Congratulations. Thank you. We will miss you. But most of all, Happy Retirement! A Retirement Quilt is a personalized gift that says it all. It’s also a thoughtful way to send off a colleague in support and gratitude. Bring together your whole group for a gift that is personalized, affordable and full of warmth. In this blog post, we provide advice for giving the absolute best retirement gift… short of, perhaps, a private villa in the tropics!
With the transition to remote work, COVID protocols and new technology, the past few years have been a tall order in most professions. Thank a departing colleague with a lasting retirement gift that shows your appreciation for all they have given and accomplished.
Quiltlove’s electronic process for disseminating “squares” and collecting images is suited for remote and in-person workplaces.
Tips for Giving a Quilt as a Retirement Gift
There is no wrong way to wrap someone in gratitude with a personalized quilt. That said, we’ve compiled a few tips that will help make your retirement gift shine. Here is our advice for ensuring you touch the heart of a departing colleague.
- Bring everyone together. When thinking about who might make squares for this special retirement gift, consider colleagues outside of your closest team team members. Include both upper management and the recipient’s reports, as well as staff from ancillary departments/units. This is a great way to demonstrate how many people’s lives your colleague impacted.
- Choose a theme. Whether it is a professional theme that reflects your company or industry, or something more personal, a specific theme instructing participants what to draw or write on their squares will be appreciated by your group and make the quilt a more cohesive gift. Ideas include messages of gratitude, memories of professional accomplishments, drawings of things to do during retirement, or images of the recipient’s favorite hobbies. We love travel, gardening and fishing-themed quilts!
- Consider corporate sponsorship. Your Human Resources department may have a budget for retirement gifts that could be applied to the quilt, reducing the cost/square to individuals.
- Start early. We recommend you order your quilt about a month before the individual’s last day at work, ensuring you can present them with the quilt at a send-off party, or before their departure.
- Consider corporate colors or your logo. Depending on the theme of the quilt and your company’s culture, consider having your quilt made in corporate colors or including your logo on a quilt square.
We have made retirement gifts for various industries (including a few teacher appreciation / retirement quilts) and they are always a hit. If you’re debating whether to give a quilt as a retirement gift, think no further. It is a wonderful gift that will be immediately cherished.
Are you retired? If so, did you receive a meaningful gift? Or are you planning to give a retirement gift to someone else? We would love to hear about it!
As always, thanks for reading.
Warmly,
