Best Gift for Sherlock Fans

My dad is a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, and other great mystery books. Here's a perfect gift for those who love a great whodunit - where the creative packaging is just as awesome as the gift itself... maybe even more.

Embark your loved one on his very own mini quest, have him use his deductive reasoning to answer a clue or two before he is led to his prize and the ultimate satisfaction of solving the mystery! How you're going to reveal the actual gift is up to you - hide it under the couch, inside a locked box, etc. Check out some cool ideas below, all of which are perfect for guys and girls alike!

(Image courtesy of: cloudsoup @ Flickr)

The first thing you need to do is craft up your mystery box.

1. Get a nice, big cardboard box - like a cigar box, or old gift box, preferably something with a good enough height so you can insert a lot of goodies inside. If you're recycling a box with designs on them, wrap the box with brown recycled paper (like the kind you see on the Kraft paper bags) for a nice vintage touch. Another cute idea is to use a book diversion. Don't know what that is? It's a box on the outside, with a big hole on the inside. Very spy-like, indeed!

2. Then, with a thick permanent marker, draw a large question mark on the top or a silhouette of Sherlock Holmes... or both! Doodle like crazy if you must! Somewhere at the bottom of your drawing, write something witty and Sherlock-inspired, like "The game is afoot, !" or "It's elementary, my dear ". You may also print a digital copy of one of Sherlock's book covers, blow it up to a bigger size, and use that to wrap the box.

3. Now, to fill your box with awesome goodies. My favorite part! The sky's the limit here. Just place yourself in the mystery book / whodunit universe and think of the best items to place inside. I have a few recommendations below, from ransom letter cut-out magnets to magnifying glasses to miniature Sherlock Holmes figurines (cute!) that fans would surely love to collect.

Here's the fun and challenging part - creating the actual mystery! Many of us may not be as good as the likes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but we can still create a clue or two that will challenge the gray matters and provide a laugh. There are several way to go about this, and your choice will depend also on the size of the actual gift you intend to give.

1. 
   Source: lovelypackage.com via Douglas on Pinterest

   A Box within a Box

   Inside your mystery box, place a smaller, locked box inside - like a small safe or cash box. If you choose one with a combination lock, then your mystery must be in the form of a number puzzle. You can check out some mind-numbing number puzzles here. Or for something simpler, the combination number can be related to the receiver, his current age, his favorite number, etc. Or how about the number pertaining to Sherlock's address - 221B Baker Street!

   Ideal gifts to place inside the small box: A Sherlock Holmes figurine, pipe, or his hat. Ideal for receivers who already own the whole book series and DVD series.

2. Think Outside the Box

   In this scenario, the actual gift is hidden somewhere inside the house. So prior to giving him the mystery box, blindfold him, then hide the gift. Your box can then hold a single clue inside, most likely a riddle pertaining to that part of the house, or an item reminiscent of that part of the house - perhaps fibers from the rug.

   Ideal gifts: There are no size limitations in this case. You can still opt for a Sherlock Holmes figurine, pipe or hat; or, you can give him a Sherlock-related book or DVD he doesn't own yet.

3. Whohidit?

   A spin on the whodunit concept, you can have one of the guests hide the gift. The receiver must then guess who among you have his gift!

Calling all Sherlock fans, we'd like to know what your favorite Sherlock book / DVD is, so we know what to give you. Vote below.

There have been a lot of actors and plots for Sherlock Holmes (almost like James Bond maybe?) but below are the ones that really stood out for me.

1. Jeremy Brett - the star of the TV show from 1984 to 1994 really looked and acted the part. He was the one who epitomized Sherlock the most - a bit eccentric, a bit anti-social and testy, an absolute genius. With just his body, he was able to convey all of these.
2. Robert Downey Jr. - while most of the time, we tend to complain about new adaptations of old classics, I was actually refreshed by his more goofy take of Sherlock Holmes and the movie still held the spirit of the mystery.
3. Benedict Cumberbatch - What if Sherlock Holmes was born in modern times? You know, he's like one of us lots, with a cellphone and an Internet connection. It all sounds very ridiculous don't you think? You will be surprised at just how remarkable this BBC adaptation is, simply named "Sherlock". It is impeccable. Benedict shines as Sherlock and like Jeremy Brett, he portrays Sherlock the way I always saw him as. And Dr. Watson? He's no chopped liver either. He is as dynamic and as intricate character as the detective.

How will YOU craft your Sherlock gift? Share below!