Do you have a few hard-to-buy-for people on your list this year? You know… the ones who have everything, need nothing, and say “don’t get me anything” but you know you need to get them something.
Yeah, I thought so!
Thankfully, I have a short list of simple gift ideas I pull from whenever I’m unsure what to give to someone who has everything.
If you’re struggling with a few gifts yet, pull some ideas from my list below (and please share your gift ideas in the comments.)
1. Food
Assuming the person does not have food allergies, food can be a great gift option for those hard-to-buy-for people on your list.
Here are a few ideas to get you thinking (there are hundreds more though!)
- Homemade bread (whole grain or quick bread)
- Bars, fudge, or truffles in a cute gift box
- Christmas cookies
- A dry brownie or cookie mix (with instructions to make the goodies)
- Home-canned jams, tomatoes, applesauce, etc.
- Homemade hot chocolate mix
- Cone bags filled with popcorn, candy, or trailmix (here are some exampes)
- Homemade (or storebought) cheesecake — or another cake or pie they really enjoy
- Gourmet coffee or tea (skip the mug!)
- A bar of nice chocolate with a homemade wrapper (look up ideas on Pinterest)
- A big bucket of all their favorite snacks, candies, and treats (great for kids!)
- A homemade meal (contact them ahead of time to arrange this)
- Fancy meats, cheeses, and crackers
- A favorite wine, craft beer, or other favorite beverage (our kids love getting Gatorade)
- A “fruit bouquet” — like something from Edible Arrangements (or try making your own).
NOTE: You could pair your homemade goodies with a gift card to their favorite restaurant or grocery store to increase the value.
The important thing with giving food gifts is that you actually think about what types of food your recipient enjoys. Don’t just throw some leftovers from your freezer or pantry together at the last minute.
2. Cleaning & Personal Care Products
I often use this option if I know the person well enough and think they would be happy to receive cleaning products or personal care products.
Not only are these types of gifts non-perishable (so I can prepare them in advance) and consumable (not cluttery), they can also be tailored to fit almost any preference and budget.
Here are a few examples I’ve used recently:
A few years ago, I gave the women on my list a container of Method dish soap and a fun bamboo kitchen scrubber. It was a cute set, it was fairly frugal to put together, and since many of the recipients were newlyweds and new homeowners, it was also extremely useful and practical.
I love gifting a clothes basket filled with cleaning supplies and household staples for wedding shower gifts (see examples in this post).
I also regularly gift bars of Bend soap with a gift card on the back (they are the PERFECT size to “hide” a gift card!
If I know a friend, relative, or teacher really likes a particular scent, brand, or product, I’ll keep an eye out for good deals throughout the year and stock up so I can throw together a quick, yet thoughtful gift any time of the year.
3. Photo Gifts
Mugs, bags, t-shirts, mousepads, wood, metal, plastic, paper — you name it, you can probably get a photo printed on it and gift it to that special someone who needs absolutely nothing but would love another cute photo of your kids, your pets, or even a beautiful sunset.
We often give photo calendars or magnets to grandparents and great-grandparents. Photo ornaments are also a fun idea and they can be packed away with the Christmas decorations.
Of course, some of these require a bit of computer knowledge and a week or so of advance notice to get them printed and shipped, but they are one-of-a-kind!
You might also consider doing something like Storyworth with a close friend or relative, or giving a faraway relative a digital picture frame like Skylight, so you can regularly upload more pictures from afar.
And of course, you know I love digital photo book gifts!
4. A Subscription
From a clutter-free standpoint, I’m a big fan of subscriptions (especially digital subscriptions like Amazon Prime, Kindle Unlimited, Netflix, etc.)
Magazines and newspapers are good too (our kids love these) and also things like a membership to the local zoo, a trampoline park, a theater, a sports team, or even Costco.
You could also gift a subscription to a Bible reading program (like She Reads Truth or the Dwell App), a photo editing program (like PicMonkey), a fitness program (like Every Mother), a food-of-the-month club, a membership to a nail polish club, or even a Craft club!
There are hundreds of subscription and membership-type gifts that are SO simple to sign up for and a really great gift option for people who already have everything.
5. A hand-written note.
Our kids enjoy making cards and pictures for many elderly people in our life — we mail them out regularly, and more often than not, the kids get another letter or a phone call from the recipient!
I’m confident most adults (and even college students) would appreciate this simple gift idea… you could even pair your letter with custom stationery or a cute pack of note cards.
Here are a few prompts if you’re not sure what to write about:
- something you appreciate about the other person
- a few reasons you are thankful for them in your life
- a memorable event or fun story from your shared past
- something you look forward to doing with this person the next time you’re together
- a few of your favorite things about this person
- a story of how they have impacted your life (possibly even without knowing it).
With a little bit of thought, I’m confident you can come up with a fantastic gift for all the hard-to-buy-for people on your list.
Still looking for MORE gift ideas? Try some of these clutter-free gifts for all ages and all budgets.
What are YOUR favorite simple gift ideas for the people who already have everything?
Calliope says
We are huge readers so between us we gift books (and the occasional piece of clothing of course-ALWAYS hoodies for the teenagers…)
I also tend to gift books or candles or cosmetics to girlfriends/nieces/ my sister. Certainly not expensive or grandiose since this is not the point of xmas giving.
Also this year I decided no more toys to kids that ONLY play on screens and as a result have no other interests/hobbies (so so sad btw). They will get chocolate and that’s it
Nancy says
We’re supposed to make gifts. The name I drew is a nephew that needs nothing, I have zero ideas of what to make him. I bought him a remote controlled tarantula. He has 3 little girls and I can already hear the screaming and laughing. Breaking tradition is good sometimes.
Andrea says
haha — love it! I’m sure it will be appreciated 🙂
That said, Dave always loves a plate of brownies or a bowl of puppy chow!
Roxanne says
A few years ago we gifted my in-laws with a family photo session- we hired a photographer and found a local county park to go and take the pictures, and we got so many great shots of the kids with their grandparents, kids with cousins, candid shots running through the woods and at the playground, and of individual families. My MIL was thrilled to have photos of everyone on her living room wall, and pretty much everyone ended up using photos from that session for their Christmas cards that year We may need to gift that for them again this year because there have been a couple more kids added to the mix since then!
Andrea says
this is an AWESOME idea — I know my mom would actually like something like this too. Thanks for the idea!
Ashley says
I’m making my single FIL a few small meatloaves for the freezer this year! He enjoys home-cooked meals but doesn’t cook much himself. And my kids are getting a membership to the local trampoline park. Clutter-free gifts are the best!
Andrea says
excellent — such great gift ideas! We did a trampoline park for our kids when they were younger and most were at home during the day. We got TONS of use out of it!
Lisa Anne Marchinkewicz says
We subscribe to my mother-in-law’s hometown weekly newspaper. She loves reading about all the events, etc. and she still has family living there.
Andrea says
his is a great idea – -thanks for sharing!
Hannah Beth Reid says
These are fun ideas! On the food…if someone has food allergies, the store-bought options are usually expensive and more of a treat, so folks tend to not buy them for themselves. So, sometimes giving a food item (that you know they like and are able to eat) can be a very special gift. Not homemade, but something that is truly special.
Andrea says
oh yes — I’m a HUGE fan of fun/fancy store-bought snacks for people with allergies. Then I never need to worry that my homemade treats might trigger an allergic reaction. Thanks for sharing this!
Holly S says
I agree with the subscriptions. It’s easy enough to customize that for the individual. I’ve paid for my mom’s streaming British subscription (either Acorn or BritBox) for the past few years and it’s something she can enjoy year round. This year I think I’m going to do something like Hello Fresh or one of those for my 26 year old.
Andrea says
the Hello Fresh subscription is a great idea for your 26-year-old!
Hana Nadzakovic says
This things Are awesome my friend had a Birthday and I didn’t now WHAT gift to make. This realy helped me alot so thank you so much.
Andrea says
You’re welcome, Hana! Glad to help!
Chris says
Once for Valentine’s Day, I went to a pharmacy and got 52 empty capsules. I wrote a tiny love note or treat (i.e., homemade chocolate chip cookies) and rolled them up and put them inside each one. I also bought a big plastic pill and put all the capsules in it. My husband opened one a week for a whole year. 🙂 I don’t remember where I got the idea.
Andrea says
This is such a fun idea! Thanks for sharing!
Chris says
I am looking at a list of restaurant gift card bonus offers and saw this and wanted to pass it along. 🙂 Hope you all have a wonderful blessed Christmas!
– Culver’s – For a limited time, get a coupon good for a Regular Value Basket when you buy $30 in gift cards. Coupon expires 2/28/22.
Andrea says
yes, we do this EVERY year — we buy enough gift cards for the entire year and enjoy several free value baskets!
I share more about it in this post.
Mary in Maryland says
Personally, I would be thrilled with someone else’s leftovers.
Emily says
Hi Andrea,
I appreciate your gift giving ideas- esp. the idea of a thoughtful, hand written note. It feels like a lost art, and I hope to intentionally make the time to do it more often. What a lovely reminder.
Andrea says
kids aren’t even being taught cursive in school anymore (because no one writes anymore). Your letters will be cherished!
Ashley says
One of the reasons I’m teaching my kids cursive AND they write letters to their grandparents.
Andrea says
yes, our kids all said they wanted to learn cursive… but they’ve sort of lost interest over the years.
Dawn Kaestner says
I love the idea of gifting subscriptions–so many options to fit every personality!
Carole says
where do you find the rolls of plain craft paper? that is a great idea!
JJ says
Great ideas! I remember getting an Edible Arrangement after my first baby was born. It was such a blessing to have fresh fruit cut and ready to eat while constantly nursing my baby. Your ideas are practical and many will enjoy something that doesn’t get stuck on a shelf.
Happy 40th to Dave!
Andrea says
yum! We love edible arrangements!
Andrea says
on amazon! you can choose brown or white with this option.
Julie Williams says
Hi Andrea: I love all of your simple gifting ideas because most of them are needed consumable items like food and toiletries or in the realm of experiences and things to do. It’s much less about “stuff” and more about living life. Also, I want to REALLY REALLY thank you for the Family Emergency Binder templates. It took me about three weekends to complete it. My husband and I have our entire life in that binder and it is such a relief to have one consolidated item to “grab and go” in case of emergency. We have everything backed up to an external hard drive and secured. I did add three categories that made sense to us: “my career info” as I have to maintain licenses and credentials; “computer/ phones/ electronics” category (this could have been an extension of home utilities depending on how you see it considering there is an tie in to the tv and cable). This covers all those accounts and passwords, item name and serial numbers, customer service support, etc. it’s more than just the phone bill. The third category is a list of some shopping websites where I have usernames and passwords. Really an emergency category…no, but I need all my info in one spot, then let’s do it all. Hubs and I streamlined files, consolidated, and had a shredding party. I now have a beautiful 20 page doc that can guide care for my family should anything happen. And my key people know where to find it and what to do. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!! What an absolute relief! This was the best present to me and I have been giving this info and your website to everyone.
Andrea says
yay — I’m thrilled the Emergency Binder template was helpful for you!
Yes, I have a separate file with all my business information, and we include our computer/cell phones under the home utilities. I also have a separate file with online passwords — but good idea to include them all in one spot. Maybe I’ll need to update the document eventually 🙂
Rhonda says
I ditto the usefulness of the binder, but I recently removed the passwords because I wasn’t sure if keeping those in a google doc was the best idea (for me; but not sure if that’s a valid concern?) Instead I use LastPass for managing passwords. It’s subscription based, although I use the free version. It used to be compatible across devices, but now you have to choose only mobile devices or only desktop devices. But a small monthly fee allows multiple users across multiple devices.
Kylie says
Love the simplified wrapping paper… we started implementing this last year and the kids have had fun using my stamps to DIY their own! Thinking of having them each create a personalized paper theme of their own to wrap each kids’ set of gifts with an individualized look that’s all their own.
Mary says
These are great ideas. I very much appreciate your practical wisdom on managing our homes. Enjoy the holiday season with your beautiful family.
Swanee Kooistra says
I also do a photo album each Christmas for each of our grandkids. Majority of the pictures are of themselves, but also some with siblings, cousins, parents and of course us. They love getting them. But the teenagers are usually hard to get pictures of them sometimes. 🙂 So may need to just to stick with the younger ones.
Lindsey T says
Love these ideas, especially the subscriptions!
Jenny says
Thanks for the ideas! Merry Christmas!
Debra N says
A hand written note with a pair of magic gloves that are made from a washable fiber that stretch to fit the person perfectly.
Jamie says
Excellent ideas! Thanks
Michele Day says
I love these ideas. One of my favorite gifts, ever, was from my youngest when she went off to college. She wrote little notes to me on strips of paper and put them all in a Christmas box so when I felt sad that she was gone I could take out a strip and read it. Funny as I did something similar for her. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Merry Christmas!
Andrea says
so cute — I love this idea!