10 last-minute Christmas gift ideas

By Patricia May P. Catan
Illustrations: Enrico P. Santisas

 

CHRISTMAS is said to be the most wonderful time of the year. Young and old alike look forward to Christmas for the joy and love it brings to everyone who celebrates it. Other than that, nothing truly beats the familiar feeling of warmth on Christmas morning when it’s time to unwrap presents under the tree. Christmas after all is the season of giving and many of us put so much effort in picking the most thoughtful gifts and carefully wrapping them for family and friends. But what happens when life gets in the way and you have barely any time to shop for presents? You don’t have to fret one bit because we got you covered on that part. Here we list 10 last-minute gift ideas that are equally well thought out.

A succulent in a personalized planter.

Succulents are the perfect low-maintenance plants for those with a black thumb and they make as a pretty present too. You can give it a personalized touch by painting the receiver’s initial on a wooden cube planter. Now with a personalized planter for the succulent, it will look good wherever it’s displayed at home.

A box of freshly-baked cupcakes.

You may call it old school but nothing will top the effort of baking goodies for a special someone, whether he’s family or friend. You can whip up a cupcake recipe from scratch then top each baked good with one-of-a-kind treats like pecans and strawberries. These cupcakes will not only taste sweet but look good once you present them inside a gorgeous gift box.

A set of crocheted coasters.

Crocheting jute twines make rustic-looking and unique coasters that are the best kind to hand as a gift set this holiday season. Crocheting actually takes a lot of time and effort, which automatically put crocheted coasters in the thoughtful gift list. Coasters are very useful too, so you won’t regret about investing so much energy into crocheting each one.

A colorful jar of pretty flowers.

In comes the famous mason jar for this last-minute gift idea because you can create a gazillion things from a single jar and transform them into something beautiful and more useful like a vase. You can paint the mason jars with pretty colors to make them eye-catching since Christmas is all about being merry and bright. You can then shop for fresh blooms or artificial ones for the finishing touch.

A box of customized notepads.

A customized notepad is the ideal present for family and friends who find the joy in jotting down cherished memories. There’s plenty of online shops or physical stores where they make customized pads that are light on the pocket. You can choose your design and have the name of the receiver printed on each paper.

A set of painted wooden utensils.

Transform plain wooden utensils into vibrant ones by dipping their ends in paint to add a splash of color in your family or friend’s kitchen. It’s always fun to look at bright colors while whipping something exciting in the kitchen and these painted wooden utensils do the trick. Your family member or friend is sure to appreciate the gesture and will treasure the set until it lasts.

A garden of flower magnets.

Last-minute Christmas gift ideas involve a lot of arts and crafts, which is a good thing because your gifts are evidently well-curated like these flower magnets. You can quickly shop for fabric flowers and tiny magnets to start, then all you need to do is adhere the flower to the magnet and wait to dry. These flower magnets will give life to your family or friend’s refrigerator or office desk.

A basket of fruit salad ingredients.

Who wouldn’t love a basket complete of fruit salad ingredients for Christmas? Fruit salad is basically a staple dessert found on the Christmas table that’s loved by many. You can pack all the needed essentials to make a fruit salad in one basket and your family will surely indulge receiving this delicious kit.

A beaded jewelry.

A beaded jewelry is something that’s worth wrapping as a gift to someone who fancies simple jewelry. It’s important to be aware of the style of the person you’re giving a beaded jewelry for you to know exactly what colors to make.

A single homemade journal.

We always have that one family member or friend who loves to write and there’s no better gift for them than a journal, a homemade one at that to add a personal touch. You can use spare special papers at home and bind them together to create a journal.