Gift-giving. Raise your hand if the idea of venturing out onto the busy high street sounds like your worst nightmare. It can be incredibly daunting when you know you want to give someone a gift for Christmas, but are stuck with how to stay within your budget whilst also getting them something they’ll actually like.
Christmas time is magical. I love the bright lights, the hot chocolates and the way people are so much happier and relaxed because of the festive joy and the nearing of the end of the year! It’s a time when we can show people how much we appreciate them. But I think there’s one thing we need to remember when it comes to presents. It’s never about how much you give someone. It’s about the thought. Here are some tips on what to get the people in your life for Christmas – minimalist style!
Gift them the book that means the most to you
If you love reading and you know your friend does too, the best gift you can give them this Christmas is a book. Choose a book that you’ve read and loved, or that made you cry or laugh and buy it for them! Inside the book, you can write a note telling them why you chose it and why you think they’d like it.
It’s not always about the gifts…
When it comes to gift-giving, I used to always think in the material sense. But, more recently, I’ve discovered that it’s not always about what you receive. Sometimes, just spending time with the people you care about makes for the best gift! Think about something your friend has always wanted to do but never seemed to get round to and book it for them. An experience offers the gift of fun memories, and, if it’s doing something they have always wanted to do, then it’ll definitely be one for the scrapbook!
If there’s nothing in particular that your friend wants to do, having a night out at a bar, trying different cocktails and just catching up can be a really fun time because you’re enjoying each other’s company.
Create a personalised scrapbook of your best memories together
Speaking of scrapbooking, in a time when we’re able to take beautiful photos and capture amazing life moments, a perfect minimalist gift for Christmas is a scrapbook filled with those lovely photos! You can customise it for your friend with the things they love. A scrapbook is a wonderful way to put all of your memories with your friends into one space. In creating and customising one, you’re giving them a way to stroll down memory lane and reminisce about all the fun times you’ve had together!
For the friend who refuses to let you buy them a gift…
I think we all have that friend who just doesn’t like receiving presents. This can make it almost impossible to buy them a present at Christmas time…but here’s the solution! A brilliant way to involve your friend in the season of giving, despite their dislike for actual presents is by making a donation to a charity that is close to their heart. Christmas is a time for generosity and if your friend won’t accept your gifts, this option may just be the one you’ve been looking for.
A little gift box of self-care cosmetics
Can you believe it? Self-care doesn’t have to be expensive or over the top! I used to believe that things like face masks were overly indulgent and in all honesty, pretty pointless. That was until I used one. Self-care is not about trying to look the best, it’s about trying to feel as good as you can. Personalising a little box of goodies that you can gift to a friend is a lovely way of showing them how much you care! It’s always nice to receive things you don’t normally buy for yourself! Things like face masks, moisturisers and bath bombs are all affordable, adorable products to include in your self-care box!
Thoughtfulness over quantity
The best way to gift-give this Christmas is to make things personal and to remember that it is quality and thoughtfulness over quantity! This helps to avoid those awkward I-love-it-so-much-even-though-it’s-the-worst-thing-I’ve-ever-seen smiles that we’ve all either done or seen when receiving or giving a present! Have fun with all your personalisations, and make this Christmas of giving one to remember!
