Clutter-free gift ideas
Many of these are experience gifts that you can give to your people or things you can do with them! I love experience gifts because they create memories and stories to share over and over, AND they don’t add clutter to the home. Also, if you’re shopping last minute, most of these are easily accessible online or in a handwritten note, “Let’s visit your favorite brewery together in January!”
KIDS
Okay, admittedly, this first one could create some clutter, but it’s mainly in the use it up category: Crafts (we have gifted Mondo Llama from Target), games (taco, cat, goat, cheese, pizza is a favorite among our nieces), zoo membership, children’s museum, children’s theatre, High school plays, one-on-one dates with kids with these AWESOME PUNCH CARDS (click the second photo to get a better view), amusement park day, bowling night out, nature hikes at a local park, indoor play area (Maple Grove Maze if you’re local!),. Fun fact: I have given every single one of these kids gifts on this list so far. But wait, there’s more! Snow tubing day, ice skating, skiing, state parks pass.
ADULTS
Do they like to travel? Try an Airbnb gift certificate, airline gift card (we received Delta gift cards one year, and it was awesome!), or gift cards to restaurants and/or breweries you know they like (hint- ask them!). If they like craft beer, I cannot more highly recommend these: Twin Cities Pubpass covers Minneapolis and St. Paul breweries, and the Hop Passport here is more regional, with some ND, SD, and IA locations included. If you’re not local to Minnesota, some have options in other states! In most cases, it’s a buy-one-beer-get-one-free. Do they like activities? Board games (We’re big fans of Code Names, Blokus, and Clover), tye-dying kit, pretend you’re in a hallmark movie: take a day off midweek and tour a town with a bakery + cute shops (for locals we’ve done Osseo, Stillwater, Rush City, Rochester), visit a winery, tour a museum (history, art, etc.), massage, gift actual wine and cheese if your person is into that.
PLAY
For the folks that need a little fun in life (all of us?) invite your person to try something new they might not be good at. If nothing else, it’s a memory, AND it feels good to laugh! A painting class, cooking class (we received this, and it was SO FUN), dance class (check your local community education website!), apple picking, peony farms, sunflower farms, THEATRE tickets (we have so many options in the Twin Cities!), music, skiing, curling lessons (a few locations in Minneapolis and St. Paul!), roller skating (hilarious! or maybe it’s just me having completely forgot how to do it), bowling.
It’s not clutter if they WANT IT. Ask people what they want. They’re usually delighted you asked and ready to share what’s on their wish list. And if they hem and haw and say they don’t need anything, maybe they don’t! That’s a great opening to ask if they still want to exchange gifts or if a meal or time together would be better.
TIME TOGETHER for FRIENDS + FAMILY
Sporting events, movie nights, cooking classes, whirly ball, escape rooms, wine-tasting class (check your local liquor stores- Haskells does this!), whiskey-tasting night, distillery day, glass blowing class (Duluth has one here that offers gift certificates. It is excellent!).
CONSUMABLES
Anything you can use up. Candles, wine, cocktail mixes, their favorite snacks or candy, Harry and David monthly or quarterly subscription (we’ve received this and enjoyed fresh fruit!).
SERVICES
Car washes, car detailing (I’ve received these first two in the past and LOVED them!), house cleaning (if my family is reading this, please gift me hours with Janice’s company!), spa day: manicure/pedicure/facial/massage, professional organizing (you know I couldn’t leave this off the list ;)
I hope this helped you with a few of your hard-to-shop-for folks or gave you ideas of things you’d like to do with your friends and family this year. Let me know if you try any of them!