day at a Time plus a card saying so is kinder than it sounds.
5. Cards on their own — Rs. 150
Keep a set in a drawer. The point of having cards in the house is that the occasion never gives you notice, and a written card beats a forwarded message every single time.
Three things worth knowing before you order a gift
- Delivery is charged per order, not per item. Rs. 200 in Lahore, Rs. 250 elsewhere in Pakistan — so one parcel with three gifts in it costs the same to deliver as one with a single notebook.
- Cash on delivery works for gifts too, but the person receiving the parcel is the one who pays the rider. If you are sending it straight to them, pay by bank transfer instead — otherwise you have given someone a bill.
- There are no change-of-mind returns, so pick the cover deliberately. If you are stuck, the guide to the five covers is a five-minute read, or just ask us.
Want us to help you choose?
Tell us who it is for and roughly what they are like, and we will suggest a cover. We do this most days on WhatsApp and we are fairly good at it by now.
