Whether you’ve waited until the last minute or had it planned for months, giving gifts that won’t clutter the homes of those receiving your gifts is truly a blessing. The Christmas season of giving can be tough on budgets, too! So, we’ve compiled some ideas for more meaningful gifts that won’t break the bank or get thrown in the back of your friends’ and family’s closets.
Many of these ideas can be used for those closest to you as well as for work colleagues and even white elephant events. Plus, many of them take no time at all and will truly show how much you care.
- Mail a card with a hand-written letter. Top it off with snapshots you’ve printed of memories from a joyous time spent together that you like to think back on.
- Create a pretty box of mementos from a trip that you took with your loved one. Add in hand-written memories of the experiences you had.
- Show up at a gathering you wouldn’t normally be able to make. Your time often is most desired.
- Go through your book collection and gift one of your favorites to the person who also loves to read. Add a note for a coffee meet up to discuss after they’ve read it.
- Take a stroll through your local farmer’s market and pick up a bunch of goodies you know your friend loves.
- Make spice, bread or baked good mixes in a glass jar with instructions on how to easily use your creations.
- Plan an outing to be creative with an event like a paint night or pottery painting.
- Create a platter of snacks with homemade tickets to an outdoor movie night in your back yard or at the local drive in.
- Offer to take photos for family friends with their phone or device at an outing, an event or fun photo op.
- Gift tickets to a show or concert that you both would enjoy.
- Make all-natural home-made house products like lemon or pine cleaner or a room deodorizer.
- Crochet or knit cute stocking stuffers like potholders or dish scrubbers.
- Get tickets for a family for an adventure like the zoo, an amusement park or mini golf.
- Find out where your friend or loved one goes for a massage, to the hair salon or to get their nails done and get them a gift certificate for a service.
- Pay for a cooking or mixology class.
- Offer to babysit for a couple with young kids.
- Offer yard work services like mowing or leaf raking.
- Recruit your kids to paint small pictures for relatives, especially grandparents.
- Give a gift card for necessities like groceries or pharmacy items.
- Make a photo album using photos from a special time in the person’s life.
We hope you’ll be able to use one of these ideas, or come up with one of your own, to give a truly meaningful gift this year!