It’s after December 1st, which means that it’s holiday season! Time to break out the fake Christmas tree in the basement (because who even has a real tree these days) and get into the holiday spirit! Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or any other winter holiday, it’s the most wonderful time of the year and I intend to cherish it.
Every year, I struggle to figure out what the heck to get my friends and family for the holidays. I usually end up searching “gift ideas for ____” on Google, trying to come up with ideas. Since there’s way too many articles on the Internet for this same purpose, I figured many others also struggle with coming up with gift ideas. So, I decided to make a list of my own. This is the totally comprehensive holiday gift guide for anyone you could ever want to buy a gift for. Honestly, this could most definitely be used for birthdays as well, so use this gift guide as you will.
When I was looking at the articles online, a lot of them were either out of my price range or I knew my friends/family wouldn’t actually want them. My parents are Asian. They do not need personalized golf balls. Unlike what the Internet thinks, I also do not have the money to buy them an Echo Dot. Thus, most of the items on this list are relatively affordable because 90% of the people reading this are broke teenagers like me. Some of them are pricier, though I tried to keep them in a more affordable realm.
Most of these gifts, especially the friend ones, are very trendy, but I also see them going the distance and being cool a few years in the future (the bucket hats are questionable, though). This in no way is a wish list for myself, and I’m not trying to insinuate that I expect any of these things as a gift. Yes, there are some things on this list that would be nice to have, but I just made this to help other people (and myself too, honestly). I tried to keep it very general for things that most people like and include things many of my friends/family members would enjoy. But that’s just a disclaimer that this isn’t a personal wish list. I look like an egg in hats. Not to say that if you got me a hat I wouldn’t be thankful, though.
That was the longest intro ever, but I hope y’all find this helpful. Give your loved ones a virtual hug (or a real one if you live together) and tell them how much you appreciate them. Happy holiday season, and have fun shopping!
Note: the pictures from this post are from some of the recommended links, so all credits to them. The only pictures that are mine are the Hong Kong cityscape and the mini apple pies.
I had to include this picture from Hong Kong before we started, though
Friends (basically teen girls)
Jewelry, especially cute ones from small businesses like Layered by Lolo, Precious by Kate, or Stella and Luna (100% of Stella and Luna's profits go to charity)!
A gift card to Spotify so they can get Premium for a certain amount of time
Stationery (Zebra Mildliners, Muji gel pens, etc)
An AirPods case (I got this cute one for my sister last year)
Lip balm (Glossier Balm Dot Com and Smith’s Rosebud Salve are both really popular, but I still <3 my eos)
Sheet masks (the beauty kind, like these)
Nail polish
Makeup or skincare products (trendy brands include Glossier, Tarte, Morphe, Fenty, Benefit, etc)
A bucket hat (because those are trendy)
Merch from their favorite celebrity, YouTuber, movie/show, or sports team
The lights ft. cute stickers
A lightbox to spice up their room
LED lights for those TikTok room vibes
Stickers (my sister loves Redbubble)
Any kind of trendy clothing (Nike Air Force 1s, Lululemon, etc)
A disposable camera
A Polaroid camera
Hair accessories (scrunchies, barrettes, claw clips, etc)
A bandanna or hair scarf
Concert tickets (though you may want to wait until 2022)
A new game for their Nintendo Switch or gaming system
Items related to the sport they play (ex: a keychain with a soccer ball or their jersey number on it)
Family
One of these stick-on phone pockets so they don’t forget anything
An Instant Pot because you can do everything with them
Kitchen gadgets to make their life that much easier
A mug or water bottle
This scratch off map of the world so they can track all the places they’ve been
Board or card games (Monopoly, Cards Against Humanity, Codenames), so you have no excuse not to do family game night
This scrabble-style wall art with all of your family names
A back/neck massager to release all the tension
Nicely scented candles (don’t make your mom’s house smell like a flower field. Maybe just some slight flower field vibes, like you’re smelling the field from across the street)
Wool runners from Allbirds (my mom has these; would recommend)
Cute oven mitts for the pastry chef in your family (like these adorable doggo ones)
An apron for your favorite home chef (like these gorgeous floral ones)
Succulents to spruce up your living space without the extra maintenance
A pot for those succulents, such as this one that looks like a corgi (how much cuter could this get)
“Coupons” for chores (ex: 10 free home-cooked dinners or 12 free laundry batches)
A calendar for the next year
Reusable alternatives to everyday items (plastic bags, cotton pads, shopping bags, etc)
Anyone
A handwritten card (the best thing on this list, period)
Cute socks (my sister always gets them from Socksmith)
Something handmade featuring photos of you two or things they like (ex: a collage, this waterfall photo card, or these photo cubes)
Masks
A donation to their favorite charity
Art featuring a quote meaningful to your relationship
Desk decor so they can show off their working from home setup
A weighted blanket for a good night’s sleep
A scrapbook or photo album
A book of all the places you’re going to go together after the pandemic
A gift card to any kind of paid subscription service (Netflix, Hulu, Hello Fresh, etc)
A gift card to their favorite store (or just Amazon) -- they’re likely going to want these, but make sure to also give them something more meaningful because gift cards definitely come off as an “easy buy”
A gift card to a sustainable clothing store so they can shop sustainably without breaking the bank (see Vanessa Nagoya’s video for ideas)
Reusable straws
Enamel pins, like these cute succulent ones
A Cameo message from their favorite celeb
A portable charger
Resistance bands or other workout equipment
If they have a record player, add to their vinyl collection
A milk frother, French press, or other gadgets for the coffee lover in your life
Snacks (yum)
Chocolate, because you can’t go wrong with chocolate
Going along with the chocolate theme, a DIY s’mores kit for all of your camping (or microwave) adventures
A DIY movie night kit with microwave popcorn and their favorite candy
Homemade baked goods
My Tips
Think of inside jokes you have or things you know they like (ex: my sister likes coffee and cats, so I got her these socks)
Think of their bad habits (ex: my friend’s phone kept dying at school so I got him a portable charger)
Do they always mention something? (ex: if they always talk about being cold, get them a fuzzy sweater or sweatshirt)
Look at YouTubers or influencers who are a similar age and see what products they usually use or recommend (ex: Nicole Laeno always talks about Smith’s Rosebud Salve, Remi Cruz loves candles, Gabi Fuller always does partnerships with Hello Fresh, and LaurDIY loved the Sprinkles cupcakes her best friend got her)
Go on TikTok and see what all the small businesses are making, or see which small businesses are going viral
Go snooping around on Amazon and see what they recommend, or just search up “gifts for ____”
Watch people’s “what I got for Christmas” or “what I got for my birthday” videos
A note for buying clothes: I included a few trendy brands, like Nike and Lululemon, but be careful when buying clothes for someone because you don’t want to buy them something that they don’t like and consequently won’t wear. Look at their current style and try to find some similar pieces that fit with the overall vibe. If you always see them in trendy outfits, look at similar trendy brands (shop as sustainably as you can though). Also, always include that ~nice~ gift receipt.
Think of what you want to receive for yourself. I was doing an SAT practice passage all about gift giving and basically, people have a hard time translating between the giving and receiving mindset. Many people buy expensive, extravagant gifts, assuming it’ll make the receiver happy, but that same gift wouldn’t be one that they’d want for themselves. Spending more money on something doesn’t necessarily equal greater appreciation by the recipient. Instead of defaulting to something boujee and expensive, find something more meaningful and thoughtful, even if it may cost less.
Happy holidays, everyone! Hope you enjoyed!
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