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14 Last Minute Creative Gift Ideas
It’s not too late! It may feel like Christmas is already here, but there are still a few days to go, and that means you’ve still got dozens of hours to come up with last-minute creative gift ideas for people who may have accidentally been left off your original list. Perhaps you forgot that aunt Carol has three children, not two; or perhaps you hadn’t factored in the likelihood that your nephew would be bringing a friend for Christmas lunch. Whatever the reason, you’ve got Christmas gifts for everyone on your less: except for one.
But fear not, because there is no need for you to make another mad rush to the shops so close to Christmas. We’ve researched 14 fantastic last-minute creative gift ideas that can be made with items already found around your home. And anyway, you never would have found a parking bay this close to Christmas, and with these ideas you won’t even need to bother trying.
1. DIY Fort Kit
You’ve probably heard the joke:
*wife walks in to see the boys have built a chair fort* Wife: PUT THOSE CHAIRS BACK! Me *climbing out of fort* YOU HEARD YOUR MOTHER!
— Rock (@TheMichaelRock) October 30, 2015
Possibly the only ones who enjoy creating forts more than children are their parents. Or uncles and aunts or grandparents…
Any child, teenager, or young at heart adult would be thrilled to receive a fort kit, and setting up the fort will probably turn out to be the most interesting activity the family participates in on Christmas Day. From your point of view, the beauty of creating a DIY fort kit is a last-minute gift idea is that you can improvise when it comes to the items to include.
2. Heart Coin Purse
If you’ve got the basic items at home, this DIY project takes only five minutes to complete. The end result is a unique coin purse that is as practical as it is creative.
3. Painted Plate
By Two Miracles
Small children tend to have tiny, adorable hands, so put those adorable hands to good use and create a painted plate as the perfect last-minute gift. Even better if your children have learned to write their own names: that kind of cuteness just can’t be bought!
4. Mini Golf in a Jar
Looking at the above image showing suggested contents for a mini golf in a jar gift, it may appear at first blush that all of the items would be easy to source at home: except for the miniature golf clubs. It may surprise you to know that these miniature golf clubs were made out of cotton buds. Read the full instructions here, and if you’re anything like us, you’ll be surprised at how easy they are to make.
5. Lavender Lemon Soap
If you’ve ever experimented with soap making and have some basic essential oils on hand, you’ll find the instructions for this lavender lemon soap to be some of the easiest you’ve ever followed.
6. Family Recipe with a Twist
Have you ever had people bugging you to share your secret recipe? Whether you’re a sweet or savoury cook, most people have their signature dish, and you’ve probably been asked to share your recipe on more than one occasion. For the ultimate creative gift idea, write out your secret recipe on a wooden chopping board. Make sure to include a caveat that your gift recipient isn’t allowed to spill the secret to other members of the family!
7. The Gift of Eternal Memories with a Canvas Factory Gift Voucher
When it comes to creative gift ideas, nothing beats a canvas print or a professional quality photo collage. And if you have access to photos that you know your gift recipient would want to include on their photo print, then it’s a simple task of uploading your photos to our online tool and creating the perfect photo gift. On the other hand, if you don’t have access to the gift recipient’s photos, or you’re not sure what kind of print they would choose (family photos, photos from their most recent holiday, or perhaps photos of their pets); or if you need a last-minute gift and don’t have time to wait for the photo print to be created and delivered, the perfect solution is a gift voucher.
The beauty of a canvas print gift voucher is that it can be purchased online and printed out immediately, solving your last-minute gift giving problem within a few minutes. The gift recipient is then free to create the canvas photo print, photo collage, or canvas art print of their dreams, and you will get all the credit for the end result.
8. Morse Code Necklace
Many people are fascinated by codes, spies, and all things espionage (especially teenagers), so if you are looking for a spur of the moment gift then spell out a secret message using Morse code and create an innocuous looking necklace at the same time.
9. Movie Night
By Megism’s
A movie night gift is more about the promise than the items themselves: a promise to spend quality time together watching their favourite movie; or perhaps a promise to babysit the kids so that someone else can have a night off.
10. Sewing Kit in a Jar
A sewing kit in a jar is the perfect gift idea for someone who has recently moved out of their parents home: it’s a symbol of the fact that they are now responsible for sewing on loose buttons and fixing ripped seams themselves. It may sound like an annoying task to someone else, but to the young adult who has just moved out on their own, even sewing on a loose button by themselves can be an adventure and an expression of independence.
11. Nest Necklace
The perfect symbolic gift for anyone with children, or even more so for someone expecting a child: you could create this DIY necklace to symbolise the number of children that the gift recipient has. You’ll just need some basic jewelry making supplies like silver wire, beads, and needlenose pliers to create this sentimental gift.
12. Reading Pillow
The ideal gift for the bookworm in your family, a reading pillow can be customised to suit anyone. Slip in a copy of your favourite book (it doesn’t need to be new!) and you’ve created a wonderfully meaningful gift in just a few minutes.
13. 52 Reasons
By Visual Heart
In terms of raw materials, you’ll need little more than a deck of cards and a two hole punch to create this gift. On the other hand, though, be prepared to come up with 52 reasons why you love that person. This is the ideal gift when you’ve got some time on your hands and the desire to create something truly meaningful.
14. Lip Balm Locket
It can be difficult to think of a last-minute gift for a child or teenager, but a lip balm locket can be the ideal solution for a tween or teen. All you’ll need is a regular photo locket and a lip balm that you’re happy to cut up and melt down with the use of a hairdryer. This project can get a little messy, so make sure you’ve got some time to experiment and plenty of newspaper to catch any wayward drops of liquid lip balm.
Hopefully we’ve inspired you to realise that you don’t need to make another trip to the shops to take care of those last-minute gifts. After all, the idea of Christmas is to find some time to relax and enjoy yourself, not run yourself ragged – and blow the budget at the same time. Aim to have a relaxing, meaningful Christmas with those closest to you, and remember to take the time to snap some photos of your family and friends enjoying Christmas together. Once you’ve got that perfect, relaxed family photo, create a canvas print to remember that one Christmas when you took the time to relax and remember what the holiday was really all about.
