For your sister

i. Personalise your gift

Silver or gold earrings embedded with your sister's birthstone is sure to be appreciated.

ii. Know your sister's hobbies

Getting something related to her passion is sure to make her smile.

~ If she paints, get her a colour palette or an easel or that box of oil paints she's been pining for.

~ If she likes cooking, get her a good cookbook with exotic recipes.

~ If she is adventurous and loves travelling, you could get her a sleeping bag or a traveller's toiletry kit with a bathing gel, shampoo, massage oil, hairbrush, shower cap, night cream, the works.

~ If she enjoys music, get her a collection of her kind of music or better still, burn a CD of her favourite songs.

~ If she is the intellectual type, get her a book she's been dying to read.

~ Does she like grooming herself? Then how about a beauty treatment voucher from one of those high profile salons where she can get pampered in style?

iii. Get her accessories

A smart handbag for the career woman or a funky sequined/ patchwork jhola for a collegian could make a hip rakhi gift.

iv. Indulge her aesthetic sense

If she likes enhancing her personal space, consider one of these: a terracotta sculpture, a well-carved lamp or an exquisite Kashmiri carpet with stunning swirls. You could also look at handcrafted candle stands, scented, gel candles, a painting and so on.

v. Traditional is in

How about some glass bangles if she is not averse to being traditional once in a while? Get a whole bunch of them in all kinds of colours, for sisters of all ages.

vi. A designer perfume

Get her that fragrance she's dying to wear but finds expensive on the pocket.