Christmas Gift Guide: Alternative Christmas Gifts For Any Budget

Hey my lovelies. I am so bloody excited. It’s finally December and goodness knows how much I need this festive-feeling. I practically shit Christmas, and it is the time of the year when I feel the best. So today I thought I’d crack on with the festivities and write up my Christmas gift guide.

I adore gift giving. I end most nights at the moment scrolling through the internet searching for the perfect gifts for family and friends. Not forgetting that Christmas morning feeling, as all those presents sit happily wrapped under the tree, ready to be received by those special people.

So here is my gift guide. I’ve tried to be quick creative with this, as I often find gift guides say a lot of the same thing. I have also split it into three sections, a budget socking filler, middle-of-the-way gift and a extra special perfect pressie (which would be more expensive). I hope you like the post and that it gives you some ideas.

#1 Cosy nights in

There’s nothing quite like some lovely fresh new pyjamas. I love receiving pjs at any time of year, so why not at the cosy comfort of Christmas. They’d be all ready for your post-lunch sleep. Moreover they’re perfect for anyone- for any age/ gender. Mums, friends, brothers… you can’t go wrong.

Stocking filler- A lovely PJ set. Top picks would be Primark, Asos and New Look. You could even add some bed socks for that special touch.

Gift- Wrapping together a PJ set, bed socks, a DVD/ book and bath bomb in a box, will give you the perfect night in. An excuse to take a well-deserved relax- how can you go wrong?

The perfect pressie­- Go that one step further and promise that person a perfect night in. Pledge to buy the meal/ pizza, pamper bits (nails / face masks), a DVD and matching PJs. This would be a lovely idea for a friend, or a mum, where you have a girly night together.

#2 Beauty bits

Beauty gifts are always a nice treat. For all those moments in Boots when you just can’t justify that £12 mascara, I always enjoy receiving beauty bits on Christmas.

Stocking filler- A beauty giftcard can never go wrong, such as Boots or Superdrug, as it allows your recipient to pick out whatever they want. An especially good idea if you’re unsure of their tastes or colouring.

Gift- There are so many giftsets available these days- your world really is your oyster. From drugstore brands, like Rimmel, to more high-end like Charlotte Tilbury. If this is out of your price bracket, you could always treat them to that one special product- like their favourite Benefit mascara (my gran loves to get me this) or a Mac lippy.

The perfect pressie- I think a lovely idea would be to buy a makeup bag (there is so much choice here but I know Primark, Notonthehighstreet, Amazon and Boots have some great picks), and fill it up with goodies. You could pop in their go-to Collection concealer, a Benefit blush and a new Real Techniques brush. This way you can spend however much you want and create a one-off personal gift.

#3 Photos, photos, photos

Photo-gifts are always my favourite- so personal to give and receive. There is also so much choice when it comes down to it these days- you can get your photos printed on anything from a t-shirt to an edible marshmallow (who knew?!).

Stocking filler- Most photo printing brands, or places like Funky Pigeon or Moonpig, have some smashing under £15 photo gifts. I have done the photo mug so many times and still think it is just a brilliant present. You can also get phone cases, calenders- you name it.

Gift- As an avid scrapbooker, I also know the value of saving memories in your own special way. Last year I brought my sister a scrapbook package, with a scrapbook, photo paper, scrapbooking bits and bobs. I completed the first few pages of our memories, with photos from the past year. She loved this and it was so much fun to make for her. My top pics for scrapbook essentials are Hobbycraft, Amazon and Paperchase- places which all range in price (so perfect for any budget).

The perfect pressie- Photo books are just such a beautiful gift. Whether their 2016 instagrams, last 20 years in photos or simple holiday snaps, a photo book is a lovely way to give a personalised pressie this Christmas. I received a lovely book for my birthday, with photos and memories from my girl’s trip to Spain this summer. It was a joy to open, and I love to flick through it to bring all the memories back- it’s effectively a printed off scrapbook… made with love. 

#4 The hobby box

When thinking of gift ideas, one of the first questions you result to is- what does {blank} love/enjoy? Often they’ve got that special hobby, which is a great to base your gift on. Or maybe you know/ or think  there’s something they’d like to get into.

Stocking filler- Perhaps you could make something (or a few bits) relating to their hobby. Pinterest is always my no.1 for great DIY ideas, but there will be soooo many online. If they like sewing, you could DIY a homemade pin cushion, or if they play drums, you could make a pouch to keep their drumsticks in. If you want to go down the fabric route, you’ve probably got a needle and thread in the house somewhere and ebay sell some really cheap fabric (by the meter).

Gift­- A great idea could be to buy a stocking, as cheaply as you like (I know Poundland or Primark would have some bargains there) and fill it with gifts relating to the hobby. If they liked baking, for example, you could buy some sprinkles, an apron, cookie cutters or a cookbook. This way you can limit it to the price you want to spend, and shop around for some cheaper alternatives.

The perfect pressie- The ultimate hobby box could include absolutely anything related to their hobby. For example, for my Grampy who love golf, I would pack it with some new gold balls, a sports top and a book relating to golf/ a golfer. Then I’d buy a nice gift box, from somewhere like Homesense or Paperchase, and wrap it up all beautifully.

Thank you for reading my gift guide this year. I really loved making this post, creating the gifts and photographing it all. Let me know what you thought of the post, or if you have any favourite gifts within this! Thanks my lovelies,

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