Gifts can be a source of joy this Christmas even if you hate capitalism.

It can get very tiring buying stuff and yet giving people gifts is also a joy and Christmas is a time when one is expected to do a lot of it. But while snazzy and expensive things can be nice, it’s been a long year and many people are feeling the pinch right now, so this is a gift guide of stuff that is somewhat homemade, uses things you already have and isn’t going to sit around forever. It is good to remember that presents that are thoughtful and useful and silly can be very appreciated and gifts do not have to be flashy or large or expensive to be meaningful! 

Homemade wrapping paper 

While I (Shanti) have previously gone on the record as a wrapping paper grinch, if you are in a situation where wrapping paper is unavoidable, skip buying a roll of paper, and instead scrounge around for some newspaper or maybe brown paper bags. Drawing some simple designs, even just squiggles if you have some paint, makes for very fun wrapping. 

A recipe and ingredients

Getting the ingredients for a nice salad or meal, especially if these ingredients are on the bougier end, is a gift that you might actually be able to enjoy. Find a recipe that looks like something the recipient might like, then write it out by hand in your neatest handwriting; almost everyone will like the gift of not having to think about a meal. (This might involve buying things but you could also get cunning with ingredients you already have…) 

A personalised list of recommendations 

One of the more thoughtful gifts I (Shanti) received for my 21st birthday was from a friend with whom I’d been talking about books, music and movies all year. He wrote a list of some of his favourites (I believe there were five books, five music videos, five TV shows and five movies) and I blue-tacked it to my bookshelf. Whenever I watched one of the recommendations I got to talk about it with him. I’ve also had success with giving a friend a voucher promising to read a book of their choice in the next year, because one of the worst feelings is reading or watching something amazing and then not having anyone to talk to about it. 

A foraged bouquet 

Having flowers is so nice, it is such a sweet gift of something temporary yet beautiful which people often won’t get for themselves. But florists, being professionals who have to get up very early to go to flower auctions and suchlike, can be expensive. Instead, why not find something colourful, like leaves in a whole lot of different shades, maybe in your garden or the berm or the park? OBVIOUSLY this is not carte blanche to lean over other people’s fences and pick their prize roses, use your good judgement! But there are a lot of overgrown berms and lavish lavender bushes and overhanging tree boughs that you could just… go for. I once received a mini bouquet that a friend had picked on the walk from the train station to my house, tied with a ribbon she had on her, and was delighted; but if you want to spend longer arranging the plants then by all means trim them first, find a receptacle (maybe a glass jar otherwise destined for the recycling) and gift away! 

Putting something in a different bottle to make it lovelier

Olive oil is very expensive these days but even a small bottle of nice olive oil could be a good gift. Or maybe you have some grapefruits still on your grapefruit tree and want to heat them up with sugar to make a grapefruit syrup, or you could add some chilli flakes and cumin seeds and ginger to some plain oil to make a chilli oil, or you could do some foraging for edible herbs or botanicals (kawakawa and horopito are a great choice) and infuse them into some alcohol, or maybe you already make kombucha and could simply make a batch to give as gifts. 

At any rate, you will want to put your giftable liquid in a gift-worthy bottle. Keep an eye out on what ends up in your house’s recycling bin or poke around the top of the fridge where your father tends to keep items that might be useful later. Clean the bottle and decant the liquid, then tie a ribbon around it, or attach a hand-written label or get one of these special little nozzles (yes it’s buying things but only a very small thing) and you will have an excellent gift. One of the principles of this gift guide is that people love things that are hand written because it usually looks like you made an effort. Note: almost all of this advice also applies to things you might put in jars, like slips of paper on which you’ve written words with interesting definitions or mixed nuts or homemade chutney. 

Baking

Mmmmm! Who doesn’t love homemade cookies? They’re already in portions and can be stored longer than, say, a cake. (In case you’re wondering, no one likes Christmas cake.) If you’ve got a few people to make cookies for, you can make a few different types and give each of them a mix, like a sampler pack. I know we’re trying not to buy anything but presenting them in a tin (perhaps from the op shop) is lovely. If we’re being super strict we could stack them in a reused glass jar and tie a ribbon around the top. The formula is: jar + handmade label + ribbon = gift. It’s these little details that make it. 

A homemade bag charm or plushie

Bag charms and plushies are so hot right now. If you’re a sewer, cute ones can be made simply using scraps. A bag charm is basically a plushie attached to a clip you can get for approximately 20 cents from your local emporium. There’s a few free patterns online, or you can make your own for simple shapes like hearts and stars. The charm of these soft talismans is in their detailing, so take the time to add special stitching, beads, mix fabrics, ribbons or embroidery. 

Vouchers for acts of love

All humans have little messy corners of their life they’d love some help with. The dirty car. The over-stuffed wardrobe. The squeaky door. The art they haven’t put up yet. The garden. The spiders in the shed. Offer your time to help! Of course, simply saying so won’t really do the trick for Christmas. It’s about presentation – we are visual creatures. Make them a little book of vouchers, each with a task that you can help with, or a voucher to hire your services as a handy person for a day (or two). If they haven’t cashed anything in by February, remind them!

An experience

It doesn’t have to be a scary expensive adrenaline rush like skydiving or bungee jumping – instead it could be a particular tramp, a massage, a weekend at a lovely campsite by the beach, a date night, tickets to a comedy show, a manicure, a membership to the zoo or a to a yoga studio. OK, some of these are expensive, but the ones that require more planning, like a beach camping weekend, come out on top. Just make sure you actually do it. 

Take a trip to the op shop

We should consider the op shop an eco-friendly and economic mini mall. Buying stuff here almost doesn’t count, because truly most have things coming out their ears. For Christmas presents I’d steer away from the clothes. Instead I’d look out for beach games, craft supplies, vintage ceramics or glassware, silk scarves or cute accessories. If you don’t have a lot of time or you’re not a good rummager, try out antique shops. They’re often affordable and have done some of the looking for you. 

Top tip: A handmade card (I personally recommend collaging unless you’re an artistic genius who can draw) is the essential part of a gift. It’s the lovely sentimental slop you write inside that counts. Anything extra is like a cherry on top.