Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat; and you STILL don’t have a present for the old man’s hat! Despite the 12 months’ notice, and the certainty that Christmas will indeed take place on the same day every year, the holidays somehow always manage to sneak up on us. Stores and websites can still expect an avalanche of customers in mid-to-late December, struggling to find a last-minute gift that isn’t out of stock or that will ship on time.
If you often find yourself falling into the above group, well, don’t worry: Zazzle has done the legwork this year, and has trawled the internet in search of readily available eleventh-hour gifts. Divided into 20 last-minute gift ideas across 4 categories, these options should take your Christmas planning out of the frying pan and into roasting chestnuts on an open fire…
Digital Cards and E-Gifts
These imaginative alternatives to prepaid credits cards and coupons are easy to order and fun to receive!
1. Request a personalized video from Cameo.
Cameo.com allows you to commission a one-of-a-kind video message from a host of popular actors, musicians, and sports stars. You can even schedule one-on-one video calls!
2. Purchase an Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo gift card.
Unsure of which sought-after game is on their wish list this year? Or, at least, you’re unsure of where you’re going to get it on Christmas Eve?! Drop a digital code to them and they can browse the storefront themselves!
3. Treat them to a meal with Seamless.
The name of this site is appropriate given how hassle-free the redemption process is. With a Seamless e-card, your recipient can get food delivered from over 300,000 restaurants across the U.S.
4. Support local bookstores with a Bookshop.org gift card.
This website has a novel idea: order a book on the portal, and the sale can be attributed to a bookstore of your choice. Even if you don’t designate a store, the sale will still be added to an earnings pool, which will then be evenly distributed among independent booksellers!
5. See how a ClassPass gift card works out.
Gift cards on ClassPass.com function as credit; this credit can then be used to avail of workshops, beauty treatments, and at-home workouts from over 35,000 different partners. With so many classes and experiences consolidated into one website, it’s never been easier to keep up those New Year’s resolutions!
Subscription Boxes
You might have missed the holiday deadline for a Christmas gift, but you can still give them something to look forward to with a subscription box!
6. Raise a glass to the Craft Beer Club.
Sample the best that micro-breweries in the U.S. have to offer with a customizable subscription! Each package arrives with a selection of beers from a specific region, along with copies of the Micro Brew News magazine.
7. Alternatively, sip back and relax with a Winc gift card.
If they’re a wine drinker as opposed to a beer lover, then a 1-, 2-, or 3-month subscription to Winc.com will connect your recipient to a range of exclusive tastes and flavors.
8. Put their thinking caps on with The Conundrum Box.
Gifting to a couple? Then this monthly puzzle could be just the fun activity to liven up date night! Part-escape room and part-mystery game, each history-inspired adventure even comes with music and food to evoke the right atmosphere!
9. Make their wish for a Disney + subscription come true.
Okay, so this entry isn’t exactly a subscription box; it’s more like having countless box sets at your disposal. A year’s membership entitles the recipient to a year’s worth of Marvel, Pixar, and FOX movies and TV shows!
10. Broaden their horizons with a Book of the Month package.
If the Bookshop.org card sounded good, but you wanted to inject a little more randomness and variety into their reading, then this is the way to do it. The service chooses 5 best-selling books each month and the user can then select one of those to be delivered.
Experiences and Memberships
These unique last-minute gift ideas are perfect for those who want to introduce their friends and family to new experiences and knowledge!
11. Enroll them in a Masterclass.
We’re sure you’ve heard of this one, and with good reason: it’s a very popular, professional programme. A Masterclass membership grants you access to over 100 different classes, delivered by world-famous actors, musicians, and writers.
12. Attend the codeSpark Academy.
codeSpark Academy is indeed a game, but it’s also a series of tutorials for kids, introducing them to the basics of coding. Unlimited coding challenges, educational puzzles, and a colorful cast of characters known as the Foos are here to help children develop their IT skills!
13. Head outdoors with a National Parks pass.
With so many months spent cooped up indoors, it’s still hard to believe that we can resume some of our fun leisure activities again. A National Parks annual pass covers entrance fees at over 2,000 sites, meaning there’s no excuse not to visit some of the U.S.’s finest nature reserves and tourist attractions.
14. Help them with their interior design plans.
Decorist gift cards include a consultation with an expert interior designer. Your recipient can review each designer’s work, available to view on the site, and then choose whom they’d like to create a custom room plan. This is a particularly good gift idea for those moving around the holidays.
15. Take to the skies with a helicopter ride.
This is another aptly named site: Golden Moments.com allows users to book once-in-a-lifetime experiences, such as the chance to drive a Ferrari or ride in a hot air balloon. We’d recommend their helicopter experiences, however, where you can go sight-seeing in LA, San Francisco, or the Grand Canyon (all from the air, of course).
DIY Ideas
Finally, here are some last-minute gifts that are easy to make but difficult to forget.
16. Bake a cake or cook a meal.
Which of these is appropriate depends on whether your recipient likes their gifts to be sweet or savory. Delish has served up some iconic Christmas recipes, whereas Good Housekeeping has a guide to baking seasonal pies, cakes, and trifles.
17. Build them a gift basket.
Find yourself a festive-sized box and fill it with a grab bag of items you know they’ll enjoy: candy, cupcakes, candles, and other stocking stuffers are some good ideas. A quick trip to your nearest grocery store is all it takes, and you can have a lot of fun personalizing the hamper to suit your recipient.
18. Knit them a Christmas gift.
Whether this is possible might depend on your skills with a needle! However, if you’re confident in your abilities and you have the materials to hand (along with these downloadable PDFs), then a pair of stockings, gloves, or a soft toy shouldn’t be beyond your reach!
19. Send them a Zazzle Christmas card.
If you had a wonderful gift planned and it just won’t arrive in time, then at least you can still send them a card to remind them that the real surprise is on the way. Browse from thousands of Zazzle’s holiday and seasonal card designs, and add your own personal touch with our design tool. Upgrade to Zip and Zip Plus for industry-best shipping speeds!
20. … Or send them a card from Zazzle Create.
If all else fails and you’re unable to secure a gift in time, then our customizable digital templates are another option. Make your edits, download the design, and you can email it or use it on social media.
There ya have it! Our list of top 20 last-minute gift ideas for all the last-minute shoppers out there! Beyond this list, we have even MORE last-minute Christmas gifts on Zazzle.
Best of luck with your gift-giving, and if you’d like to avoid a similar last-gasp situation next time, browse through the full range of gift guides on Zazzle Ideas!
Eoin is a Content Specialist at Zazzle in Cork. He’s recently bought a house with his fiancée, and thus most of his time these days is spent trying to keep the walls from caving in and the wolves from the door. Still, he’s always open to book, game, and movie recommendations, so if you have some, let him know: he’ll add them to a very, very long list.
