11 Last Minute Quarantine Christmas Gift Ideas
So…you’ve left shopping till last minute AGAIN, and you don’t even have time to order something online anymore! Even worse, the world’s in quarantine, and so a last minute trip to the mall isn’t looking like such a great idea after all.
You need to find that perfect present idea NOW so you can make it look like you’ve been preparing this idea for months.
Don’t worry - you’ve come to the right place.
Here are 11 super awesome gift ideas that are perfect for last-minute gift situations…when you’re also stuck isolating at home…
*As an Amazon Associate, I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
1) Bake something
This one’s always my go-to if someone I wasn’t expecting suddenly decides they’re full of the Christmas spirit and shows up unannounced with a present.
Whenever you’re baking ANYTHING at this time of year, make a double batch. That way, you’ll always have something to give away to the next person you forgot about…or, you know, maybe you’ll actually get to enjoy some of it, too!
Baking’s great because it can be super cheap (depending on what you make, obviously), but it also gives that personal touch of effort that makes it more valuable than the ingredients alone. Even if you’re making batches, baking takes time, and that time can’t go unnoticed.
Check out these easy, but festive GLUTEN FREE LEMON CRANBERRY SQUARES. They’re super lemony and delicious (you really don’t have to be GF to enjoy them). The cranberries add a yummy pop of colour that looks gloriously festive without even trying. Since lemon squares are way more popular, people think these are super fancy because of the berries, even though it’s basically the same recipe. All you do is add some cranberries, and TADAA - special festive squares!
If you’d rather something savoury, you can also check out these GARLIC BISCUITS that are both keto friendly and GF as well. As with the squares, they’re still super delicious if you’re like me and don’t have legitimate dietary restrictions.
If you don’t have any restrictions, these CANDY CANE COOKIES are another easy holiday baking favourite of mine. My only note is that it’s worthwhile to add more candy cane pieces than what’s written. I also have a feeling sprinkling some on top would look really fun, but I haven’t tried it yet. If you DO try it, take a picture and tag me on instagram - I want to know if it’ll work!!
2) Make a Donation
Though many people are full of the giving spirit at this time of year, it’s easy to forget about all the other people who do need legitimate help. There will certainly be people out there in much greater need than the person you’re buying a gift for.
Why not give a gift to someone who needs it most?
CanadaHelps is an easy one-stop-shop for all things charities. You can even make multiple donations to different places all at once! For bonus points, pick a charity that will have a personal connection for the person you’re buying it on behalf of.
It’s also always a good idea to cross-reference any charities at a place like CHARITY INTELLIGENCE CANADA to see if the charity tends to do more good than advertising. It’s a thing…
Here are a few of my favourite charities who could definitely use your help this year if you don’t have time to look things up:
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society
Indspire (Indigenous youth education)
The AFC (The Actors’ Fund of Canada)
jack.org (youth mental health)
3) Subscription Box
This option is probably the “most likely to become expensive” option on the list, but sometimes the gift that keeps on giving is simply the right one to pick. Basically, you’re picking someone else to do your shopping for you….and that someone else knows your target market waaaaay better than you do!
First off, it has the bonus that it’s fundamentally DESIGNED to be late. So, you can buy it last minute and the first box will arrive whenever it’s shipped. It’s not designed to arrive UNTIL later. How great is that?? Yes, you’re not getting anything today, but you’re not SUPPOSED to!!!
When it comes to subscription boxes, it is easy to go over board, so set your budget in advance and do your research. There are so many options and some of them really do start at affordable prices, especially once you consider that you don’t always have to sign up for a whole year.
Things like GROCERY BOXES are super popular, especially for anyone who might be newly living away from home. You can also look into this SOCK OF THE MONTH CLUB or things like this SELF CARE box. There are also funky options like this HOT SAUCE OF THE MONTH CLUB. If you can think of it, there’s likely a subscription model for it already!
There’s also another option from Amazon that might be right depending on what you think they might like. If you think they’d be interested in a recurring delivery of the same item, check out the Amazon Subscribe and Save program.
Maybe they’d appreciate a regular top-up on their favourite FACE WASH or MASCARA. There’s also this adorable Burts Bees TIPS AND TOES set for hand and foot care.
4) Newspaper Subscription
For the human who loves current events, how about an online newspaper subscription? Daily articles will keep the reader in touch with world, and digital newspapers are SO much more affordable, portable and environmentally friendly than their paper counterparts.
Places like The Globe and Mail and The New York Times offer fantastically affordable prices when you subscribe to a digital paper.
As an added bonus, many of them offer introductory offers for the first few months to a year, so you won’t necessarily even have to pay full price.
5) Kindle Unlimited
Do you have a reader on your list? Kindle Unlimited has an amazing program that’s like Netflix for books…You pay for a subscription and get access to over a million titles.
You don’t even need to have a Kindle to enjoy their books, either. They have a free app that will let you read their books on most devices.
Though a library may give them access to just as many titles, they’ll never be stuck waiting to be allowed to read something. It’ll all be available at their fingertips whenever they want!
Check out Kindle Unlimited HERE
6) eBooks
If UNLIMITED eBooks isn’t the right choice, there’s nothing stopping you from looking for single eBooks! Not only are they supremely portable, but they’re also usually at a lower price point than a physical book.
Here are a few popular eBook choices this year:
A Promised Land (Barack Obama) - A memoir of his time in office
The Try Not to Laugh Challenge - Would You Rather - Eww Edition (Crazy Corey) - ice breaker/party game for hangouts/road trips/whenever there is just too much silence
The Glass Hotel (Emily St. John Mandel) - mystery/fiction
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones (James Clear) - fairly self explanatory…
Greenlights (Matthew McConaughey) - actor memoir
Where the Crawdads Sing (Delia Owens) - mystery/fiction
The Vanishing Half (Brit Bennett) - historical fiction
A+ Academics at Home - Finding Success Through Distance Learning (Nadya Corscadden) - tips and tricks for students learning at home
7) Music Subscription
If they’re more of a music person, why not opt for something they’re guaranteed to love. Spotify and Apple Music are popular choices that will let them listen to endless music options.
If you can’t figure out which to get them, opt for Spotify if you think they’ll be more of a playlist person, but opt for Apple Music if you think they’d be more interested in listening to specific songs.
This observation is based on very little practical use of either, but in my short experience with both, this was my baseline take-away.
8) ClassPass
There are SOOOOOOO many virtual workout opportunities these days, and I’m sure many of them will at least somewhat stick around. If you’re shopping around for the fitness buff who already has everything, though, this is the best one-stop-shop to get them what they really want.
ClassPass has long been around as a membership site for local gyms and salon/spa appointments, but it has recently also branched out into the world of virtual fitness classes. With a membership, you’re able to easily sign up for a specified amount of in-person classes (you can also top that up whenever you’d like). You’ll ALSO get access to a ton of high quality on-demand at-home workouts so you can do as many home workouts as you can fit into your life.
Since available workouts range from yoga to HITT, there will be plenty of choices for everyone whether they’re looking for cardio, strength, or simply calm stretching.
9) Virtual Concert/Theatre Tickets
Wait a second - is this a thing???
YES, THIS IS A THING!!!
Especially this year, virtual concerts are a HUGE thing and they’re all over the place. Many companies who would usually do something live at this time of the year are replacing it with some sort of online programming.
Some of these are paid concerts, and some are totally free.
If you ARE going to watch one of the free offerings, please consider making some sort of a donation unless you are also struggling financially. These artists are only available to work (presumably) cheaply/for free because of the fact that they are OUT of work. If the artists are definitely not suffering money-wise, maybe consider donating to a charity in their name and forwarding the message along.
If you value the art enough to watch it, it’s certainly worth something. Art isn’t free to make, nor is it devoid of effort/skill to create.
10) Gift Card
When you REALLY don’t know what to get someone, why don’t you just let them pick out what they want?
Get a broad one for a place like Amazon if you know they’re difficult to shop for. You could also get one for their favourite local restaurant or clothing store.
Though gift cards have a bad reputation for being the lazy person’s gift, they ARE the perfect gift for those people who are just impossible to shop for! With the broadening popularity of e-gift cards, they are also perfect in the last-minute-don’t-have-time-to-wait-for-shipping-anymore sense.
11) Homemade Coupon(s)
Finally, when in doubt (/if you don’t have any money FOR things), you can always create a personal coupon…or set of coupons if you’re really ambitious. Though it can seem like another cop-out gift, they actually can be a really great choice sometimes!
Here are some coupon ideas to get you started:
-make an elaborate homemade dinner
-shovel driveway
-tech support
-house cleaning
-Designated Driver chauffeur night
-hugs
-I owe you __________