Whether you are the perpetual procrastinator or just forgot to pick up stuffing stuffers, last minute shopping sure brings on the pressure! With the pressure, it can be difficult to think of the right gift. No worries! We did all the thinking for you and found the best last minute Christmas gift ideas.
With shipping challenges this year, last minute shoppers may have some significant challenges. We reached out to find out who would have stock ready for all your last minutes needs.
All of our ideas for last minute Christmas gifts can be found at your local retailers or simply ordered online. They are all innovative gifts that won’t scream “last minute” and versitile enough to handle everyone on your list.
PS:(Be sure to check out all our other Rural Mom Gift Guides this year, including our Last Minute Foodie Gifts feature for more inspiration!)
Gift Subscriptions
If you’re really in a pinch, gift subscriptions are the ultimate way to go. Many offer printable certificates or gift cards you can slip into a holiday card – and viola! Instant wonderful gift giving that continues into the new year!
ATLAS TEA CLUB
One of our favorite recent finds is the Atlas Tea Club. This lovely subscription takes your gift recipient on a taste-filled journey around the globe.
Ethically sourced and deliciously fresh, each monthly is a gift of amazing loose leaf teas from around the world (featuring a new country each month). Inside the box is also a postcard highlighting the featured country and tea history/origin, along with tasting notes, steeping tips, and more!
Subscriptions starting at just $10/month, so you can easily afford to gift yourself one, too. (Trust us, you’ll want to! These teas are truly amazing!) There’s also 3, 6, and 12 month gift subscription packages starting at $60 + free shipping. Atlas Tea Club offers last minute gifts via their “email gift” option, which is absolutely perfect for last minute shoppers.
ALLTRUISTS
If you are looking for a last minute child or family-oriented subscription, check out the gift boxes from Alltruists. They create unique ways for families to volunteer together and have oodles of fun in the process.
Alltruists sells individual boxes and 1, 3, 6, and 12 month subscriptions (around $50-$55 per box). And they are worth every single cent! You not just gifting a fantastic, clever activity box, you are gifting a gift that gives back!
With Alltruists get kid-friendly, at-home volunteer and giving projects. Alltruists offers families new, fun, and meaningful ways to develop empathy and make real impact in the world, through play and creativity. 90 percent of people say they want to volunteer, but only about one-third of us get around to doing so. Alltruists give everyone the chance to volunteer by removing some of the barriers (like scheduling) with in-home opportunities.
If you gift one box, may we suggest one centered on our favorite cause – The Alltruists Save The Bees Box. You use the box itself to make a pollinator hotel – so cool!!
The “Save The Bees” box, and every volunteer project box from Alltruists, includes conversation guides for parents, empathy-building activities, creative projects, and a donation experience that kids can take real action on. Upcoming issues they are exploring include clean water, hunger, foster animals, and mental health. Alltruists offers gift cards, too, which is absolutely perfect for last minute shopping.
Magazine Subscriptions
Most everyone loves to flip through magazines, especially ones on topics of interest. If you are shopping at the last minute, pick up a current issue of magazine that matches your gift recipient’s hobbies or passions (like cooking and travel).
Once you get it home, pull out the subscription card and fill it out for a year for your gift recipient. Wrap the magazine with ribbon or place into gift bag. Make a card (or write inside a holiday card) telling them they can expect to receive a new magazine each month for the next year.
Find Fun Foodie Goodies
Everyone needs to eat, and depending on what is available at your convenient store, or your own house, this present idea might be challenging. Likely it will be easy! This gift simply involves buying food as a present.
The food could follow a theme:
- Dinner time ingredients
- Snack food for movie watching
- Breakfast time
- Sport or outdoor activities
- Travel snacks
- Baby supplies
Pick a theme, grab some gourmet goodies for each theme and put them in a basket or bag. It’s tough to go wrong with food if you have foodies on your list. Many grocers already have prepared baskets, too, which is great for the last minute shopping crowd.
GREENS STEEL BEAST TUMBLER
No matter what foodie basket your decide to put together, you’ll want to add in a Greens Steel Beast Tumbler! They also make excellent stocking stuffers for everyone on your shopping list, especially gardeners, commuters, sports enthusiasts, and college students.
Greens Steel 20 oz and 30 oz Beast Tumblers were the first products to launch and have remained bestsellers ever since. Included with the tumbler is a pure food-grade stainless steel curved straw and lid, all presented in a beautiful gift box.
The great thing about Beast Tumblers is you’re not limited by what they can hold. Each cup has thermal insulation technology so they can store anything from water, coffee, soups, smoothies, even cocktails! You’ll find them online and at specialty retailers. You can even buy fun accesories for the Beast Tumblers including a coffee tumbler handle and additional stainless steel straws.
Make a Present of Everyday Things
Aside from food, everyone needs other items, like toothpaste, shampoo, scotch tape, razors, aspirin, and so on. If placed together with some creativity, the gift of these staples will seem meaningful. Also look for premium bath goods that deliver benefits like bubble baths or luxury beard oils.
VITAL YOU BATH BOMBS
In this category, we highly recommend you check out Vital You Bath Bombs. Their Joy CBD Bath Bomb creates the ‘essence of the holidays’ with warming spices of cinnamon + clove, balanced with spearmint + cardamon. It will lift anyone’s holiday spirits and they are so luxurious, no one will ever think twice (or care) that you purchased it last minute!
One of our personal favorites is the Vital You Hop on Top CBD Bath Bomb. Every relax with a bath beer? Now you can! This is a great unisex gift that will appeal to everyone. Infused with El Dorado hop oil, it gives you the flavorful effect of your favorite IPA.
The citrus notes are awesome and it truly makes for a fun and relaxing last minute Christmas gift experience. One they will absolutely appreciate after a stressful holiday season!
Another great practical last minute Christmas gift idea is to grab some cozy mittens and hats for the cold weather ahead. Everyone is always searching for an extra pair of gloves! But don’t gift just any gloves, gift them ones they’ll rave about for years to come like Heat Holders®.
With Heat Holders, you can give the perfect gift of warmth! They are handy for all outdoor needs from holiday window shopping to hunting. When you put them on, you’ll instantly notice how much warmth they provide. We happen to love this as it gets quite cold in Kentucky in the winter months. With Heat Holders, we can do all our outdoor farm chores and not have to worry about the bitter cold freezing our fingers!
Heat Holders also sells socks, headbands, earmuffs, blankets and more. Whatever you need to stay cozy and warm in the cold weather, they have it! Buy them for yourself or give them as a gift, once you try them you’ll be sure to fall in love.
Candy Presents: Trip Down Memory Lane
Kids of all ages love candy. Buying for adults can take them straight down Christmas memory lane. Look for fun items they may have not eaten in a while, such as PEZ Candy, or Jack in the Box. Put the candy into a children’s birthday gift bag, a paper bag or a lunch kit. They’ll be so busy smiling, they won’t realize it was a last minute Christmas gift!
Engage Thier Interests
Nothing quite says “thoughtful gift” than one that is in tune with your gift recipient’s interests. Even if you don’t know everything about them, little things like favorite colors, patterns, or movie characters will mean a lot.
PEGAI DUPAGE LEATHER JOURNAL
If you have any world explorers, college students, travelers, home chefs or aspiring writers on your last minute shopping list, a PEGAI DuPage Leather Journal is the ultimate classy last minute gift!
Perfect for every adventure, every recipe, every story idea, or wish list, this lovely (refillable) journal will quickly become a treasured favorite. Just holding it in your hands makes you want to dream big. The journal can be purchased as is (pictured) or personalized with firebranded initials.
PEGAI is an online leathercrafts brand established in 2017 located in Dallas, Texas. They are experts in creating gift products that are useful yet elegant. All of our products are personalized gifts made of real full-grain leather that are perfect for any occasion, no matter what the season is. It is part of the brand’s mission to help people experience leather in the most authentic and stylish way possible while giving back to the community – so, a part of their profits is donated to charities that help underprivileged children around the world.
In addition to an amazing journal, PEGAI also creates a full range of leather products including iPhone cases, belts, wallets, tote bags and more. This is a gift that will never be thought of as a last minute purchase. Even you will be amazed by your cleverness!
Games and Puzzles
Truly in a pickle and stumped for a great gift? If you know your gift recipient’s favorite movies, books, television shows, animals or other interests, you can quickly pair them with a game or puzzle!
Family game night is wildly popular right now and with people staying in more, puzzles have increased in popularity, too. In addition to gifts, card games or puzzle books can make fun stocking stuffers, too.
At a loss for what game to buy for a last minute Christmas gift? Scratch off lottery tickets can make a fun gift, especially if they win big!
OOLY HAPPY PACKS
As the name implies, OOLY Happy Packs are designed to elicit smiles of joy! OOLY is a company that really knows how to create clever office and school supply designs. They have colorful goodies and family-inspired activites for adults and kids.
OOLY Happy Packs are themed packs chock full of fun supplies that everyone will enjoy – young and old! From Outer Space to Unicorns or Monsters, there’s an OOLY Happy Pack style for everyone on your last minute Christmas gift shopping list. You’ll find them both online and at plenty of retailers nationwide. They also make fantastic stocking stuffers.
In addition to Happy Packs, OOLY offers all sorts of fun and exciting products for all interests. Whether your gift recipient likes art, DIY, or just colorful office supplies, OOLY has them!
Gift cards and gift certificates have become an integral part of convenient, time restrictive, shopping. But, sometimes all it takes for last minute Christmas shopping is to buy everyday items in a theme, and most importantly, finish the gift with heartfelt words.
