There are a lot of things going on as the end of the year approaches. Between the holidays, deadlines at work, and other personal responsibilities, it’s easy to forget about gifts. If you’re down to the wire and don’t know what to give someone for the holidays, these gifts will help spread joy to anyone who receives them.
Donate To a Charity In Their Name
If you’re struggling to give someone a gift because it seems like they already have everything, this is a great option. No matter what someone is passionate about, there will be a charity out there that they would be proud to donate to. To present this gift, write a thoughtful card about why you think the charity you’ve given to is great and include a receipt of the donation with their name on it.
If you aren’t sure what charity they would want to donate to, you can always give them a card that says you’ll donate a set amount of money to a charity of their choice. If you’ve narrowed it down to a few charities you think they’ll like, you can include the names and descriptions of those charities in the card as well.
A Home Cleaning
If the person you’re giving a gift to is not a fan of cleaning, you can gift them a deep cleaning for a local cleaning service to help them prepare for the new year. When your home starts to get messy, it’s easy to watch everything pile up and to end up with a bigger problem than before. However, by getting their home cleaned, you can help them reset the piled up things and give them a chance to keep things clean.
The piling up of untidy areas can have disastrous results — for example, mold can start to grow after something has been damp or wet for 48 hours. The longer than something stays wet the worse it will get, but if your gift recipient is no longer so overwhelmed by the space that they can’t think of where to start, they can clean up small messes quickly before something like mold sets in.
Subscription Box
Subscription boxes are a classic last-minute gift idea. There are almost endless options when it comes to subscription boxes, with boxes ranging from socks to whiskey samplers out there. If your recipient has any special interests, like a specific sport, you can look for subscription boxes that appeal to whatever that interest may be.
The subscription box doesn’t always have to seem immediately related to what your gift recipient is interested in. For example, if you’re giving a gift to someone who loves movie nights, you could gift them a subscription box full of fun snacks so that they can get the full movie night experience without having to go to the store.
Custom Clothing
If you want to give a gift that is completely unique to the recipient, consider gifting some custom clothing. First, you’ll need to decide what exactly it is that you want to gift them. Whether you choose a t-shirt, sweatshirt, hat, or any other piece of clothing, it’s easier to search for a designer that takes commissions once you know what you want to customise, or find a website that lets you customise now so that you can get your gift designed and ordered as quickly as possible. If you’re looking for a custom t-shirt, you’ll probably have quite a few options considering the fact that the industry is projected to be worth $6.9 billion by 2027.
Realistically, if you’re ordering this gift at the last minute, you won’t have it in your hands to give to your gift recipient at your exchange. However, you can print out a picture of what you’re giving them (or even make your own drawing or sketch of it) and give that to them with the promise that it’s coming. Many people are okay with waiting for a gift — think about it this way: it’s like you get to open the present twice.
Cook a Meal
If you love cooking, this is a great last-minute gift idea. Tell your gift recipient that you’ll cook them a meal of their choice at a time of their choice. You can make the meal you cook as complex or simple as you want — you could cook a full four-course meal, or you could just make a simple brunch for the gift recipient. Brunch actually began in the UK, so it could be a great idea for a shared meal for the gift recipient of your choice since it’s so customizable. You could do a dry or alcoholic brunch and include more breakfast foods or more lunch foods depending on what your gift recipient wants.
A Custom Care Package
Instead of getting one bigger present for your gift, you can get a selection of smaller gifts that all add up to a larger gift. You can include things like their favorite snacks and foods, small accessories, books, or little knick-knacks. You can also include gift cards to their favorite store, restaurant, or coffee shop — it won’t feel as impersonal as just giving a gift card since you’re including other things that they love alongside the gift cards. For example, if your gift recipient goes to Starbucks almost daily, including a $15 gift card could get them a few days worth of nicer drinks that they may not usually splurge on.
An Experience
Another great last-minute gift is to gift an experience. For example, if your gift recipient loves a local art museum, you could get them a set of passes or even a membership. If your recipient appreciates quality time together, try to look for an experience you can do together. You could look for fun activities like an escape room or bike tour of your city. If they’ve always wanted to check out a museum or an amusement park, you can gift them tickets so that they don’t have to worry about paying for it the first time they try it out.
Just because a gift is given at the last minute, that doesn’t mean it can’t be a thoughtful gift that perfectly fits whoever you’re giving it to. Think about your gift recipient’s interests and hobbies and you already have a great place to start.
