Gift Your Sibling Something Unique on Raksha Bandhan 2019: Choose from Our 12 Recommendations for Brothers and Sisters to Let Them Know How Much You Care!

Rakshabandhan is a festival celebrated in many parts of India. The festival honours the relationship between brothers and sisters, with one of its main traditions being the tying of a Rakhi, an amulet, by the sister around the brother's hand, symbolically protecting him. The brothers also give a gift, in return, to their sister as part of the festivities. These days, the tying of Rakhi is also observed between close friends, creating a symbolic kinship between them. Today the celebration of Rakshabandhan is observed across many castes, religions and creeds.

It's always important to keep in mind a budget when picking out a gift for a loved one. Spending more than you can afford can sometimes do more harm than good, especially when you're not sure of how the gift will be received. Besides, you'll always be able to gift something satisfactory no matter how small your budget, provided you spend a little time searching. Remember that the best gifts are the ones that are well planned and thought out, not the ones that cost the most.

Think about the things your brother or sister is passionate about. Would they prefer something practical? Do they have a bit of a funny bone which makes them prefer gifts with a slight sense of humour? Keep in mind the kind of person they are when choosing a gift. Some people wouldn't care about the price of a gift as long as they got a good laugh but at the same time there are others who would feel like a funny gift is a waste of money, especially if it happens to be priced at an amount which could have been used to buy something more practical instead.

When shopping for someone younger, make sure to keep their age in mind. Younger siblings sometimes might not appreciate great gifts for the simplest of reasons, for example, if the gift is in a colour they're not particularly fond of. At the same time, some gifts might not go over well with a younger crowd if they don't see any utility in it or don't find the functions of it entertaining enough. So make sure that the gift you pick out is appropriate for the age group the person you will be gifting is part of.

Given below are some ideas on what to get your brother or close friend for Rakshabandhan.

If you happen to fight with your brother a lot, then the Design Caricature Canvas would make a great gift. A personalized canvas with caricatures drawn as per photos you send in, the canvas depicts a brother and sister fighting with wooden swords. The pictures are printed on gallery canvases that are wrapped across a wooden frame. The caricature is drawn by an artist who uses the photos sent in for reference, so make sure that they are of a high resolution and quality. A sweet gift to give on Rakshabandhan, the canvas will show your brother that you'll always love him no matter how many silly fights you happen to get into. Priced at Rs. 4,361, the canvas has dimensions 16.5 x 11.5 inches and can be ordered from the Dezain Website.

Dezain's has many other personalisable canvases among their collection. This one is a simple canvas on which your brother's face will be printed, according to a photograph that's sent in. Sized at 8 x 8 inches, the canvas will also contain a personalised message or a design of your choosing. Keep in mind to send in a high-resolution picture for best results. Priced at Rs. 719, the canvas can be ordered directly from the Dezain's Website.

The Personalised Cushion from Dezain's would make a great gift for any brother who is a comic book geek. By default, the cushion comes with a specific design, decorated with the emblems of superheroes, but this can be changed according to the customer's preference. Simply send in a photo and message to have it printed on the cushion or just order it with the design advertised. Either way, it would make a thoughtful gift for your brother. Priced at Rs. 399, the cushion comes with the dimensions 10 x 10 inches. The cushion can be ordered directly from the Dezains Website.

Given below are some great gifts that any sister would appreciate.

A watch is always a good go-to gift if you're not sure of what to get someone. No one can ever have too many watches, plus it's an incredibly practical gift to boot. The Fastrack Upgrade-Core Analog Women's Watch is an incredibly stylish timepiece to gift somebody. With a white dial and a stainless steel bracelet, the watch has a black second hand with white hour and minute hands, the watch is made from durable materials and sports a quartz movement. Great to wear in a formal or casual setting, the Fastrack Upgrade-core would make a great gift for any sister. Priced at Rs. 1,560, the Fastrack Upgrade-Core Women's Watch can be ordered through Amazon.

The Body Shop Grapefruit Bath and Body Set would make a great gift for any sister. A set of 5, it contains a complete body and bath care regimen, all in the beautiful fragrance of grapefruit. A perfect gift that lets your sister pamper herself, the Body Shop Grapefruit Bath and Body Set revitalizes and refreshes skin. The set contains items made from grapefruit seed-oil, renowned for its skin softening qualities. Priced at Rs. 7,114, it can be ordered online from Amazon.

The Tiaraz Tribal Muse Collection Chandabali Earrings would make a wonderful addition to any woman's wardrobe. Oxidized and available in a variety of designs and colours, these earrings would go well with both Indian and casual wear. They can also be worn on both formal functions as well as casual get-togethers. A great gift for a sister, the Tiaraz Tribal Muse Collection Chandabali earrings can be ordered from Amazon for the price of Rs. 1,999.

If your sister happens to be a doctor or is studying to become one, this Funky Personalised Doctor Caricature by IGP would make a great gift for them. The caricature can be personalised to depict your sister. All that is required is a high-resolution picture of them. In case your sister is not a doctor, the company offers caricatures themed after all manners of serious professions such as lawyers and engineers. With a height of 7.7 inches, the Funky Personalized Doctor Caricature can be ordered online through the IGP website for the low price of Rs. 550.

If your sister happens to be a fan of wine, the Dezains Personalised Kid Sister Wine Glass would make a great gift for them, especially if they've only reached the legal drinking age recently. A personal message or design can be engraved on it as per your liking, though the glass does come with a default design template that you can use instead. The glass has a capacity of 395 ml and comes in a set of 2. It is also made using high-quality materials and is made by Ocean, a brand that is known for making international standard glass and barware. Priced at Rs. 1,598, the Dezains Personalised Kid Sister Wine Glass can be ordered online from Dezains.

If you don't want to gift a typical girly or boyish present, then given below are some more ideas that might interest you.

Google Home is Google's own personal home assistant. Its capabilities include playing back music, setting reminders and also searching the web to answer your questions. The device is tied to Google's search engine and as a result, can find results for all your queries quite easily. It also has the ability to sync to the smart devices in your home and allows you to control it from one main hub. The device can also get you real-time updates from all across the web. While not portable, it weighs a little under 0.5kg, making it easy to move around the house. Great for the brother or sister who is tech-savvy and owns many smart devices, it is also a great gift for people who aren't very good at remembering meetings or dates. Priced at Rs. 9,999, the Google Home can be ordered online through Flipkart.

If you're still confused about what to get as a gift, you can never go wrong with a good old-fashioned Gift Hamper. The Light Hearted Munchies gift hamper by Godrej Nature's Basket comes with an assortment of snacks, from sweet cookies to savoury nuts and crackers. The website also has a wide variety of other gift hampers to choose from according to your sibling's tastes and preferences. Priced at Rs. 1,497, the Light Hearted Munchies gift hamper can be ordered online through the Godrej Nature's basket website.

If you're still confused as to what to get your sibling, given below are certain ideas you could go for if you're strapped for either time or money.

A DIY Safety Kit can make a great gift for your sister, especially when it gifts you peace of mind as well. Simply buy a whistle and a pepper spray; put them all in a box and wrap it up. A great gift, particularly in a country like India, it will be a thoughtful and well-received gift that also happens to fit with the true spirit of Rakshabandhan. An easy gift to make, the DIY Safety Kit will also be easy on your wallet while still remaining quite the practical gift. All the items in it can be bought for cheap, between Rs. 349 from Amazon.

If your sibling is very picky about the things they like or wear, you can always just opt to buy them a gift card from one of their favourite outlets or retailers. While some might call this lazy, it is actually quite an efficient gift, especially since you don't have to deal with guessing whether they'll like your gift or not. Simply buy a gift card for a value you can afford and give it to your sibling so that they can pick their own gift from the stores that you know they like. There'll be zero disappointment or at the very least the disappointment will not be your fault.

In addition to the gift you're getting your sibling, remember to buy or make a card for them as well. Write a few words or share a few memories on it and your gift will suddenly become all the more personal. Even if your gift is not spectacular, a well-meaning card will make it seem more intimate or better thought out. For example, if you gave someone a novelty pair of glasses, it would be a funny gift. But if you give it along with a card that references an inside joke the two of you shared a while ago, it shows that you care and pay attention to the things that your friend or sibling says, which makes the gift seem all the more magical and meaningful, even if it is only just a funny pair of glasses.