Thoughtful Gift Ideas For Christmas

Christmas is here in just a little over a week, can you believe it? I still feel like no time has passed since the end of 2019, but here we are. Anyways, the season of giving is here, and today I thought I’d share some thoughtful gift ideas with you. Gifts that you can give your loved ones that are just a little bit more personal, and picked out with love. These should work for most people, even those lucky ones that seem to already have everything. Let’s go!

Specialty Loose Leaf Tea

My #1 favourite gift to give is a bag of luxury loose leaf tea in a unique flavour. I love heading to a specialty tea store, smelling all the teas, and picking out the perfect one. You could pick out a couple teas for different times of the day, add a cute strainer or mug, or put the tea in a nice jar or tin for them to keep it in.

Tea can be enjoyed for a long time and doesn’t go bad, but it is used up after a while so this is a perfect gift for people who live in small homes, or who keep a more minimalist lifestyle.

A Framed Photo Of A Special Memory

A special photo of the two of you, family members, pets, or a precious memory makes for a wonderful, personal gift. Choose an appropriate size for the photo, have it printed out, and find the perfect frame to go with the picture and the recipients interior.

A Book

Allow me to once again make a case for gifting books. Books are among my favourite gifts to receive, and they always have been. Go to a book shop and pick out a book in a genre your loved one likes, or that has a theme you think might interest them. You can ask for help from the personnel, who are likely to have lots of knowledge about books and be able to guide you towards the right one.

Alternatively, you could gift a book you really enjoyed yourself and that you’d like to share the experience of.

Tickets

Times are strange right now and this gift carries a bit of a risk so please only do this if it’s possible, allowed and safe. If you can though, tickets to a show, concert or event make a wonderful gift! You could go with the recipient, or give two people tickets and send them off together. I always love gifting people experiences, and an evening or day of entertainment is a lovely way to get out of the house.

Dainty Jewelry

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A lovely, small, minimal piece of jewelry makes a perfect gift as it’s incredibly versatile. A stylish, dainty necklace, bracelet or ring can dress up a casual outfit, or add a lovely accent to a more formal one. I personally love the jewelry from Ana Luisa, who make the most gorgeous, elegant pieces out of recycled gold. They’re currently running a buy one, get one 60% off sale, so now’s the perfect time to make a purchase. I recommend checking out their zodiac necklaces or engravable pieces for a personalised gift!

Something Handmade

Nothing beats a gift that was handmade with love. If you’re crafty and creative, use those skills to create unique, one of a kind gifts for your loved ones. Whether your passion is art, sewing, pottery, or even writing poetry, a handmade gift truly is one of the most special things you can give. Knowing how much time, work and attention went into the gift is invaluable. By the way, your skill level doesn’t matter here! There are lots of tutorials online for beautiful gifts you can DIY as a beginner, that are sure to put a smile on the recipient’s face.

No-Care Plants

Plants give so much life to a home, and I think they make a wonderful gift. They do require some attention though, and you might worry about burdening someone with the care of a living thing they may not feel up to. In that case, consider gifting a plan that doesn’t require any care at all! I can highly recommend getting someone a nice dried flower arrangement. Dried flowers are super popular right now, and you can get them in all different kinds and colours. Arrange them in a nice vase or display them in a jar, and they’ll last for years with zero effort.

Alternatively, you could gift an air plant. Air plants, usually tillandsias, are plants that don’t have roots and live off the moisture in the air. They require next to no care, just a little misting of water a couple times a year, and they look adorable. There’s a really nice kind that looks just like a jellyfish!

A Flower Subscription

While we’re on the topic of plants: try gifting a flower subscription! There are lots of services that will deliver a beautiful bouquet of flowers to the recipients home periodically, surprising them again and again throughout the year. Depending on the service you might be able to choose the size and style of the bouquet, and whether it comes with a vase or just the flowers. This would be a perfect gift for someone who enjoys arranging flowers, or someone who just deserves a monthly little pick-me-up :)

A Board Game

This is a very popular gift among my group of friends so I thought I’d throw it in, haha! Board games! They are the perfect way to spend long, dark, winter evenings together with friends and family. I highly recommend the game “The Taverns of Tiefenthal”, which is one of the more recent additions to our collection and my new favourite. In this game you play as a tavern owner who has to attract the best customers. You get to build and upgrade your tavern, earning money and beer to attract the most coveted customer: the nobleman. The game is beautifully illustrated and lots of fun. Easy to play, but challenging enough to be fun. We always play a medieval fantasy tavern playlist on Spotify to set the mood while playing this, which I can also highly recommend. But any board game you think the recipient will enjoy is perfect, of course!

Art from Etsy

If you’re not all that crafty and creative yourself, or you’re looking for a specific piece you can’t make yourself, consider commissioning an art piece on Etsy. There is a wealth of personal gifts to be found on Etsy, where small artists sell their work. A dear friend gifted me this watercolour portrait of my darling ratties who passed away this year, and I cannot even tell you just how much it means to me. You could get a portrait made of the two of you in any style imaginable, or you could get a map, star chart, graphic print, sculpture… The possibilities are endless. I highly suggest browsing Etsy for beautiful, original, masterfully made gifts!