Do your friends put on polite smiles when they open gifts from you? Is it obvious that they never seem to like what you give them? Perhaps you’re bad at giving gifts. But fear not, this can be remedied easily enough so your next gift-giving occasion isn’t a disaster.

When giving any friend a gift, you need to make sure that the right thought and sentiment is behind it. Friends can be sensitive about the types of gifts they receive because they have more meaning than those we get from our family or coworkers.

Our friends should know us better than the other people in our lives and the gifts they give us should reflect that.

If you gave lame gifts in the past and want to make up for it, or just seem to get it wrong when it comes to gifts with your friends, here are some tips on giving gifts your friends will really appreciate.

Get Your Friend Something From a Site That Specializes in Unique Gifts

If you’re just unsure what your friend likes or would appreciate in a gift, check out some online gift sites like Red Envelope or Uncommon Goods, which specialize in out of the ordinary items. These types of sites have high-quality goods that appeal to a more general demographic, so you’re sure to find something for your friend.

Some even have a search engine built into the site that allows you to narrow down your choices. Gifts that are good for the holidays and targeted for a specific age group can help you pinpoint the options until you see something perfect for your friend.

Ask Your Friend for Suggestions

Some friends never ask each other what they want for gifts because they want their present to be a surprise. But if you have failed at giving a gift your friend would like, it’s time to get more direct! Simply say, “I’d really like to get you something you’d really like. Can you give me some ideas?” That way they can mention several different things and you can pick out something and still (sort of) surprise them since they won’t know exactly what you chose.

Make Something Yourself

You don’t have to be crafty in order to make something unique and special for a friend. Ideas like memory journals or personalized gift baskets are easy to put together and show your friend you really put some time into it. (Here are five great ideas for creative, thoughtful gifts.)

Ask Them About the Best Gift Someone Ever Gave Them

If you plan it right, you can get information about what type of gift your friend would like just by doing a little conversational detective. Ask them casually about the best gift someone ever gave them, and listen closely to what they say. You don’t want to duplicate the gift, but you’ll have an idea of the type of sentiment, dollar amount, and item they prefer. This type of question also helps you to get to know friends on a deeper level and improves your relationship overall. Here are nine more questions that are good for new friends to get to know each other.

Pay Attention to Your Friend’s Style and Likes

If your friend is on Pinterest or Facebook, browse their page for ideas on things that appeal to them. It is not too hard to combine your knowledge of their real-life personality with the things they post online. See which products or ideas they pin or post and use that as inspiration for your gift.

Also, what types of things do they love and cherish in their home? If your friend keeps certain items on display or wears the same types of colors or pieces of clothing, this is a good bet that they would enjoy something similar as a gift. With friends, the gesture doesn’t have to be big but it does have to be well thought out.