Thoughtful, Useful & Unique Gifts for People Who Don’t Want Anything
Inside: A gift guide of thoughtful and unique gift ideas for the holiday season or any special occasion for that hard to buy for person!
This post contains Amazon and other affiliate links for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase something through any link, I may receive a small commission, at no extra charge to you. I only recommend products that I love or would purchase for myself. See my full disclosure here.
One of the biggest stressors of holiday gift-giving for me is trying to figure out what to get those certain hard to buy for people.
At a certain age, they’ve accumulated so much physical stuff they’re struggling with where to put it all. Or because they’re an adult with a credit card, they can buy whatever they want, when they want.
But still, I want to show them that they are special to me, even if they say they don’t want anything. But it needs to be a gift that:
- doesn’t make their eyes say, “You shouldn’t have, really.”
- is useful to them, but will get a better reaction than socks and underwear.
- has a personal touch so it won’t get passed on faster than you can say “regift“.
- maybe they didn’t even know they were missing, but now can’t live without.😊
I’ve been curating a list of ideas to get both of us started (just click on the headline or photo to see details of the product and where to get it). Every idea isn’t a universally good gift for everybody, but each caught my attention as one that has the potential to be that perfect gift for the impossible to buy for friend or relative!
SENTIMENTAL GIFT IDEAS.
Handwritten Family Recipe Cutting Board
A favorite family heirloom recipe printed onto a cutting board in a loved one’s handwriting is one of those thoughtful gifts that will be treasured forever. How I miss that perfect cursive of the older generation—this picture looks exactly like my sweet mother-in-law’s writing.
A Custom Pet Portrait
A great idea for someone who considers their pet family.🙋♀️This artist on Etsy does beautiful handpainted work. You can also find listings on the site to have a photo reproduced on canvas to look like a painting, which is a great option if you need it a little bit cheaper and faster.
House Portrait
Have a painting or drawing made of a house that’s special to them, whether it be their childhood home or one they raised their family in. The watercolor artwork handpainted by this artist is gorgeous. But if you want something faster and more affordable, there are also many listings on Etsy for images converted to a watercolor look.
Friends or Family Group Custom Artwork
This drawing of my group of best friends is one of my favorite special gifts! These are easily customizable with hair and skin color, body shape, clothing, etc.
Children’s Name Necklace
A great gift for a mom in your life. This gold chain can be ordered with different numbers of names according to how many kids she has.
UNIQUE GIFT IDEAS.
Your Name in a Snowflake Ornament
Not just any ornament, it’s unique just like every snowflake. If you look closely, it’s made up of the recipient’s name in laser cut wood. This would also be amazing with the family name.
Disco Ball Punch Bowl
This unique gift idea is not for everybody, but definitely says fun! My sister-in-law fell in love with one of these mirrored disco balls with the pink glitter lining at a birthday party at Jack Rose Restaurant in New Orleans. So we surprised her with one for her milestone birthday and she was thrilled!
Create Your Own Viewmaster
I may be dating myself, but do you remember the Viewmaster? (We thought they were cool, but we didn’t have a lot to entertain us back then.) This site allows you to create your own custom slides with your favorite memories.
Vintage Style T-Shirt Pub of the Month Club
An awesome gift for the guys. Some husbands of friends of mine were gifted a subscription like this and they wear them all the time. They get a t-shirt in the mail every month featuring a different bar. I laugh because they’ve never been to or heard of them, but it looks like they have!
Eye Massager with Heat and Compression
This is one of those pampering things I’d love to have but never buy for myself. But when a family member got one for Christmas we all tried it and it was heavenly. It puts you in your own little relaxing world with different massage techniques, a warming feature, and a music option.
More gift-giving tips and ideas
USEFUL GIFT IDEAS.
Insulated Wine Chiller.
I’ve touted this Vinglace wine chiller several times, but it really does keep wine and bubbly cold for a long time! And with different ways to personalize it, it makes a fantastic gift.
Cocktail Smoking Kit
I love seeing this done at restaurant bars. It’s another “nice to have” for someone who loves fancy craft cocktails to make that perfect smoky concoction at home.
Golf Ball Drink Chillers
Your favorite golfer can keep these crystal look golf balls in the freezer and pop them into a drink to keep it cold without watering it down.
Rechargeable Hand Warmer
I easily lose circulation in my fingers when it’s cold so one of these was a perfect practical gift for me! It’s a great way to stay warm for camping, football games, golf, or any outdoor activity when it’s winter.
Digital Picture Frame
I love when I see these in people’s homes. It’s even a better gift if you set up the photos for them! You can also update the frame from your phone for those far away distant relatives and extended family.
Board Games
Giving a board game when friends and family are already together is a fun way to spend some quality time. Here are a couple of fun fresh ideas: Do You Really Know Your Family and Blank Slate.
Custom Address Stamp
This is something most people don’t buy for themselves but it’s nice to have. It’s also a good idea for the perfect housewarming gift!
Pasta Tester
How much fun is this gadget for the kitchen? This fisherman sits on the edge of the pot and lets you test a spaghetti noodle the easy way to see if it’s done, instead of trying to fish one of those slippery little suckers out yourself.
CLUTTER-FREE GIFT IDEAS.
Sometimes the thought of adding one more physical gift to the house keeps the gift recipient from being able to appreciate your effort in the first place. Here are some ideas for consumable items instead of material things, that won’t make clutter an issue:
- Monthly subscription service for a fresh floral arrangement for the entire year.
- Movie tickets.
- Gift card for a delivery service like Door Dash or Uber Eats.
- Gift card for Uber or Lyft.
- Convert their home movies to digital for them.
- Masterclass gift certificate for online classes taught by some of the most well-known experts in their field, whether it be cooking, writing, business, or wellness.
- If they love a good book, a subscription to Audible that makes reading clutter-free.
- Portrait session gift certificate.
- Event tickets to a concert or game.
- Gift certificate for an activity you can both do together, like a spa day.
- For someone who doesn’t have much time, offer yours as their personal assistant. Help with what they would appreciate most whether it be pet sitting, chores, errands, laundry, paperwork, cleaning, cooking, or organizing.
- Encouraging notes or heartfelt letters to that person that they can reread when they are going through a difficult time are one of the best gifts!
Inspirational quotes to help you write that heartfelt message
Before you go:
As always, I appreciate your visit, comments, and shares here on the blog! I’d love it if you also follow along with me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube so you won’t miss any of my inspiration and ideas.
Don’t forget to sign up for updates to keep in touch.
If you’re not already a member of the SH&H family, I’d love to have you join me! You’ll not only get email updates, but you’ll have exclusive access to all the bonus materials in my free subscriber-only library, like this:
Pin it to remember it!
If you’ve enjoyed this post, please pin and share this on Pinterest:
These are such wonderful ideas!
Thanks Susan!💗
So many good ideas, but I love the custom address stamp. What a time saver.
Thank you Nancy—I hope you found something helpful!