Last Minute Really Cool Christmas Gifts You’ll Want To Give

It’s getting down to the wire for Christmas shopping, isn’t it?!

And I honestly think the closer it gets the less creative my brain gets also!

Thankfully for both of us, I wrote this article when I was of sound mind before the hectic holiday was upon us and I needed some last minute cool Christmas gifts that wouldn’t bust my budget! Score!

So

I spoke about this topic on my Savings Segment on Fox. Watch the replay video here:

I have some unique DIY Christmas gift ideas for anyone on your list, without having to make something, or bust your budget with a gift you can’t afford OR have to settle for a gift card.

You can find really cool Christmas gifts for everyone on your list!

Start your last minute Christmas gift ideas right here!

Fill a Mason Jar (or Small Basket) with Mini Items

Anything you can get that is teeny tiny is just FUN. And it makes for some very easy cool Christmas gifts because of its size.. and Office Supplies are an easy place to start.

Mini-notebooks, mini staplers, plus there are clever erasers and shaped paperclips.

Think about items that most people will not buy for themselves, like colored staples and cute stickers.

And cute pens! That’s one of my favorite and unique DIY Christmas gift ideas that I include.

Choose items that you might not splurge and get for yourself (because they seem frivolous) but help make life easier when used and the recipient will think of you when they do.

Mini office supplies are such cool Christmas gifts for those office supply lovers like me!

 Dollar Store Gift Basket

Are you wanting to create cool Christmas gifts that are personalized? I love creating a themed gift basket of small items you can find at the Dollar Store. For around $10, you can really give a thoughtful gift with these last minute Christmas gift ideas!

A spa day themed gift basket full of body wash, bath bombs, scrubs, and salts. Top it off with a loofah and a bath poof!

How about a Gardener’s Gift Basket with seeds, garden gloves a couple of digging tools, and maybe even a kneeling pad?

Or a Picnic Gift Basket with a blanket, paper plates, bowls, cups & utensils. Some freezer ice packs, travel wet wipes, salt & pepper shakers, and put it all in a soft-sided cooler!

Lastly, what about a Car Care Gift Basket complete with hand sanitizer, travel pack of wet wipes, car wash soap, glass cleaner, paper towels, trash bags, and maybe even an air freshener (or Febreze) all packed inside a trash bin!

Just walk around the Dollar Store and think about a “theme” that would make someone’s life easier or bring them joy!

Here are a couple of other ideas you could put in a basket:

• Flowers
• Candles
• Candy
• Fruit
• Toilet paper and Hand Sanitizer (Thanks 2020!)
• Cookies

Photo Gifts

So I used to be a huge scrapbooker. My love for photos did not end when I could no longer put albums together. (One day the kids will be out of the house and I’ll have nothing to do except create baby books, right?!).

And while I don’t have any talent in taking photos… I can take photos using my phone and I love looking back at them as we remember the event where I took them.

But the best part about giving a photo gifts as cool Christmas gifts is that photos are super cheap. If you’re a member of Snapfish or Shutterfly, you can often get free prints with the app or a coupon code. Walgreens, CVS,  Costco and Sam’s Club all offer discounted photo printing for a quarter or less each print.

You can either have the item made for you (around $10 or less) with items such as a Photo Book, Mug, Calendar or you could print the photo and either add it to a frame that you decorated (bought super cheap at the dollar store) or used it to make a crafty gift like coasters!

Either way, you can bet a photo gift will be cherished long after the Christmas decorations are put away. Just one of the great unique DIY Christmas gift ideas you can use this year!

Homemade Gifts

If you have a lot of people to buy for and want to spend the least amount possible, then your best bet is going to be making something.

The homemade gift categories typically fall into two cool Christmas gifts, either eatable or crafty but always yummy!

For eatable gifts, you can make cookies, loaves of bread and desserts. Package them up in cute cookie tubs, tins and boxes that the dollar store has this time of year.

Check out all the great Christmas Recipes we have including over 12 different cookie recipes!

What I really love to do is to get the ingredients and put them in a jar. Write a fun note telling the recipient what they need to add to make your favorite item. I have done this several times with brownie mix. I layered the sugar, brown sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt & chocolate chips and then attached the recipe to the top of the Mason Jar with the Brownie-in-a-Jar recipe (telling them to just add oil & eggs!).

For crafty cool Christmas gifts, you will have to go to the craft store for some of the supplies. But you could make a sugar scrub, Mandarin Orange Bath Salts, Organic Lip Balm is easy (& super quick), or soap (I’ve never ventured to make soap, but I hear it’s easy). A few other easy crafts to make and give are homemade slime, crayons, playdough or sidewalk chalk!

You could even fill a basket with homemade air fresheners and hand soap!

Or even make the new baby in the family a super easy No Sew Fleece Blanket! All of these last minute Christmas gift ideas will work for a low budget this time of year.

Hit the Book Store

Bookstores are a hidden gem filled with cool Christmas gifts that are inexpensive and for almost anyone.

Watch for interesting deals on earbuds, book lights, bookmarks, book bags, bookends, toys, and even novelty t-shirts. These unique DIY Christmas gift ideas are truly loved by your book loving family and friends!

And don’t forget that you can always get someone a magazine subscription. Those gifts last ALL YEAR and they work for any age.

Just buy one magazine at the bookstore to wrap, then fill in their name for the ship to address so they will get it all year! No one will ever even receive a bill! Score!

 Useful, Yet Small

I like to think of cool Christmas gifts that are frugal, useful and clutter free (especially as we head into a new year when everyone typically wants to get organized, right?!).

One easy trick is to think of items that can be used in the car such as USB Car Charges or cords that light up. These last minute Christmas gift ideas everyone loves!

Even a new cell phone case, those always make your phone feel like new!

Dress Up A Discounted Gift Card (or Cash)

I realize that sometimes nothing else will work but cash and gift cards but they can still be cool Christmas gifts! Just think outside the box to make these cash and cards unique DIY Christmas gift ideas!

Hopefully, you already know about buying them at a discount where you could get a card for up to 30% less than it’s actually worth (and, yes, you can get an “e-gift card” almost instantly)!

You can even use my Refer-A-Friend link and get $5 Off your first order! That’s how I get $10 Starbucks Gift Cards for less than $4!

Here are some ways to dress up that cash gift and turn them into cool Christmas gifts!

These last minute Christmas gift ideas will at least get those creative juices going to help you make it the best gift giving year yet!

And these unique DIY Christmas gift ideas will help you stay on budget too!

Now, moving on to the wrapping… and yes, I have some creative ideas for gift wrap too!

Your Turn: Do you have some ideas for last-minute cool Christmas gifts too? Please comment below! I’d love to hear them!

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