I really love this fun and inspirational list that was compiled by members of the Clutter Clearers’ Peer Support Group and the Declutter Your Life and Mind Facebook Group.
General Items
- Photos or a photo collage
- Digital – birthday calendar
- Digital – family recipes
- Ear Ring Holder – to organize earrings and/or jewelery
- Beautiful box and/or bag to store something specific
- A portrait or painting that you did yourself
- Homemade gifts are always welcome and appreciated – I love homemade, natural bath products
- Photos of an event or someone special
- Plants – Amaryllis, Paper White, Hyacinth or Succulents – I think they are bulbs
Consumables
- Groceries or grocery gift cards
- Candy ie. caramel corn, peanut brittle, truffles
- Chocolate is always in style
- Wine/spirits/juice/fancy tea/coffee/kombucha
- Spice mixes
- Orange pomander – orange studded with whole cloves, rolled in cinnamon – (I made one of these for my mom once)
- Herbs from your garden (fresh or dried)
- Homegrown or store bought bouquets
- Treats in a jar – cookie ingredients and recipe
- A tray of homemade cookies or other holiday delicacies
- Edibles (not sure what she meant by that)- I think anything you can eat lol
Experiences
- Event tickets – plays, movies, concerts, etc. (with a plan to go with the recipient)
- Theme Park Pass – Zoo Membership
- Fitness Membership
- Coffee gift cards with a planned Coffee Date
- Gift Cards for restaurants (A great family gift)
- Subscription to a Meal Delivery Program like Hello Fresh or Cherf’s Plate
- Spa Days
Acts of service
- Coupons for doing chores around the house ie: dishes, laundry, babysitting, dog-walking…
- Coupons for foot rubs, back rubs, etc.
- Charitable gifts in the person’s name
- Car Detailing (could be a gift card)
Green wrapping ideas (for all you crafty ones)
- Newspaper, magazines, potato print or rubber stamped plain paper, brown paper packages tied up with (coloured) string; or ornamented with pine cones, other natural items or paper snowflakes (I love making paper snowflakes)
- Homemade holiday ornaments – salt or cinnamon dough cut outs, paper garlands
- Homemade cloth bags if you enjoy sewing
And the #1 popular non clutter gift that everyone loves – when in doubt give……. Money $$$
Do you have a project or a room you are working on? Do you need some guidance and accountability to get it done? I would love to work with you – Let’s work together. You can always book a free Coffee Chat with me.
What are your ideas for Clutter Free Gifts?
I would be delighted to receive almost any one of these gifts, and I love the fact that the ideas came from members of your groups. Sometimes people get tired of “expert advice.”
Thanks Janet – I agree I love homemade gifts and definitely experiences. Happy Holidays
When my children were little, I would let them decorate large sheets of paper and then use that to wrap gifts for the grandparents. They loved it! It’s so fun to think creatively, right?
Hi Seana,
What a great idea! So fun and creative – Love it! Happy Holidays to you and your family
I am all about clutter-free gifts. Sometimes a heartfelt letter to someone you love can be better than any tangible gift. Letters don’t take up much space, but they can mean a lot to the recipient.
Thank you Katherine – That is such a great idea about a letter. I just think these days that is a beautiful gift. Many thanks for commenting 🙂
This is such a wonderful gift list! I love the line, “Chocolate is always in style.” As a BIG fan of chocolate, that one cracked me up. But it’s so true, of course. The other one I really loved was to give coffee gift cards with “dates to have coffee” attached. That’s a beautiful idea- giving something yummy with a lovely social experience. I’m in favor of consumable gifts (food things) or experience-based ones.
I received a spa gift certificate (I can’t wait to use that one) and a special day in the city with my family (eating out, going to a craft fair, and seeing a play.) I would have been happy to be with them doing nothing, but the stuff we did was wonderful too. The gift of time is the most precious gift of all.
Hi Linda, I love your comments so much – they just made me laugh. I would love to receive a spa gift certificate. My partner gave me a gift card for Winners that I still get to use. Excited to see what I need and what I will find when I go shopping. Thank you for commenting 🙂
I enjoyed revisiting this fabulous gift-giving list again. This time the green wrapping paper ideas stood out. I was reminded of doing those potato-wrapping paper prints as a kid. I LOVED carving and printing from potatoes!
Another great “green” wrapping paper idea is to use kids’ “old” art/paintings they did and no longer want. The ones painted on newsprint work exceptionally well as wrapping paper. They look great on a package. You can add seasonal-colored ribbons or accessories (pine cones, small ornaments, etc.) to give the gifts extra holiday flavor.
Wishing you and your family a wonderful, happy, and healthy holiday season!
What a brilliant idea to curate these ideas from clutter support group members! The practice must surely be uplifting for them, and helpful to all who read this. I’m a huge believer in gifts of experiences, and the research backs up the notion that experiences, because they are more personal and unique, are more memorable than possessions!
And though I usually give experiential gifts, your post prompted me to send someone some adorable miniature plants!
Hi Julie,
That is so nice to here that your were inspired.I love little plants too and flowers!