10 of the Best Meaningful Gifts for Family and Friends

Dear Friends,

I am so excited to share with you some wonderful ideas I have for gifts for family and friends this Christmas season. I know that we should not focus on the gifts but it seems that in this season of giving we feel so generous because of the generosity that God showed to us. One thing that I notice about the holidays is that they come and go and the excitement of the presents fades rather quickly. In an earlier post I emphasized that time is the most precious gift you can give. For the next few blogs I will be sharing some of my favorite gifts of time to give to family and friends. Some of the gifts are physical that you can gift wrap and hand to someone, but they require a little bit of time to make them.

Creative hands-on Christmas card making workshop with calligraphy and art supplies.

1. The first gift is simply time. It is inviting your friend or family member out for coffee or tea or going for a beautiful hike or walk together. This is a wonderful time to catch up on each other’s life events or if you feel so inclined to have a more meaningful talk – perhaps about faith and the reason for the season. While it might seem odd given our busy world today, you should also not discredit just being present in the moment and being quiet and enjoying God’s beauty that he blessed us with in this world.

2. The second gift idea is one of my personal favorites because it is so simple but so lovely because it is a way of giving people a little piece of you. It is giving a favorite recipe on a recipe card in a beautiful Christmas card. I like to hand-write these recipes because it makes it more personal and handwriting is so unique. I also like to include a blank recipe card in the envelope so the person I am sending the card and recipe to can share their favorite recipe with someone else.

3. The third gift idea I have is to give a special book with an inscription in it to the person receiving it from you, for what occasion, and the year. Books, if well liked, generally stand the test of time and can end up being kept by someone well into adulthood and can even be passed down. It is special to look back and see who gave the book to you and when and that inscription can bring a smile to your face before even reading the book.

4. The fourth gift idea I have is a surprise outing doing something they love, like antiquing, painting ceramics, or taking a class together like art or cooking. These are all different outing ideas but they all involve the two of you being together.

5. The fifth gift idea I have is to handmade something you know they will like. Perhaps knit socks because their feet always seem to be cold. Maybe a desk organizer that perfectly suits their style and need, this could be made of wood or you could be creative like my friend’s mom who sewed an organizer that fit over a mug in a cute pattern that had a lot of organizational pockets inside and outside.

6. The sixth gift idea that I have is making them a meal that they love. This might be a meal you can enjoy together, but people can be very busy at work this time of year finishing up tasks before the year ends and they may not have time to make a nice meal for themselves when they get home so you could bring something nice and comforting to them. There are many other reasons that a person might love a home cooked meal and may not have the ability to make it themselves that would make this a welcome gift.

7. The seventh gift idea I have is a gift that keeps on giving. It is a recurring time together like a book club, a game or art night, or even something as simple as a weekly phone call to catch up. This gift is unique because it is a relationship building gift that will keep you a little bit more involved in each other’s lives for some time to come.

8. The eighth gift idea I have is to teach someone to make a recipe of yours that is their favorite. This is a wonderful idea because it has you spending time together and sharing knowledge you have with someone else. I have so many memories of baking and learning from my mom and grandmother recipes that have been passed down through my family and it seems like it would be very special too to share an activity like this with a friend.

9. The ninth gift idea I have is to buy or make a beautiful picture frame and put in it a beautiful family picture. This is a wonderful idea for grandparents or family that you might live far away from. Don’t forget to write down the size of the picture that the frame is for so that you can update the picture regularly if you have the means. There is still something so special about a physical printed picture rather than a digital picture.

10. The tenth and final gift idea that I have is simple but often not thought of. It is a handwritten letter to let them know that you care and miss them. It could also be encouraging or whatever the person needs at that time. This letter could be so lovely for them to read over again if they need that encouragement that you gave them or they are feeling lonely.

I hope you liked my list of ideas for gifts that could be given to extended family or friends. I know I have really enjoyed both giving and receiving these gifts over the years and my family and friends have enjoyed receiving them as well. Some of the recipes that have been exchanged have become part of our regular recipes that we enjoy as a family so even though it may seem odd to give a recipe as a gift, you should still try it because maybe the person you’re giving it to will put it into their family’s regular meal plan as well. I hope you will try one of these ideas to give the special people in your lives meaningful gifts this Christmas.

Your Friend,

Amanda