4 Last Minute Holiday Gifts That Are Still Meaningful (And Affordable)
Ok, so you’ve passed the deadline for ordering a gift that will actually arrive before Christmas or whichever day you’re planning on swapping presents. Sigh…you did it again. Not to fear! There are plenty of gifts that you can put together at the last minute that are still incredibly meaningful and will even help strengthen the relationship between you and your loved one. Read on to put together a gift that will produce tears of joy, even when assembled in the final hour!
Gift An Experience
Gifting your loved one an experience - particularly one that you can do together - is an incredible way to show care and express your desire to spend more time with them. It’s a truly lovely gesture, and also helps to feel like your money is going towards something you and them will actually enjoy (and not to something that may or may not get stuffed to the back of the closet…).
Some inspiration:
Tickets to a concert. Yes, some concerts are super expensive, but many smaller-scale or local artists have super fun shows for around $20/ticket or even less sometimes! You can also find theater or sports game tickets on sale, depending on where you live, that your loved one might even prefer. My personal favorite is a comedy show: often, comedy shows are free at a bar or venue and your gift can be bringing them and buying you both drinks and/or food! And they’re just so dang fun - you can’t beat it.
Make a reservation for high tea for two at a nice hotel or other restaurant/venue near you. This could also be some other eating/drinking experience like a wine tasting, cooking class, etc.! Again, stick to coffee/tea-type options to keep it cheap. Also check out Groupon (not a paid promo– we really just think they’re cool) - they have a ton of discounted experiences for two!
Plan a day trip to a winter (or other season) getaway event or destination - think: a beautiful hike, a cozy spa where you can get a simple (affordable) treatment, apple picking in the fall, a nearby museum you never go to, etc. This is an exciting day to look forward to where you can dedicate time to spending with that person doing something new and fun!
2. Gift A Poem Or Quote
There are a ton of wonderful poets and poignant quotes out there on a little something called the World Wide Web (ever heard of it?). Think about your loved one and what they mean to you and what’s important to them, and find a poem or quote that reflects it. Bonus points if the poem encompasses something about your relationship with this person.
Many poets sell prints of their work for $10-$20, and ideally you could order one to support the artist. But we’re last minute here, so that may not be an option! Copy and paste the poem or quote you find into a document, choose a nice font and design. You could even go on Canva (a free design tool, and yep, this also isn’t a paid promo– just something we think is useful) to make this ~extra fancy~ and print it out. You can sign it with a personalized note if you’d like, or leave it blank. Then run to your closest frame or hardware store and pick up a simple frame for a beautiful presentation and wrap it up. You have your gift!
3. Gift A Scrapbook Celebrating Your Year Together
This is another DIY gift that’s just as much fun to make as it is to give! Go to your local pharmacy or convenience store and pick up a scrapbook - this could also just be a nice-looking notebook with non-lined paper if they don’t have actual scrapbooks. Then, print out your favorite photos of you and your loved one, and/or each of you individually, and paste them into the scrapbook, leaving some areas in the margins blank. Fill in the blank margins with notes, reactions to the photos, explanations of what’s happening throughout the year illustrated through the pictures, words of encouragement or pride for your loved one, and more. Throw in items you saved that you can paste like movie tickets, wristbands from an event you went to together, etc. if applicable.
Don’t forget to add some color with markers/colored pencils, stickers, and anything else that pops! Add a heartfelt note at the beginning or end of the scrapbook to tell your loved one how much they mean to you, how much you enjoyed spending the past year with them, and your hopes for them and for your relationship in the coming year. This is a wonderful way to show care that’s affordable and that can be put together at the last minute.
Assemble A Personalized Gift Basket
Instead of scrambling to find a “big” gift that they might not even like, opt to put together a cute, fun, and personalized gift basket of their favorite things. Go to the dollar or convenience store and pick up some little trinkets or items you know they love and make their day-to-day life better. This could include their favorite candy, some cute rings or small accessories, an inexpensive face mask, lotion, etc., their favorite tea or coffee product, and even a home baked good if you have the time.
You can even DIY some of these gift items: it’s super easy to make a homemade sugar scrub and other products like that.
Finish it off by adding colorful descriptive tags to the items and adding in why you included it for your loved one (i.e., what about the item is specific to them? Feel free to get silly here!).
These amazing gifts are perfect examples of why gift-giving doesn’t have to be time-consuming, be super planned-ahead, or a complete wipe-out of your bank account - and can still be even more meaningful than something store-bought. I know I would tear up if I received one of these this year… wouldn’t you? Try one out this holiday season, and let us know how it goes!