Christmas Gifts for People Who Don’t Need Anything
Gift Giving isn’t just a Christmas thing, but it is a thing at Christmas. There are generally more people to give gifts to and one group of people you have to think extra hard about are the ones who are in the process of downsizing. Downsizers are generally retired people who are starting to clear out their stuff. They probably have everything they need and most likely everything they want. What kinds of gifts do you give to this group of people? It’s a good idea to give consumable items they don’t already have. If they have a bunch of lotion, candles, aftershave etc, they don’t need more. What if you don’t know what consumables they have? The general rule of thumb is food. When giving food as a gift, be sure you know if the person you are giving to has an allergy you must consider. Here are some ideas…
A plate of cookies. If you make a special cookie, give it as a gift. You can also make a lovely plate with a sample of different cookies. The saying in my Scandinavian town is ‘Butter, Sugar and Love’ and cookies definitely fit the bill. What kind of cookies does the recipient like? A gift of cookies is ideal because there are so many different kinds of cookies you can make from the staple ingredients you have at home. You can add a little book of cookie recipes to the collection too, or not.
A coffee or tea collection. Most people drink coffee, tea or both. Find out what their favorite warm beverage is and put together a collection in a little basket or gift bag. Add home-made sugar cubes, little creamers that don’t have to be refrigerated, and a coffee card to their favorite cafe. You may not want to add a cup because that is one thing most people have too many of.
Chocolates. Chocolates are a universal favorite. Here again, you can create a little collection of different kinds of chocolates or give a special kind of chocolate bar or a box of chocolates. You can make chocolate candies or truffles. You can add a little book about different kinds of chocolate or the chocolate making process, or chocolate recipes to the collection as well.
Bread. Who doesn’t love a loaf of fresh baked bread. A seasonal loaf is a lovely gift. There is a famous bread for every culture and tradition. Learn more about the people you are giving bread to and make a loaf that represents their culture and tradition. Add a cute little selection of honey’s or jellies to the gift. Maybe pats of butter that have been pressed with a cute little design, or make your own butter to add to the gift. It’s always fun to add small books about the gift you’re giving. Not everyone’s a cook so recipe books aren’t always the best choice. There are fact books and process books you can add too.
A Gift Certificate. Is there a special dessert, salad, soup, or meal you prepare? A gift certificate that allows the receiver to collect their gift at a time of their convenience is a good idea. You can add whatever you want to the certificate, but be sure to consider a timeline for ordering so it’s convenient for you too. You also may want to give a seasonal gift that isn’t in season until a certain date. A certificate is perfect for seasonal items. For example if you are a wine maker and your wine won’t be ready for a couple of months, give a gift certificate. Seafood is also a good thing to give a gift certificate for because you want to get the seafood when it is in season.
Wine. A bottle of wine is always a welcome gift. You must be sure if the recipient drinks alcohol however. You also may try to find out what their favorite wine is. Again, you probably don’t want to include wine glasses or anything that has to be stored because remember, these are gifts for people who don’t want or need stuff. If you make wine, consider giving it as a gift. You can buy the favorite wine at the store and you can also make wine. You can find wine making kits on Amazon that can be ready in one month. You can get a Brewsy kit and make wine from juice you buy at the store in a week. If you are a traditional wine maker, each batch takes 2 years from start to finish, so deciding to give a gift of homemade wine you make the traditional way takes a little more planning. You can bottle wine in smaller containers and give a wine sample gift.
There are all kinds of food gifts you can give to a relative or friend who has everything. Just find something each person will enjoy, and dress it up in a pretty package and there you go. Do you have an idea of something that would be a smashing food gift?