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Want to know how to buy gifts for your family?
Finding the perfect family gift idea can be a difficult task. You want to make sure that your gift is unique and memorable, but you also don’t want to spend a fortune.
When it comes to family gift buying, the best gifts are often those that you create yourself and make with love. But in today’s busy world, it is hard to find time to do so. But don’t worry! Keep reading because we’ve created this unique family gift guide as a way for you to easily select the gifts for each member of your family and have them ready before Christmas day!
1. Swapping Photos
Photo albums are always a classic favorite when exchanging gifts with extended family members (cousins, second cousins, grandparents, etc.). Each year, we like to put one of these together for our cousins (all 9 of us!). It has become such a special holiday tradition that everyone looks forward to.
Photo albums can be purchased at any department store and online for less than $10, but the real gift is in what you add: old photographs and stories. Putting this album together becomes a time-consuming process (one which we’ve learned to involve the entire family), but it is also an incredibly rewarding one—after all, this is your chance to share your memories with loved ones.
We usually start by discussing which photos should go into each album and then decide on a common theme before adding captions or taking turns writing up brief stories about each picture. The best part about this is that everyone will be able to enjoy the album in their own way and can even add their photos and memories in years to come.
You can even get family portraits by Impersonate Me. These are fantastically unique family gifts that everyone will love!
2. Personalizing Homemade Gifts
Christmas is all about family, but we know that not everybody has a support system such as this. That’s why we love giving homemade gifts—it makes us feel like we’re showing people how much they mean to us. It doesn’t matter whether you decide on putting together a gift basket, baking favorite treats, or maybe knitting some custom scarves; if you put your own touch into a gift you’ve given, it will speak volumes to the recipient. These types of gifts are also the most thoughtful because they aren’t just something you buy—they are made with love.
In addition to the personalized presents, gift boxes for women, especially mothers, can be filled with essential goodies. Scented candles, bath bombs, and other self-care items are always lovely to receive. You can handwrite a heartfelt note for a more personal touch.
Alternatively, you can design your own gift box with all sorts of unique items. This is an excellent opportunity to show off your crafty side and make something valuable that your loved ones can use and enjoy.
3. Create Unique Christmas Cards
Christmas cards are an easy way to share some holiday cheer, but good ones can get expensive. This is why we started designing our own cards two years ago. We found a free template online, downloaded it, and printed them up on the computer using different photos for each family member in our family.
You can do this with any graphics program or if you don’t have one, there are even ways to create your own graphic (like making your own font) online without needing to know how to use complicated equipment like Photoshop or Illustrator. Now that’s what we an affordable gift!
4. Making Family Heirlooms
Every family has a story to tell and we love passing ours down through generations. This is why we decided to make our own version of the classic wooden photo album that becomes an heirloom for future generations.
We used WOOD Magazine as inspiration (they recently featured this DIY project) and now every year, we swap out old photos with new ones from each person in our extended family—you can even add funny pictures of everyone together throughout the years. You can do this at any craft store or local hardware store and all you need is some wood, paint, and screws!
Moreover, you can also make other types of homemade gifts that can become family heirlooms. For example, you can cross-stitch a pillow with the family crest or quilt a blanket with everyone’s names.
These handmade gifts will become even more special as they get passed down and form part of family history.
5. Christmas Tree Decorations
This is a tradition that we started last year and it has quickly become one of our favorites. Every family member gets to pick an ornament for the Christmas tree, which not only makes the tree more colorful and festive but also becomes a great conversation piece.
Not to mention, it’s always fun to see who chooses what! This is a very affordable gift idea that can be adapted for any budget and it’s something that can be enjoyed every year.
6. Spending Time Together
Last but not least, the best gift you can give during the holidays is your time. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the easiest option, considering everyone’s hectic schedules and money restraints. But if you can manage to find an activity that works for all family members (including any children) consider yourself lucky!
We like to take it in turns hosting game nights or creating photo books, which are fun ways of making memories with one another.
Another great option is to watch family movies together or go for walks in the park—the list is endless. The best thing about gifts like these is that they don’t have to cost much.
However, if you choose to spend your time, just be sure it brings everyone together—that’s what the holidays are truly about. Above all, this will strengthen the bond among family members and create memories that will last a lifetime.
7. Holiday Gift Basket
This is a family gift idea that you can get your hands dirty with and it works wonders! You can fill this gift basket with holiday-themed items such as baked Christmas cookies, hot chocolate, and more. Depending on the supplies you have, this can be a very affordable option.
8. Holiday Recipes
If cooking is something your family does together, consider working up some holiday recipes and putting them together in a binder. The best part about this gift idea is that you can make one for everyone, and your family will be excited to not only eat the food but also enjoy looking at all of the photographs from the holiday’s past (aka our memories).
Takeaway
We hope you’ve enjoyed our family gift idea guide and found it helpful. If there are other items that we didn’t cover, please let us know in the comments below! And if you’re looking for more great content on all things family-related, head over to our blog!