lMany people have enough material possessions in their homes and would rather spend quality time with loved ones as an alternative gift. Experience gifts, which combine the material with the experiential, give you the best of both worlds! Here are 11 recommendations from me for the best experience gifts to give if you live in the Atlanta Area:
#1: Calligraphy Classes
A girl I went to college with recently started her Calligraphy business a few years back and now teaches classes to show others her unique skill set! These classes are put on by Sip & Script and they have tons of Georgia based classes in the Metro Atlanta area, Macon and Warner Robins. I love that they host their events at local breweries at restaurants to support local communities as well. They have both beginner classes and specialized classes for specific events.
Cost: $65-$70 (but you get to keep the materials in many cases!)
#2: Candle Making Classes
There is nothing better than a delicious smelling candle filling your home with wonderful aromas! Better yet, what better way is there to experience that than by making the candle yourself? I did this in Dallas with my friend Taylor over at @TaylorTakesTexas and my candle is still burning beautifully. Here are some Atlanta options for your consideration:
Bear & Honey: If it is just 1-2 people, Bear & Honey offers a 30 minute candle making class where you create a 9oz candle jar. Cost: $30
Young Gentry: If you have a larger group, Young Gentry offers classes as well for 4-10 people where you get to make two 9 oz candles. Cost: $60-$70
#3: Atlanta Bike Tour
Getting to see different neighborhoods of Atlanta while learning about some unique history is a fantastic experience gift for recent Atlanta transplants! Bicycle Tours of Atlanta offers a wide variety of tours, but the Fall in Love with Atlanta tour looks perfect for those looking to explore the east side of the city. They also have a Civil Rights tour and a Queer History tour as well that would be great for those who have lived in Atlanta longer. Most tours are at 12:30PM and they offer both weekday and weekend tour options.
Cost: $65-$70
#4: Afternoon/High Tea Experiences
For any tea lover, having a beautiful environment to sip your tea, enjoy great company and eat delicious pastries or sandwiches is a perfect setup. There are so many great options in Atlanta that offer different high tea and afternoon tea experiences:
Ginger Room: Offers a high tea and afternoon tea out in Alpharetta. The Ginger Room has two beautiful spaces you can sit in; the afternoon tea option offers sandwiches while the high tea session gives you a selection of delicious pies to choose from.
Afternoon Tea Cost: $48
High Tea Cost: $58
Astor Court Restaurant: This Buckhead staple is the perfect gift for an excuse to dress up elegantly and enjoy some beautiful architecture. Located in the St.Regis Hotel, make sure you book this gorgeous spot in advance! Cost: Adults- Standard $65 / Holidays $85; Children -Standard $50 / Holidays $65
#5: Movie Tours
If you haven’t heard recently, Atlanta is a HUGE hub for TV and movie productions. Famous shows like Stranger Things, The Walking Dead, Ozark, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe have all been filmed here. If you have a die hard movie fan in your life, this will be the perfect gift. Sadly, Atlanta Movie Tours went out of business, so your best bet is to use Viator to find different tour openings. Cost: $30- $150
#6: Painting Classes
In my family, we love a great paint class where we can create something beautiful for our home and enjoy each other’s company! The beauty of many of these classes is you can pick based on the drawing, bring your own alcohol and sometimes even ask if you can get the materials to do it at home. Painting with A Twist is our favorite spot. They have 7 metro Atlanta locations but we LOVE the one in Sandy Springs! This company does offer at home kits and BYOB as well. Cost: $37-$42
#7: Comedy Show
Nothing connects people together more than laughter! In Atlanta, we have a ton of fantastic comedy show venues that can be a great gift for your spouse, friends or family members. Here are my top spots in Atlanta:
Laughing Skull: They have multiple comedy show cases and open mic nights on the regular! Cost: $25
The Atlanta Punchline: Punchline is focused on comedy celebrities with some open mic nights sprinkled in. Cost: $25
Dads Garage: They have many different show types each weekend that mainly involve groups of people with a Who’s Line is it Anyways vibe! Cost: $30-$40
#8: Beltline Food Crawl
I found out about this amazing company on Instagram and I think this would be such a cool gift! We all know the Atlanta food scene is great and the Beltline is a fantastic conduit for it. Bite Line has a holiday tour going on right now and they will open up their regular tour again in the spring. Cost: $75 – $100
#9: Tennis/Pickleball Lessons
Atlanta is a huge tennis hub and is now becoming a major pickleball hub as well. Giving the gift of lessons in either of these sports would be a fantastic opportunity for someone to try something new or get better at! In Atlanta, Dekalb Tennis Center is a great spot to buy someone their first lessons, but I recommend googling the city your gift receiver lives in and you will be able to find tons of resources! Cost: $20-$30 per class
#10: Glass Blowing Classes
I recently watched the glass blowing competition show on Netflix recently and I was “blown” away by this beautiful hobby. In Atlanta, Decatur Glassblowing is the best spot! Right now, they have an ornament class but you can also book group classes for bowls, vases and other artifacts. You can gift your favorite crafter an e-gift card on their website and they can choose what to make. Cost: $58-$92
#11: Cooking Classes
Cooking classes are a great way to wander around the world without ever actually leaving the kitchen. Irwin Street offers a large variety of classes for everyone from teenagers to adults. Cajun food, Thai food, Spanish food plus more are offered here for classes. Irwin Street does a great job accommodating dietary restrictions as well. Right now they have a cooking class with two gift cards on sale for $170! The normal cost per class is $75-$95.
