Simple Gift Ideas You Can Make with AC Library

Thoughtful Giving Starts Here

Many people want gifts that feel personal without spending much. The library can help you give something meaningful. These ideas focus on connection, creativity, and care. They do not need a lot of time or money.

You can make three kinds of simple, heartfelt gifts with help from Alameda County Library: personal gifts, shared experiences, and acts of care.

1. Curate Something Personal

Show someone you really know them with a gift made from ideas, stories, or memories.

• Personal Reading List: Use Novelist+ or our Book Match service to make a short list of books they will love. Add a note about why each book reminds you of them.
• Gift of Research: Sometimes the best gift is helping someone check something off their list. If a friend has been trying to choose a product or local service, use library tools to help.     
  • Consumer Reports: Honest ratings and reviews for home items, cars, appliances, and more.
  • Bay Area Consumers' Checkbook: Ratings for local services like mechanics, vets, and dentists, plus articles on how to choose the right provider.     
    • Tip: When you share what you find, keep it kind and personal: "I remember you mentioned looking for a good vet. I checked Bay Area Consumers' Checkbook, and this one looked great." It is a simple way to show you listened and care.
• Recipe Collection: Make a small booklet of recipes connected to meals you have shared. Find cookbooks and food magazines in Libby, Flipster, and hoopla. Add your own notes or memories next to each recipe.     
  • A Family Treasure: A family member once made us a small recipe book, and it quickly became something we treasure. Her handwriting sits next to recipes she knew by heart. It's a simple thing that carries so much love, a piece of her that keeps teaching me how to care for others. You can add space for new recipes so the book grows over time.

2. Make the Gift an Experience

Some of the best gifts come from shared time.

• Encouragement Jar: Fill a jar or box with small notes.     
  • "Open when..." Notes: For when they need a laugh, comfort, or a reminder of their strength.
  • "You are..." Notes: Words that describe what you love about them.
  • Use the Oxford English Dictionary or Oxford Dictionaries Online to find new words or phrases that fit. Decorate the jar with recycled materials, and fill it with words instead of stuff.
• Memory Time Capsule: Use HeritageHub or NewspaperARCHIVE to find news from a special date. You can even clip and print items. Add photos or letters, then seal it in an envelope or box to open later.
• Nostalgic Dance Party: Pick a song that connects you. Look up stories about the artist in Rock's Backpages and print one to include with the song (printing available at all library locations). You can even make a simple invitation to make it feel like a real event.
• Local Adventure Pass: Use Discover & Go for free or discounted passes to local museums, gardens, or parks. Give someone an experience instead of an item and make memories together.

3. Learn and Share a Skill

Turn something you learn into a small creative gift.

• Craft Something New: Learn to sew, bake, or make crafts with Craftsy or Craftsy en Español through Libby Extras. Then use what you learned to make a small handmade gift.
• Make Music: Take lessons through ArtistWorks to learn guitar, piano, harmonica, and more. Record yourself playing a short song to share.
• Try a New Skill: Use Udemy or LinkedIn Learning to learn photography, design, or writing. Use your new skill to make a card, calendar, or personal letter.
• Help Someone Out: Sometimes the best gift is your time. Use the library's Tool Lending Collection to help a friend or neighbor with a small project. Borrow a Fruit Picker to help harvest, a Rake to tidy a yard, or a Lawn Mower to lend a hand. A short afternoon of your help can mean more than anything you could buy in a store.

Tip: Need equipment to make your gift? The Spark Makerspace at Fremont Library may have what you need. It has 3D printers, sewing machines, die cutters, a large format printer, and knowledgeable staff. Browse upcoming events at The Spark for more ways to learn and create.

A Gift That Stays With You

The best gifts are about care and noticing what matters. They come from listening, remembering, and finding small ways to make someone feel seen.

One of the most thoughtful gifts in our family this year was a simple printed invitation my brother designed for my first grader. It was styled like Where the Wild Things Are, a story we all love. It said, "Lead the Wild Rumpus" at our next family gathering. We were traveling for a wedding where kids were not invited, and his gift made sure our child still felt part of the joy. We danced to the song "Gobbledigook," something we first did years ago during our own "Wild Rumpus," before marriages, pets, careers, and a kid. It reminded us how small traditions can carry joy across time.

That moment reminded me that the best gifts come from imagination and time. With your library's help, you can make that kind of gift too.

Explore more in our eLibrary or Tool Lending Collection to bring your ideas to life.