With Christmas right around the corner, plenty of people are rushing to stores to finish up the last of their gift shopping. Some people, however, aren’t as lucky and haven’t even started thinking about who will be getting what. Struggling to curate gift ideas is one of the main reasons why people wait until the very last minute to Christmas shop, leading to loads of added stress and an aversion to the holiday season as a whole. Here I have compiled a list of easy to grab presents, as well as tips and tricks that have helped me in a pinch during Christmastime:
- Spa day: From bath bombs and face masks to body lotion and hair tools, anything related to fun self-care activities will almost always be much appreciated. Everyone deserves a good spa day, so grabbing a couple of these items will offer some much needed R&R.
- Keep it warm: While it may seem obvious, warm, cozy blankets are sometimes overlooked when thinking about what to gift someone. Grab a plush holiday blanket for that extra touch of cheer.
- Art class: This one is pretty broad, but any good artistic activity or smaller scale craft can be a really out-of-the-box present for your more creative friends. A few ideas are diamond paintings, art supplies, puzzles, air dry clay, tie-dye kits, and a how-to crochet kit.
- Reader galore: Finding the perfect gift for your bookworm buddy is one of the easier things to do in a small amount of time. You can run to your local bookstore and grab some bookmarks and, if you’re a reader too, your favorite book to recommend them. Or, if they have a certain favorite series, find some merchandise and other themed items to really show you listen.
- The Cinephile Starter Pack: If you’re trying to find something for a big movie buff, the perfect gift can mean many things. Whether it’s a physical DVD copy of their favorite film, or a year-long Cinemark membership, anything that allows them to stack up their Letterboxd favorites list will do just the trick.
- Straight from the heart: The best gift is the one that you can tell someone worked really hard on. Make a photo collage or memory book detailing all your favorite moments with that person or make something for their bookshelf that they can show off. If you’re talented with paint, you can always make them a personal piece of art to hangup and show off to other friends and family.
- Spotify Wrapped personified: Everyone has that one friend that absolutely does not mess around when it comes to music. A wireless bluetooth speaker is a great option for the person who you never see without headphones on, as a sort of attempt to protect their eardums. Merchandise from their favorite artist, a poster of their favorite album cover, or, if you’re on a slightly bigger budget, tickets to a show or concert will be just the right thing to get their heart singing.
- Frankenstein it!: In the case that someone is a jack of all trades, or if you really just have a bunch of good small ideas, Frankenstein it! Combine an item from each category listed above and Boom! You just created the greatest, universal, all-encompassing gift. Or just grab a bunch of things you know they really like and you’re all set! (Bonus points if the items are in all in that person’s favorite color!)
- Start with a basket: One thing I will always stand by when it comes to gift-giving is that everything looks better in a basket. This can range anywhere from a plastic tote bin to a wooden crate or a small fabric bin to a cardboard gift box. Either way, get creative! Lay some colorful tissue paper and confetti down, just for added flare. Place your items in a presentable way, either from flattest to bulkiest or biggest to smallest. You can also put your star-of-the-show gift front and center, like it’s on the pedestal it deserves.
Show some love to consumables: A good candle will always do the trick, especially for your mom. Any kind of consumable thing works perfectly, such as their favorite album on CD or vinyl and a truckload of all their favorite snacks. Mix it all together and you have the gift that keeps on giving!
