How to Make Your Last Minute Gift Seem Less like a Last Minute Gift

It happens to the best of us. You know there's a special occasion coming up "in a few days" until suddenly it's today. So you run out and buy a typical last minute gift. The problem is that even some of the better last minute gift ideas can come off seeming a little thoughtless and impersonal. The trick to covering your tracks is to make the gift look as personalized and thoughtful as possible. Here are some emergency quick-fixes to help keep you out of trouble.

Wrap it
Ideally, you'll want to use the nicest gift wrap you can find and add a matching bow and some ribbon. Failing that, though, even plain tissue paper (that would be wrapping tissue paper, not bathroom tissue paper) is better than nothing. It's better than a "gift bag," too. Gift bags--those glossy paper bags with cord handles--scream "last minute." A lot of bigger grocery stores carry gift wrap and cellophane tape, so you should be OK on this one.

Think theme
Collecting a few small gifts along a theme makes it look like you put at least a moment of thought into the gift. Just about any theme can work. Does your girlfriend like the scent of lilacs? Run to the drug store and pick up whatever lilac-scented personal care products you can find--shampoo, facial scrub, body spray. Dad like coffee? Get a nice thermos and stick a few individual packets of gourmet coffee inside. If you're not right down to the wire, you could even put together a little gift basket. Sure, you could buy a gift basket, too, but that would still carry the "last minute gift" stigma of being impersonal. Be careful which theme you pick, though. Give your wife "care care " themed gifts and she may expect a new car to go with it.