Here is a list of Christmas gift ideas (to suit all budgets) to help with this problem. If you think of any other ideas, please comment below or contact me.

Gifts for animal lovers

Ecosphere^®

An Ecosphere is a sealed glass ball containing filtered sea water, micro-organisms, bacteria, algae, and tiny shrimp in a stable miniature ecosystem.

There are a range of sizes and shapes (e.g., sphere, waterdrop, pod, and candle) available.

Bird food, feeders, baths, and houses

Any bird lover will enjoy watching birds having a refreshing bath or fighting over seeds hung in containers around the garden. Any of the above items may even attract a new species of bird to the garden! For those new to bird watching, you could also give an accompanying bird identification book.

Pet treats

People’s pets are often considered part of the family. So making a pet happy with a delicious treat or a new toy will make the owners happy too.

Romantic gifts

A unique, self-designed diamond ring

Amazon have an easy to use “Create Your Own Ring” tool. The tool enables you to create a unique diamond ring by allowing you to choose the diamond shape, carat, cut, and color, and setting style, and metal. Make sure you also enter the desired ring size! If you unsure of the exact ring size you need, it may be safer to go for a slightly larger ring because it is often easier and cheaper to reduce the size of a ring than it is to increase it.

A framed photo of you and your loved one

A framed photograph of you and your loved one, perhaps taken during a special trip, is bound to be received well!

Edible gifts

Homemade cookies or candy

Food gifts are always a good option for people who already everything they need. They are also ideal for people who have limited space at home and so don’t want to accumulate clutter. Homemade treats will be especially appreciated as they show that you have put thought and time into the gift. Consider putting the treats in a festive container, such as a pretty jar or tin.

Themed food hamper

These can be made or bought ready made. See the how to make a Christmas hamper page for more information.

Gift jar

Layer all of the (dry) ingredients you need to make a delicious treat (e.g., biscuits or a cake) in a clean jar. Tightly screw the lid closed and, using a festive ribbon, attach a tag with instructions.

Gift cards/vouchers

Cinema, theme park, store, or restaurant gift card

Giving a gift card/voucher for one of the above instead of money will force the recipient to use the “money” for something special, rather than on everyday necessities. Cinemas and theme parks may alternatively offer open dated tickets that can be given as gifts. Make sure to check the length of the gift card or ticket’s validity though.

Amazon gift card/certificate

You can choose to have these emailed or posted to the recipient. Alternatively, you can print the gift card out yourself to give in person. Amazon.com offers the possibility to send the gift card to a Facebook friend via a Wall post.

Giving an experience

Gift experiences

These come in a wide variety of themes, including spa treatments, photo shoots, overnight hotel stays, cookery workshops, and flying lessons.

Subscriptions as a gift

Magazine subscription

Give the gift of knowledge by giving a magazine subscription for Christmas. If you only want to give one year’s worth of magazines, make sure to check whether you need to cancel or transfer the subscription after one year.

DVD rental subscription

There are many DVD rental websites that offer mail-based subscriptions. This means that the recipient receives and returns the DVDs by mail instead of having to visit a particular store in person.

Gifts for keen travellers

Travel guide

If you know of any vacations the recipient has planned, consider buying a relevant destination guide book. If they have been to the place before, you may want to buy a newly released book so that they are unlikely to already have it.

Travel essentials

Consider giving travel supplies, such as a world electrical adaptor, eye mask, ear plugs, mini travel toiletries, or even a suitcase, to anyone you know who has a holiday or long trip planned. You could buy several and make an attractive travel hamper.

Gifts for nature lovers

A house or garden plant

If taken care of correctly, a plant for in- or outdoors will most likely give the receiver pleasure for many weeks, months, or even years! If the receiver is a very busy person, consider buying a cactus.

Bulbs or seeds for planting in the garden

Buying someone perennial plant seeds or bulbs will mean that they will enjoy your gift for many years to come!

Miscellaneous gifts

A newly released DVD, CD, or book

Your recipent is unlikely to have a DVD, CD, or book that has just been released.

A unique Christmas decoration

A unique Christmas decoration will be brought out each year and enjoyed time after time.

Photo frame

Something that everyone can have more than one of is a photo frame! Try to think of the style of the recipient’s home before buying one. You can leave the frame empty or insert a scenic picture or personal photo. With a larger frame, you could make a collage of special photos.

A special souvenir bought whilst on vacation

Even someone who has everything is unlikely to have items similar to souvenirs bought whilst away on vacation.

If you manage to write a nice poem or set of song lyrics using some of these words, consider sending it to us! We will happily publish it on this site, along with your name and personal website link.

• fire, choir, higher
• night, sight, light, good night
• star, far, afar
• holly, jolly
• ice, nice, slice, price, twice, mice
• tree, glee
• glisten, listen
• charades, parades
• dinner, thinner
• fatter, chatter, clatter, matter
• gift, lift
• scene, green, been
• merry, sherry, berry, cherry, very
• ring, sing
• dashing, crashing, smashing
• snow(ing), blow(ing), throw(ing), glow(ing), go(ing), tow(ing), flow(ing), slow(ing), show(ing), know(ing)
• snow, below, bow, and the examples above
• sleigh, yay, tray, play, grey
• fly, sky, good bye, bye, hi, high, nigh
• spices, slices, crisis
• elf, self
• twinkle, sprinkle, tinkle, crinkle, wrinkle
• hat, fat, splat
• glove(s), love(s), shove(s)
• romance, chance, chants, prance, dance
• cake, bake, make
• birth, earth, worth
• manger, stranger
• Prancer, Dancer
• Vixen, Blitzen
• sled, bed, red, read, sped, fled, fed, led, said
• cold, old, gold

• Watch your favorite Christmas movie.
• Stroll around your local area looking at Christmas lights. Consider going with family or friends. Afterwards, invite everyone in for a hot chocolate or mulled wine.
• See a pantomime or Christmas play.
• Do some Christmas baking or make Christmas candy.
• Wrap gifts.

• Listen to Christmas music.
• Decorate your home, garden, and even your car or bicycle.
• Start making and/or writing your Christmas cards. You may want to use a Christmas card kit.
• Make a miniature Christmas garden.
• Make or buy an advent calendar and remember to get it out on the first of December. A candle advent calendar is a nice option for adults.
• Go to a Christmas carol service in a local church.
• Wear festive jewelry. For example, a Christmassy brooch/pin on your coat.
• Wear a Christmassy wrist watch. See Whimsical Christmas Watches for a lovely selection.
• If there is snow, build a snowman and/or write Christmas messages in the snow.
• If there is frozen water or an ice rink, go ice skating.
• Put bird food out to attract robins.
• Contact someone you have lost touch with. Christmas is a great time to reconnect with long lost friends and family.
• Check your local cinema program to see if there is a Christmassy film on. If so, go and see it!
• Go Christmas shopping.
• Treat yourself to a Christmas lunch or dinner out. Many restaurants have special Christmas menus in December.
• Wish people a “Merry Christmas” or, if you prefer, “Happy Holidays”.
• Go to or help at a Christmas bazaar.
• Read a Christmas story to yourself or out loud to others.
• Wear green and/or red clothes.
• Browse the Internet for Christmas-related sites. This can be done as early in the year as you like. Start by checking our links page.
• Host a Christmas party.

Some of these suggestions can of course be done simultaneously! If you can think of any others, please leave a comment here or contact me with your ideas.

Gift hampers normally contain fancy groceries or toiletries that follow a certain theme. For instance, you often see Italian-themed hampers. These might contain Italian cheese, wine, pasta, biscotti di Prato, panettone, etc. Food- and toiletry-based hampers are ideal gifts for people who have limited space because all of the items will be used up.

While there are many stores that sell ready-made, themed gift hampers, there are two reasons why I prefer making my own. Firstly, I find it fun to do! Secondly, if you choose your items carefully, you can normally make a hamper with more content for the same price as a store-bought hamper. Note that online stores often charge a lot for delivery. So unless you are planning to post your homemade hamper, you will also save on delivery costs. The third reason I like to make my own gift hampers is that I can pick and choose items that particularly suit the recipient. So I can make it personal to them. When buying a store-bought hamper, it is sometimes difficult to weigh up which hamper is the most suitable because they normally always have one or two items that you think won’t be used. Having said this, I have seen online stores that allow you to pick items individually. They then make the hamper for you. So this is an option if you don’t mind paying for delivery.

Mini homemade lavender-themed gift hamper containing lavender soap, lavender shower gel, a lavender candle, a nail file, an exfoliating glove, a net sponge, and a Christmas tree ornament made of glittery pine cones.

The first hamper that I made contained all kinds of spicy food, such as spicy table sauces, hot salsa dips, chilli-flavored potato chips, stir-in curry sauces, spicy poppadoms, etc. I chose this theme because the recipient loved hot and spicy foods. I contained the items in a store-bought, fake shopping basket made of chrome.

Another hamper that I have since made contained entirely gluten-free products. I made it for my Mum, as she requires a gluten-free diet. As gluten-free products are sometimes difficult to come by, I collected the products over several months. I made sure to check the “use by” dates as I didn’t want anything to be spoiled before or even just after Christmas. I used a material-lined basket for this hamper.

Most recently, I made a mini hamper containing various lavender-scented toiletries and personal care items. I placed the items, along with a few decorative pine cones, on a Christmas-paper-lined straw plate and covered the lot with cellophane.

Ideas on how to make a Christmas gift hamper

1. Decide roughly how much you would like to spend (optional!).
2. Choose a theme. While hampers normally contain food, you could make a hamper containing just about anything. For instance, if the recipient is a keen gardener, include some seeds, tools, gardening knee pads, bird food, and outdoor accessories. If the recipient is going away somewhere on vacation, consider making a hamper containing a guide to their destination, a suitable phrasebook, and some suitable travel essentials (e.g., adaptor, water filter, mosquito net, mini toiletries, earplugs etc.). Art-lovers may appreciate a hamper containing art supplies and, if they are beginners, an instruction book. Hampers containing toiletries are always a popular option, espeically for ladies. Cranberry based toiletries would be particulary suitable for Christmas. Some food theme suggestions are as follows: chocolate, tea/coffee, cheese and wine, traditional Christmas food, Mexican food, Indian food, Scottish food, etc. The possibilities are endless…
3. Choose a pretty container (or even platter) that you think will be able to hold the right amount of items. If you will need to carry the finished hamper any distance, bear in mind the size and weight that it might be. Try to pick a container that the recipient can use in some way. If possible, pick a container that is in line with your chosen theme. Here are some container ideas: straw basket (these are often light weight), metal serving platter, plant pot, tray, plate, wooden box (of recycled wood would be good), light-weight bird bath, and bag.
4. Start collecting items to put in your hamper. It is best to start early so that you don’t run out of time. By starting early, you will be able to easily purchase a wide range items from various stores. Always check the “use by” dates on food, drink, and toiletry items. If needed, go back to the store at a later date to get products with later “use by” dates. You can always add a relevant non-food item to a food-based hamper. For instance, you could add an Indian cookbook to an Indian food hamper, a mini-fondue set to a chocolate-based hamper, a cheese grater to an Italian-based hamper, etc. One piece of advice I offer from personal experience is to be conscious about how many items you purchase. It is very easy to get carried away and buy loads more than will fit in your container!
5. There are various ways to put your hamper together. For instance, you can put your items in your container and then wrap the whole thing with cellophane. Alternatively, you could wrap your items in one large piece of cellophane before they go into the basket. In both cases, the cellophane can be taped invisibly underneath or gathered at the top and tied with a bow.
6. There are many ways to decorate your hamper. Depending on how you put it together, it may already have a pretty bow holding the cellophane together. You can include decorations within the cellophane, so amongst the items, or on the top on the cellophane. Tinsel, ribbons, mini (shatter-proof) baubles, and holly are some suggestions. Once again, you could use decorations that are linked to the theme. For instance, if it is a French-themed hamper, you might decorate it with a few garlic bulbs tied with a ribbon. Just use your imagination!
7. You may want to wrap the hamper in opaque Christmas paper (in addition to the cellophane) so that the gift remains a surprise!

Categories include Christmas trees, Christmas stockings, nativity sets, advent calendars, holiday dinnerware, and festive attire. It is a perfect place to start your Christmas preparations!

Why not start shopping at the Christmas Corner today so that you’ll be ready in plenty of time?

There are several things that you can do with your old, used Christmas cards besides simply recycling them along with your usual paper and card. Here are several ideas that are fun to do, festive, and environmentally advantageous!

Making new cards and tags

• Cut out pretty sections of the old cards to make into gift tags for the following year. You might want to cut using pinking shears so that the tags have zig-zag edges. Use a hole punch to punch a hole in one end of each tag, and leftover ribbon to attach the tag to a gift. Remember to recycle the remaining parts of the cards that you have not used.
• Some cards can be cut in such a way that they can be refolded into miniature Christmas cards. These would be ideal for children to give or receive.
• Cut the backs off your old Christmas cards and turn the “fronts” into Christmas postcards. A bonus is that postcards are normally cheaper to send than cards in envelopes.
• Cut out parts of the card and use them to make homemade cards the following year. Many card-making kits contain card shapes that could easily be replicated using old Christmas cards.

Framing ideas

• Frame your favorite winter scenery cards. Framed pictures make lovely gifts, especially for people who have just moved house. Many Christmas cards actually show local landmarks or scenery. Framing such a card and giving it to someone who lives or has lived in that area is also a nice idea. It shows that you have put thought into the gift.
• Some serving trays are designed to double up as a frame for either one or several pictures. These are sometimes called “photo trays” or “picture trays”. Put in your favorite Christmas cards and you will have a lovely festive tray!
• You can also get photo frame coasters. These are normally square and made of glass with foam pads underneath to protect the table from scratches. Like with the trays, insert your favorite Christmas cards (you may have to cut them) to add festivity to your home decor.
• You could make a framed collage of your favorite cards and hang it up as a holiday decoration.

Decoration ideas

• Use cut out shapes of old cards to decorate wrapped presents. This works especially well with gifts wrapped with Kraft (brown) paper or single-colored paper.

Other ideas

• Make a scrapbook of all your favorite cards.

I hope that the following money-saving tips will be useful to those wishing to save either a few pennies or significant amounts of money this Christmas!

Gifts

• Start your Christmas shopping as early as possible. Ideally, buy things throughout the year, especially during sales. You could even start during the after-Christmas sales! As you accumulate gifts, put them all in one place so that you don’t forget about them. When December comes, you may only have to get a few last-minute presents. Note: If you buy toiletries or anything edible, always check their “use by” and “best before” dates. You don’t want anything to have gone off by Christmas!
• Try doing more of your shopping online, especially during sales. Online auction sites (e.g, eBay) and price comparison sites (e.g., kelkoo) can help you find the absolute best prices. Don’t forget to take delivery costs into consideration. Note that shops that advertise items at very low prices may have particularly high delivery fees. If you plan to buy several items from one online store, order them all at once, as this will normally save you money on delivery costs. Even if some of the items you have ordered aren’t in stock and need to be sent separately later, the company you have ordered from will most likely only charge you once for delivery. Finally, even if you don’t like buying and paying for things online, it is still worth using a price comparison website to help you find the best offline (e.g., highstreet) shop to make your purchase from.
• Browse your local second-hand or charity shop for unique collectible items that can be given as gifts. You may find a valuable antique for sale at a bargain price. However, it is important to remember that not everyone appreciates being given used items. I’m sure you know which of your friends would appreciate such gifts and which wouldn’t.
• A homemade gift is often the most cherished type of gift. Making homemade gifts can be both fun and economical. You might want to consider making edible gifts, such as homemade sweets, cookies, or preserves. These will particularly be appreciated by those who have everything or those who have limited space at home. Making a piece of artwork as a gift is also a nice idea. Last year, my parents received a laminated sheet of paper with their baby grandchild’s hand prints (in paint) on it. This is something that they will keep forever!
• This next piece of advice may be difficult to follow but is still worth mentioning here. From the very start, try not to give your children excessive gifts at Christmas. If you once start, they will expect it every year. Try to only buy them gifts that you think they will remain interested in. Remember that very young children are often more fascinated by the wrapping paper or packaging than what is inside! Finally, bear in mind that your children will probably receive many gifts from other family members and family friends.
• Consider arranging a game of Secret Santa. This game allows everyone to buy just one low-cost gift.
• If you really have no money to spend on any Christmas gifts, consider visiting the website No Christmas Gifts This Year, where you can send a message with a promise that you will spend quality time (e.g., at the park or playing games) with the recipient.

Wrapping gifts

• Consider saving and reusing wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows from presents that you receive at Christmas and throughout the year. Don’t worry about saving every scrap of paper; just save large, uncrumpled pieces. Besides saving money, you will be helping to save the environment.
• An effective way of reducing what you spend on Christmas wrapping paper is to buy it in the sales just after Christmas, ready for next year. As shops need to clear space, they often practically give it away.
• You can also save money by wrapping your Christmas presents in parcel (kraft) paper. This type of paper is normally pale brown and comes in rolls of varying widths and lengths. It is normally much cheaper than traditional Christmas wrapping paper and it is surprisingly versatile. Wrapping your gifts with parcel paper and tying them with string, natural looking ribbons, or raffia can give them a really rustic look. A piece of holly or even pressed autumn leaves could be stuck on to the paper to add a dash of colour. For a unique look, you could use paper luggage labels (bought or made) as gift tags. This will make them look like they have been sent from afar. If you would rather brighten up your gifts, consider drawing or stamping a design on the paper before you use it to wrap you presents. Colourful bows and ribbons can also brighten up your gifts. Around Christmas, some shops may even stock red or green parcel paper. For a different effect, totally crumple and then uncrumple the paper before using it. This is a good technique to use if you want to reuse old brown paper that has minor creases in it.
• You can cut out the pictures of old Christmas cards and use them as gift tags. Make sure that there is no writing already on the back though. If you want to attach the tags using ribbons or string, use a hole punch to make a hole in each tag. Once again, you will be saving money and helping the environment.

Cards and postage stamps

• Consider buying Christmas cards in the sales just after Christmas. Shops normally drastically reduce the price of cards because they want to sell new designs the next Christmas.
• Instead of buying Christmas cards, you could put any artistic talent you have to use by making your own Christmas cards. Making cards is a fun activity that can be done as a family. Recipients will likely be very touched and may treasure the card for years to come. Many shops sell Christmas-card-making kits that contain all you need to make a variety of different designs. If your main aim is to save money, make sure that the total cost for the materials is lower than what you would normally spend on already made cards. Note that you may be able to get materials and/or kits at a reduced price in the sales after Christmas.
• Consider sending electronic cards (“e-cards”) instead of sending real cards. Not only will you save money on the cards and postage, you will be helping the environment!
• In certain countries, such as The Netherlands and Australia, special Christmas postage stamps are sold in the run up to Christmas. They cost slightly less than normal stamps and are meant for sending your Christmas cards. You may want to enquire about this at your local post office.

Decorations

• In the long term, it is probably more economical to buy a good-quality fake Christmas tree that can be reused year after year than it is to buy a cut real Christmas tree every year.
• If you prefer a real Christmas tree, consider buying one with roots. You can then plant it in your garden after Christmas. If the tree survives, you can dig it up and redecorate it the next Christmas. Ask your tree supplier about how to increase your tree’s chances of survival.
• Consider making your own Christmas decorations. This can be both fun and economical. Ideas include popcorn garlands, dried fruit and pine branch arrangements, salt dough ornaments, paper chains, aluminium foil stars, etc. Pinecones and acorns can also be used as ornaments, either sprayed gold/silver or kept natural.

Food and drink

• If you are hosting a Christmas party, ask everyone to bring one dish to share with everyone. To keep the food balanced, you could specify whether the guest should bring a starter, a main course component, or a dessert. This is often called a “potluck” dinner. A similar idea could be applied to a drinks party; ask everyone to contribute one bottle of drink of their choice. This could be alcoholic or non-alcoholic. You as host could provide snacks and nibbles. In both types of party, make sure that you have a back-up supply of food and drinks!
• Non-perishable food can be bought well in advance of Christmas. Therefore, stock up whenever it is on sale. Don’t wait until a few days before Christmas, when it is likely to be at its maximum price!
• Take advantage of discount coupons/vouchers. These can often be found online or in in-store magazines.

Travel

• If you are travelling by train, bus, ferry, or plane, book your passage as early as possible. Significant savings can be made this way. If you book very late, you just might get lucky with a last-minute amazing deal. However, this is never guaranteed and it’s up to you whether you want to take the risk.
• If a group of you are travelling to the same place and there is the option of flying or travelling by ferry, it is often more economical to travel together by ferry. This is because many ferry companies charge per car, rather than per person.
• If you really want to reduce your travel costs, consider flying on Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve. Flights are often cheaper at these times. Do make sure to check that any other forms of transport that you require are running. You don’t want to end up having to pay a high taxi bill for a journey that you could normally do for much cheaper by bus or train!
• If you are planning to take lots of gifts with you when you fly, make sure that your baggage weight will not exceed that allowed by your airline. The charges for extra kilos can be extremely high. If you are organised in time, consider sending all your gifts by post. This may be a much cheaper alternative than paying excess baggage fees. You will also have more room in your suitcase for your own things!

Credit cards

• If you have a so called “cash back” credit card, remember to use this for all of your purchases. If you don’t have one, consider applying for one before you start your Christmas spending spree!