Gearing up to celebrate a milestone birthday, or just another year of life? In that case, you might be gritting your teeth at the thought of receiving yet another pair of socks – or more of those well-meaning gifts that are destined to be stashed away in a drawer for the rest of time.
If that sounds like you, a birthday wish list will put you out of your misery. Here, we'll look at how a wish list will make it easier for your loved ones to choose the perfect gift for you. And we’ll show you how to make a birthday wish list step by step.
Is it okay to make a birthday wish list?
Yes, yes and yes again! You might be feeling uncomfortable about the thought of making a birthday wish list – after all, we’re taught from a young age that we should feel grateful for whatever we receive.
However, making a birthday wish list isn’t just about making sure you get great presents (although, let’s be honest, it helps!). It’s also about taking the stress out of gift buying for your friends and family.
Just think: they won’t have to spend hours racking their brains for what to get you. And they won’t have to worry about whether or not you’re going to like what they’ve chosen. Instead, a wish list will save them time and energy, and give them confidence that they’re going to be able to put a smile on your face this birthday.
As if that wasn’t enough, birthday wish lists are good for the planet too. That’s right, instead of receiving mountains of unused junk, you’ll receive gifts that you actually want and use. In this way, it’ll help you to cut down on waste, which is another thing to feel less guilty about!
How to write a birthday wish list
If you’re gearing up to write a gift list for the first time, here are a few tips to ensure you nail it and create the perfect birthday wish list.
Add cheaper items alongside more expensive ones. That way, your loved ones will always be able to get you something that falls within their budget.
Be really specific. Vague requests leave lots of room for error and interpretation. Instead, include the exact item you want – with Moonsift, you can link directly to any item in the world.
Start early. Then, you can add items as you come across them instead of having to rack your brains and write your list in one go. Moonsift’s universal ‘save’ button makes this oh-so-easy.
Consider your audience. By which we mean don’t add anything to your list that would make your friends and family feel uncomfortable. For instance, if your boss wants to get you a gift, don’t add an ‘I hate my job’ mug to your list.
Add around 15 items. That way, there’ll be enough gift ideas to give your loved ones lots of choice, but not so many that you have to include things you don’t actually want!
How do I make a birthday gift list?
When it comes to actually creating your birthday wish list, you’ll have two main choices:
Make it the traditional way, with pen and paper
Make it online
Although pen-and-paper wish lists got us by for many years, they’re pretty flawed. Firstly, they don’t look great. They’re also easy to lose and hard to share with more than one person.
On the other hand, making a wish list using an online birthday list maker is quick and easy. You won’t have to worry about spelling mistakes. And you’ll be able to share it with as many people as you want.
Some online birthday list makers, like Moonsift, can also make sure that you don’t receive duplicate gifts. That’s right, set your wish list on Moonsift to ‘gift registry’ mode and your loved ones will be able to see what’s available to buy and tick items off your list as they go so others can’t get you the same thing. Nice!
How to use an online birthday list maker
Online birthday list makers all work slightly differently. However, here are some general steps to follow if you’re looking to use one.
Sign up. First, sign up to your chosen birthday list maker. Depending on the tool you choose, you may be able to download an app on your phone or get a browser extension on your laptop – or both, like Moonsift!
Add your items. Some wish list makers require you to manually add items to your wish list. Some even make you copy and paste the product descriptions! However, Moonsift lets you save the items you like directly to your wish list as you come across them online.
Hone your list. Once you’ve collected all the items you like in one place, you can compare them and cut your wish list down to just the items you really want (making sure to cover a range of price points, of course!).
Share your list. Finally, you just need to share your wish list with your friends and family so that they can get your birthday gift sorted.
Best birthday gift list makers
If you’re wondering which birthday gift list maker to use, here are a few of the best.
These are all universal wish list apps or tools, which means you’ll be able to add items from any store in the world. As well as being great for creating birthday wish lists, you can also use them to make Christmas wish lists, baby registries, wedding registries and more. So, once you find a birthday gift list maker that you like, you can keep coming back to it for every occasion in your calendar!
Having said that, we believe that Moonsift is a cut above the rest. It’s acclaimed for its clean design, which was created in collaboration with stylists and interior designers. Plus, it’s free!.
What to put on your birthday wish list
Now that you’re set on creating a birthday wish list and you know how to go about it, there’s just one thing left to sort – what to put on it!
If you’re stuck for birthday wish list ideas, here are some suggestions to get you started.
An experience – such as a hot air balloon ride or wine tasting experience.
Something to wear – think of replacements for your old or outdated garments.
A subscription – for instance, a coffee, magazine or flower subscription.
Something to read – such as a novel by your favourite author or a biography of your favourite sportsperson.
A voucher – perhaps for a meal out, a shopping spree or a beauty treatment.
Something to eat or drink – chocolates, wine, beer… whatever floats your boat!
A charity donation – consider whether there’s a charity close to your heart.
Something for the home – for instance, a cushion, a picture or kitchen accessories.
Gear for a hobby – such as football boots or a new musical instrument.
Financial contributions – get your loved ones to chip in towards a big purchase (with Moonsift, you can add details of a cash fund to your birthday wish list).
How do I share my birthday wish list?
Once you’ve honed your birthday wish list and you’re happy with it, it’s time to share it with your friends and family. But we get it – this can be daunting if you’ve never done it before.
Don’t panic, sharing your wish list is easy. Just follow these simple guidelines and you’ll have nothing to worry about.
Think about who usually buys you a gift. If someone buys you a birthday gift every year, it’ll be perfectly polite to ping them your birthday wish list uninvited. Equally, don’t send it to people who don’t usually get you a gift or it could seem pushy.
Wait for someone to ask what you want for your birthday. If you’re unsure whether or not to send your wish list to somebody, it’s generally safest to wait until they ask you what you want for your birthday. That’s the perfect invitation to send your wish list over.
Share it with lots of time to spare. Try to share your birthday wish list at least a couple of months in advance. That way, you’ll give your loved ones plenty of time to sort your gift (and you’ll catch them before they buy you something unprompted!).
How to share a birthday wish list
If you use an online birthday wish list maker, sharing your wish list couldn’t be quicker or easier.
Usually, you just need to send one simple link to your friends and family. With Moonsift, they’ll then be able to access your list with one quick click!
If you set your wish list to ‘gift registry’ mode on Moonsift, your loved ones will even be able to tick items off your list as they go, so that you don’t end up getting two of the same thing. But don’t worry – it won’t reveal who’s bought you what until you want to find out. So, it can all remain top secret until the big day (unless you fancy sneaking a quick peek, of course!).
Ready to get started with a free birthday wish list maker?
If you’re ready to make a birthday wish list, what are you waiting for? Create your beautiful Birthday wish list for free using Moonsift!
Our universal ‘save’ button makes it easy to add items to your wish list as you come across them online, so you won’t have to sit down and write a whole wish list in one go. It even works on both your desktop and mobile. So, you can quickly add things to your list wherever you’re browsing.
Start your birthday wishlist 🎁
