25 Useful Christmas Gift Ideas 2021

I know that it's too early to start talking about Christmas gift ideas...but hear me out. If we can get a bunch of gifts knocked out NOW, it will make the holiday season more enjoyable! Plus, when we're not feeling behind, we can put more thought into gifts and make them more meaningful!

GIFTS MENTIONED ::

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Driven Coffee:

SUPER EASY Graham Cracker Gingerbread Houses

[HeidiLilley]

several years ago my husband and I had some major unexpected expenses come up in Nov which meant the holiday was going to be hard for us. My grandmother was 84 years old and there was NOTHING she needed, but one thing she had never done in her life was to go to a Red Sox baseball game, and I know she listened to every game on the radio and then when she got TV, watched every game. She loved her red sox! My husband and I drew out this really cute coupon that said on May 12th you are receiving a trip to Boston to the Red Sox, and included a baseball cap and a small redsox key chain. The even more fun thing was that the day we chose to take her there was her b-day. So we took her to dinner as well as the and the Red Sox WON!!!

[sallyjackson]

My parents are retired and like consumable gifts like car wash, oil change, and hair salon gift certificates. It's something they definitely will use and enjoy!

[paulacostello]

One of my favourite gifts ever. When I was a poverty-stricken university student, as one of my xmas gifts my mother made up a shoebox (literally) full of toiletries. Not even anything fancy, just ordinary toothpaste, deodorant, etc. I was thrilled because i didn't have to spend my scarce money on boring but necessary stuff. When my brother was poverty-stricken at college, my mother suggested i give him a bath towel because she knew he didn't have a decent one, and he was thrilled. Gifts don't have to be fancy, just meaningful to both the giver and the gifted.

[melissamariejensen]

Our family gathered for pizza and then we rented a "party bus" that fit our entire extended family. The bus took us to all the best Christmas lights in the city. We played Christmas music and stopped for hot chocolate along the way. It was a memorable evening.

[julienegustafson]

Minimalist Teacher here - Seriously, a thoughtful notes in a card is worth a million bucks to us!!!
$5 coffee gift cards are also the bomb. Teachers are always exhausted, and they come in extra handy on those cold, dark winter mornings.

[chappels]

My parents are in their 80's and don't need to add to their very cluttered home! Many years ago I started sending them bird seed and suet cakes for special occasions and holidays. They love attracting birds to their yard. I've learned that consumable gifts are awesome! Tammy in N Alabama. 🙋‍♀️

[alicemurraymurr-madedesign]

When my kids were in university and didn't have a lot of disposable income we started doing recycled Christmas. We loved it so much that 20 years later we are still doing it. All gifts you give have to be either something you already own or something you make. I had things in house like new sheet sets in the original packaging, grandpa's shirts to make memory pillows, a evening clutch that was great grandma's. The handmade gifts were sometimes funny sometimes practical. All in all it has lead to much better Christmas gift giving and we haven't been to the mall in years.

[lauramuhlestein]

We’ve begun a tradition of asking that our 8 children and their families don’t give us gifts, and instead do a service or make a donation to something they are passionate about then write down the story of their experience. It has made Christmas even more meaningful and created strong bonds. I hope this tradition carries on forever!

[hannahbarteck]

I’m a piano teacher and one year I got almost $100 in Starbucks gift cards. I rarely treat myself to things like coffee out (it’s so much cheaper to make it at home and ya girl has student loans to pay off!) so this was such a treat. It lasted for MONTHS and I got to think of my students and how lucky I am to have students and families I work with each time I treated myself to a cheeky little Starbucks. We ❤️ gift cards almost as much as we love teaching!!!

[manditrefcer]

I was talking to my 14 yr old last night on what he wants this year. He looked at me and said "you know I really can't think of anything. I have everything I need." This is after years of FOLLOWING YOU DAWN and practicing minimalism. It just filled my heart. This year has been so hard for so many reasons including lots of parenting doubt, but in that moment I was like I'm doing just fine. Thank you Dawn for continuing to spread such an important message.

[greatduet]

As a busy mom, I would love to receive a freezer meal with disposable plates and silverware. A night off from cooking & dishes!!

[DH-kuqg]

When my son was about nine my income was very low. I gave my son IOU's for Christmas for movies or future events during the next several months. I wrapped the hand written IOU up in a small box. He was not all that thrilled at first but he understood about the situation. He got excited when a new sci fi movie came out... he would bring me the IOU to cash in and we would go to see any new movie that came out even if it was 6 months later. It is a cherish memory now. That was being a minimalist 40 years ago!

[jessicamartinkosky]

My brother and his wife gifted us a weekend of yardwork (plus homemade Thai for dinner) one year. It was amazing - they moved a bunch of bushes(!) and logs, helped us declutter our barn AND made a wonderful dinner. Best gift ever!!

[grettaspier]

One year I made gift boxes. Two I remember, in particular. One was a box for entertaining to my mom, who became anxious about having even a small number of guests. The box included everything she'd need, from napkins and paper plates to a cheesecake she could freeze and thaw when she needed it. The other was to a hard-working niece: a day in bed. It included what she would have earned working that day, a book, snacks, etc.

[andreasimanson]

My Dad passed away in April (he had pancreatic cancer). I'm so grateful that I had made his favorite candy (homemade almond roca) for Christmas every year for a few years before he passed. He didn't need stuff, but he sure enjoyed that special homemade gift. I also gave his two doggies gift packages of dog treats and chew toys. This was meaningful for him because he LOVED his dogs so much!

[HomesteadingChicks]

I put my 14 year old in charge this year. She made an Amazon linked Google Doc and asked at family parties if the items she thoughtfully picked were the right thing. Everyone was grateful and surprised. I have been purchasing what I can each payday from her list. She wraps as they come. It’s a huge burden for me to figure out what to give and handle it all myself. She’s doing amazing and under budget too! Great math assignment.

[suetillman]

When my mother in law was a live. We picked a day between thanksgiving and Christmas. She made lunch for me and I wrapped all her gifts for her. We had great fun and had special time together each year.

[TeacherWhatIDo]

Last year I started a new tradition of gifting printed copies of my 5 favorite new recipes from the past year. It's a way to share a bit of my life with family members and friends that I don't get to see all the time. One way to make it more "gift-y" would be to include a specialty ingredient that is needed for one of the recipes.

[sarahthatcher]

We get my elderly mother a ‘subscription’ for a bouquet of fresh cut flowers once every month for the entire year. It is very special to her and they don’t last forever which is great. They swap out the vases every time. So no clutter.

[debmckerrow]

I decided a few years ago to pare down the gifts for my grandchildren. They get plenty of stuff! Now they get an item of clothing, and a coupon for an individual trip to the donut shop with Grandma. I wrap both item, and put them in a large packing box, available at Walmart for around $2. I do not wrap the box. As it turns out the box is the best part. They play with those boxes the whole Christmas vacation. They color them, they glue things on them, they turn them into cars and rockets and doll houses. They get in them with their blankets and read. By the time the tree comes down, the boxes are ready to recycle.
The ten year old has already asked if his Christmas present would be in a big box this year. Of course it will be!! I will give them boxes as long as they want them. After all, a box can always be put to good use in their closet.