21 Thank You Note Messages For A Gift [with tips and a template]

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Thank you note for gift messages
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After receiving a gift writing a thank-you note is one way to say thank you and express your gratitude.

My sister is the best gift giver. She has often given me thoughtful gifts for holidays, my birthday, or when she sees something and thinks of me. I like to send her a thank-you note with a personal message to express my gratitude for the gift.

You can follow the template in the following section to write a thank you note message for most gifts.

For wording ideas, you can review the posts for particular events (weddings, birthdays, etc.) or a specific gift (gift cards, money, books, plants, flowers). These posts are listed below.

I like handwritten thank-you notes and enjoy picking out cards. There are plenty of note cards to choose from. I recommend Minted (fancy/better paper quality), Redbubble (unique), or Amazon (low-cost boxed sets). Or you can download a free printable PDF thank you card.

But if you do not want to write a handwritten thank you card, you can send a thank you email or text message.

Note: There are affiliate links in this post. I will receive a commission if you click a link and then make a purchase.

How to write thank you note for a gift

The best thank you notes for a gift will mention the gift specifically and include a couple more sentences. These sentences can state why you like the gift or why you are thankful for it.

You can see the basic structure of anything thank you note here.

You can find suggested wording in the generic thank you messages post for situations where you do not remember who gave you which gift. If you know you will be opening many gifts at one time, such as for weddings, graduations, birthday parties, or baby showers, you may want to use a gift list tracker to keep track of who gave each gift.

For gifts, the wording can be crafted based on the occasion or what the gift was.

Since gifts can be given for so many different reasons, there are notes following the template with explanations for each sentence.

Thank you note for a gift template

Dear [Person’s Name],

Thank you for the [event/holiday] gift. I appreciate the [gift] and that you thought of me. [I will enjoy it or I will use it often, etc.]. [Optional: include a friendly compliment or when you will see them next, etc.)

Sincerely,

Your Name

Template Notes:

  • Words in [brackets] should be placed as appropriate.
  • You can see additional choices of the greeting (Dear) and closing (sincerely), in the how to write a thank-you note post.
  • The first sentence can mention the gift and the reason for it (birthday, Christmas, wedding, etc.).
  • The second and third sentences express why you like the gift, how you will use it, or when you will see the person next. What you say depends on your relationship with the person and why the gift was given. The examples below will give you ideas for the thank you wording.
  • A specific detail or two will help your note feel personal and awesome.
  • With so many potential gifts for so many different occasions, sample thank you messages are below.
  • Use Grammarly (free or paid version) to ensure your grammar is perfect.

How to say thank you for an unexpected gift

For an unexpected gift, when writing your messages, you can include wording that indicates surprise, such as:

  • Thank you for the surprise gift.
  • Thank you for thinking of me. I was pleasantly surprised by your gift.
  • I’m grateful for the unexpected present.

For your note to be the best it can be, you’ll want to write another sentence or two and mention the gift specifically (see the template section above and examples below).

Should I send a thank you note for a thank-you gift?

When you receive a thank you note card, a thank you note is not usually written in response. However, when you receive a thank-you gift along with a card (or in place of a card), you may want to write a thank-note for the gift.

At a minimum, you can say “thank you” if the gift was handed to you in person. Or you could send a thank you text message to acknowledge the gift.

Sending a thank-you note for a thank-you gift can also depend on the situation.

Sometimes the etiquette isn’t straightforward.

When a group of volunteers is given gifts at the end of the year (or another time), it doesn’t seem necessary for the volunteers to send a thank-you note. For example, my church gives volunteers a shirt (or another item) at the end of the year.

I asked my teacher friend how he handles end-of-the-school-year thank you gifts. First, he sends each parent a thank you email. Then, he said other teachers at his school write a quick handwritten note to give to the student the same day the gift is given.

Remember, you can always send a thank-you note if you want to. The recipient will likely feel appreciated or acknowledged that you sent a note or letter for a thank you gift.

Thank You Messages for Specific Gifts

The posts below are part of the thank you for the gift series.

Thank You Messages for Gifts At Work

These posts will help you thank your boss or coworkers for a gift.

Thank You Messages for Gifts For Specific Occasions

Here are more posts that will help you say thank you for a gift.

Thank You For The Gift Message Examples

Here are some example messages to help you say thank you for the gift. Remember that the examples are for inspiration. You can swap out the gift or event used in the sample as relevant to the gift you are saying thank you for.

#1  Thank you for the beautiful candles for my birthday. I will enjoy their lavender scent, and I appreciate that you remembered my favorite scent. Also, I enjoyed visiting with you at my birthday party.

#2 Thank you for the birthday money. It is such a generous gift, and I was surprised! I am looking forward to going on a shopping spree for new clothes soon. Thanks a ton.

#3 Thank you for the surprise gift from your vacation! The cat-themed shirt from the casino is super. I will enjoy wearing it. You’re the best for thinking of me while away.

#4 I appreciate the present that you brought back from your vacation for me. The mountain scene on the shirt is beautiful, and I look forward to wearing it. Thank you for being so thoughtful. 

#5 Thank you for the beautiful journal for [holiday]. The cat theme is perfect for me. I will enjoy writing a bit every day. Thank you for thinking of me! I am forever grateful that we are friends.

#6 I feel blessed to have you in my life. Thank you for the flowers [or another gift] when I was feeling down last week. They truly helped to cheer me up. I felt loved and seen by you. The message on the card was also very nice!

#7 Thank you for the lovely pen. It’s such a thoughtful gift. I was surprised that you remembered how much I like to write in journals and notebooks. You made my week!

#8 You are such a thoughtful friend. Thank you for the awesome cutting board. Having my and John’s names engraved on it along with our wedding date makes it a gift we will always remember.

Related: Thank-you gift ideas for anyone

#9 Thank you for the neat cat stickers. I appreciate you for remembering that cats are my favorite animal. I will enjoy placing the stickers on my phone case and laptop. Also, thank you for coming to my birthday party. Visiting with you is always a pleasure.

#10 Thank you for the candle for [the reason for gift – such as a holiday or birthday]. Your kind gesture is appreciated. The candle will look great on my kitchen counter, and I look forward to enjoying the scent for many hours.

#11 Thank you for the lovely gift. I was filled with delight when I saw a box from you in my mailbox. The [item] is great and was exactly what I have been wanting. You are a fabulous mom!

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Thank you for the gift when the gift was an experience

In this section, the thank you for the gift examples are for when the gift was an experience instead of a physical gift.

#1 Thank you for gifting [child’s name] gymnastic lessons. She is enjoying them very much. You’d be amazed by her flexibility and strength for a 5-year-old. She talks about what she is learning almost every day.

#2 Thank you so much for treating me to a weekend away at the resort. The break away from my family was just what I needed to recharge. And, of course, the massage and facial were awesome. It really felt like a special day to be pampered so much. I will not forget this experience for a long time. I am also thankful that we were to spend Saturday visiting during dinner. Your friendship means the world to me.

#3 We enjoyed the day at the beach! Thank you for taking us along with you. It was our first time having a picnic this year, and we enjoyed the entire day. I am grateful that you asked us to come with you. The kids want to know when we are going to the beach again!

#4 I am writing you with sincere gratitude. I very much appreciate you for covering our costs of the destination wedding for [Couple’s Name]. Attending the wedding was special for us, and we will always treasure the experience.

#5 Skydiving was spectacular! I was scared, but it turned out to be so much fun. The view while descending was magnificent. Thank you for giving me such a creative gift!

#6 Thank you for taking me to the football game [or another sporting event]. I had so much fun watching the game with other fans and spending the day with you. The entire day felt like a sweet present! I am incredibly grateful for your generosity.

#7 I absolutely love painting. Thank you so much for signing me up for the painting lessons at [local art place]. I will paint you a picture based on what I learned in class to thank you again. I hope it will be better than the last painting I gave you. And thank you for always having kind words to say about my art. You’ve significantly impacted my life and my confidence to become an artist.

#8 Thank you for taking my family deep-sea fishing. We all enjoyed the day on the boat and appreciated your thoughtful gift. Lunch was also outstanding. The kids have taken an interest in learning about the different kinds of fish that we caught.

#9 The entire weekend felt like a fantastic gift! Thank you for taking me to [location] for my birthday. The views from the clifts were unlike anything I had ever seen. And bike riding around the island was fun. I love having you in my life, and I appreciate you for remembering my love of [location].

#10 Thank you for taking me on a trip to [wherever you went]. I had a very relaxing weekend and enjoyed all the shopping and sightseeing we could do. The river walk was the best! And I really liked the little cafe we had lunch at along the river. Thank you for the memorable weekend, and it was the perfect gift.

Thank You For The Gift Summary

Writing a thank-you note for a gift is a great way to show your appreciation and express gratitude.

As you write your thank you now, knowing the right words to say can feel challenging. To help, you can use the template and read through the example thank you messages for a gift for inspiration.

The example thank-you note messages for a gift include unexpected gifts, physical gifts, and experience gifts.

Read Next:

Heidi Bender
Heidi Bender
Website

Heidi has been writing thank you notes for more than 30 years and is the author of A Modern Guide to Writing Thank-You Notes. Her goal is to help people write better thank-you notes by providing tips and examples.

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