Gift ideas for my Japanese Pen Pal

I have a Japanese pen pal, it's a girl and her name is Miki (Ando. Just kidding). She's 19 years old. We pretty much have common interests, she has a bit of an interest in figure skating (we both love Takahiko Kozuka!).

Anyway, I am sending her a Christmas package and need a small but nice gift idea for her. I am already planning on making her an ornament for her Christmas tree (any fun DIY tutorials would be helpful). I kinda wanted to get her something that would resemble the "American Christmas" since we both celebrate the holidays so differently. I am trying to stay away from things with American symbols on them - flags, eagles, etc - so I don't seem arrogant or offend.

I'm open to anything, I don't even have to get her something "American", it can be whatever as long as it fits in a somewhat small box. Let me know!

PS - I would've posted this on FB or twitter but she has me on FB and we follow each other on twitter.

I have no good ideas for gifts, but as to DIY Christmas ornaments:

Have you ever made a Moravian star? I have some I made 4 years ago, and I just hung them on my tree again.
http://highhopes.com/3dstar.html

They have the virtue of being cheap to make, and light to mail.

This page has lots of ideas
http://christmas.newarchaeology.com/homemade_christmas_decorations.php

If you are super creative, salt clay ornaments work well.

You could make a few small, lightweight sachets, either using fabric glue or sewing them up. Sewing a straight seam isn't that hard, even by hand, and it gives a nicer effect than glue, I think. Quilt shops have wonderful cotton, very different from the cottons designs used by Japanese quilters--though Japanese fabrics are also sold over here--and you can buy just 1/4 yard. (Most other kinds of stores make you buy a full yard minimum, but it differs.) Another good fabric is very wide good-quality ribbon--it gives you two finished edges.

There are several ways to make sachets: drawstring style, pillow style (all four edges closed), and "envelope" style (with a flap that can be re-opened to refresh the herbs inside, closed by a snap or a loop and button). You can get how-to information online. You could even make three different flat sachets, using three complementary fabric designs, and tie them together with a ribbon.

Another possibility is if your penpal likes comics or graphic novels, you could find one or two current issues of an American comic book that you know she likes. They're small, flat, and lightweight, and maybe they're not available right away in Japan except electronically. Having a hard copy that you can hold and save is always nice.

Olympia said:

You could make a few small, lightweight sachets.

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Forgive me, but what are Sachets?

ryanbfan said:

Forgive me, but what are Sachets?

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Sachets are small pouches of potpouri that are put in drawers and closets.

It might help to know what interests you share. What do you mean by 'American' Christmas? Some view it as a Christian holiday and others as a family occasion.

If you go with the sachet, perhaps use pine to evoke a Christmas tree.

If she's into American classic holiday shows, a DVD of your favorite Christmas movie.... like How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Elf, Santa CLaus is Comin to Town, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Miracle on 34th st, etc. A CD of Christmas carols/holiday music.

A Christmas stocking filled with small treats - candy canes, chocolates, itunes gift cards, picture frame with a picture of you? Hmm.... I like this one.

Okay, thank you for explaining, I thought I knew what a sachet was, but I didn't want to be wrong... one time when I was little we made some at a friend's birthday party, LOL.

By "American Christmas", I meant like Santa Claus, ho ho ho, Christmas trees, things most people in other countries don't necessarily have in their Christmas. I know some American traditions don't really carry over in other countries for their Christmases.

I think I'm going to make her the salt dough ornament and get her a scarf. I actually sent her a picture of myself with her birthday present package so she could show her family and what not, haha.

Speaking of DVDs, a bit off topic but is the region for DVDs the same in Japan as America?

The scarf is a great idea. It's lightweight, and as with the fabric I was suggesting for sachets, you can probably find scarves that are distinctively American. You might even find one made by a local craftsperson, either silk or knitted, or something at a museum gift shop. The salt dough ornament is another wonderful thought. I have one somewhere, and it's quite longlasting if you glaze it.

I can't help you with DVD regions. I do hope Japan and the U.S. turn out to be the same region, because a movie is a great idea. I'd suggest something like The Santa Clause, which I just saw again this evening. It's charming and surprisingly heartfelt.

Second thoughts for sachets: make sure you won't have any trouble getting it into Japan, because it's a plant product, and it might be stopped at customs for fear it imports some bad bugs. You're in better shape with the scarf!

Olympia said:

The scarf is a great idea. It's lightweight, and as with the fabric I was suggesting for sachets, you can probably find scarves that are distinctively American. You might even find one made by a local craftsperson, either silk or knitted, or something at a museum gift shop. The salt dough ornament is another wonderful thought. I have one somewhere, and it's quite longlasting if you glaze it.

I can't help you with DVD regions. I do hope Japan and the U.S. turn out to be the same region, because a movie is a great idea. I'd suggest something like The Santa Clause, which I just saw again this evening. It's charming and surprisingly heartfelt.

Second thoughts for sachets: make sure you won't have any trouble getting it into Japan, because it's a plant product, and it might be stopped at customs for fear it imports some bad bugs. You're in better shape with the scarf!

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Definitely. Customs are always a big ordeal. We always receive Christmas packages from friends in Europe and it's always a huge ordeal for it to arrive on time WITH everything in it. One year the customs people somehow lost everything in it... aside from a piece of chocolate, two candy wrappers, and "feminine deodorant"... which wasn't even in our package to begin with.

ryanbfan said:

Speaking of DVDs, a bit off topic but is the region for DVDs the same in Japan as America?

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US is region 1. Japan is region 2.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD_region_code

heyang said:

US is region 1. Japan is region 2.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD_region_code

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Thank you, that is what I thought.

have you tried looking at pinterest for some ideas for ornaments?

Tonichelle said:

have you tried looking at pinterest for some ideas for ornaments?

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I did look through, but I don't have many pinned that I like and I didn't want to really buy one and make it over. I made a salt dough one!!

You made one already? Good for you.

I went with your inspiration and bought a chiffon scarf for a friend's birthday. It weighs almost nothing and takes up no space.