Tuckers Family Christmas hanging decoration

Unique Christmas gift ideas: the secret to finding thoughtful presents

gifting thoughtfully
by holly tucker

14TH SEPTEMBER 2023

Discover these thoroughly thoughtful Christmas gift ideas for 2023 — and the knack to making good gift buying easier.

Creative and unconventional Christmas gifts that wow

“Finding unique Christmas gift ideas for everyone on your Christmas list is really easy and can be done in minutes.” said no woman EVER. If you’re anything like me, you’ll know that familiar panic that kicks in around this time of year, when your daily tasks seem to quadruple in a sea of decoration ordering, calendar clash sorter-outering and complex anxiety around what to get everyone from the niece you adore or the dear friend who’s had an absolute shitshow of a year, to the teenage son you (still) want to impress. Oh and on top of that, your meaningful Christmas presents need to be sustainable, beautifully made and imaginative, not at all obvious…

Christmas 2023 made easier

Ok well don’t tell anyone but I’ve got a hack this year and it’s called Holly & Co. I launched this marketplace specifically to help women like us, in exactly these kinds of situations — because life (and Christmas gifting) really shouldn’t be this difficult. Surely there should be something to help us succeed, lighten the load and just make being thoughtful a joy? Well here’s my gift to you (or if you’re flat out already, head straight to my small business Christmas treats page and look at the Christmas gifts collections instead).

Start with who you’re shopping for: thoughtful Christmas gift ideas for all

For one-of-a-kind Christmas gifts for everyone on your list, here’s the plan…

  • Write a list of everyone you’re shopping for and if relevant, split it: If you have a partner, could this be the year they share the load? Have the conversation now and get their input before it all defaults to you.
  • Look at the year everyone’s had: Have they moved house? Started a hobby? Changed jobs? These could all be thought starters or you could shop by interest.
  • Think of one thing they love and theme their Christmas gift around that: I always say, “The more niche the better” as it’s the niche gifts that often surprise people the most — discover our less ordinary collections for inspiration.
  • Start now. Embrace the joy of thoughtful gifting and take your time. Truly memorable gifts aren’t made overnight so get orders in early to avoid panic-buying generic, overpriced crap in December! Your future self will thank you.
  • Consider subscription gifts or memorable gift experiences. These are the kinds of gifts that just keep giving and I’ve found some really new options.
  • Discover personalised presents or customise them. Add a special touch to your Christmas gifts. Look for makers who will work with you to create something truly personal that no one else has.

Handcrafted and artisanal gifts: unique treasures for Christmas

The other way to find unique presents this year is to reconsider where you shop. Imagine if every one of your Christmas gifts was bought from a small business in the UK and you could look back on 2023 knowing you’d helped them stay open? Or that 75% of your presents supported female founders? Or were made by hand, for example? Or how about if you made an effort to find recycled gifts or ones from social purpose companies that are run to support others or to donate to charities? Look out for these badges on our site.

Surely, those are the most unique and thoughtful gifts of all? Being able to tell your loved ones the story of who made their presents and why. This is why I’m so passionate about curating only the best, most innovative finds from true artisans, craftspeople and creatives across the UK — so you can trust that the items you find here are made with love, skill and imagination — and women like us don’t have to spend hours we haven’t got searching and panicking. I hope this makes your Christmas gift buying a little easier this year and frees up more precious hours to take a well deserved moment for yourself instead. I’m wishing you all the luck!

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