A cozy guide to thoughtful, non-physical holiday gifts
10 ideas to inspire your gift giving this season.
‘Tis the season…for Black Friday sales, holiday gift guides, and links galore. This time of year can often feel like a time of endless shopping, and with so many people to gift to and the seemingly never-ending onslaught of hyper-curated seasonal things we’re told we need. I often feel so torn this time of year because gift-giving is my ultimate love language; I love surprising my loved ones and seeing their face when they open that special something, but it’s a good reminder that you don’t need to spend a ton of money and buy endless presents to achieve this. As someone whose love language is gift giving, I’ve put together this guide not to tell you what not to buy but to inspire you to think about gifting in a more mindful and intentional way.
A personalized book recommendation list
What it is: Curate a personalized reading list tailored to your recipient’s tastes. Include a mix of all-time favourites, hidden gems, and books you think they’d love based on their other hobbies and interests.
How to gift it: Handwrite the list on beautiful stationery, or design a digital version with little notes about why you chose each book. If you like to draw, you can even make an illustrated version. Pair it with a cozy tea, a cute pen or highlighter and some colourful tabs, or a homemade bookmark (check out
A cozy kit for a lazy day
What it is: Instead of physical items, put together a lazy day experience for ultimate coziness—a list of favourite books, podcasts, recipes, snacks, TV shows and movies, and include a suggested schedule for the day.
How to gift it: Like the personalized book recommendation list, you can either write it out on special stationery or design it as a digital itinerary. Some fun, creative ways to do this would be to design it in the form of a menu or recipe, where you can also include links to cozy recipes or snack ideas to go along with each element.
A cozy night in kit (digital edition)
What it is: This is similar to the cozy kit above, but this would be specifically for a night in. This would be great to gift to a couple for an at-home date night, or a family-friendly activity to do with kids. Think “dinner and a movie” with a creative, personalized twist.
How to gift it: Design a cute PDF or even just write an email with all the details for the cozy night in. Include an itinerary for the evening, complete with links to a simple, cozy recipe to try for dinner, a fun activity, and a yummy dessert. For a couple, this could be a dinner with a wine and dessert pairing, and for a family, a homemade pizza kit followed by game night and ice cream sundaes.
A book club date
What it is: Choose a book to read with a fellow bookworm and set a date, either in person or virtually, to meet and discuss it. Think of this as a Bookstagram buddy read, but make it official and something special and to together.
How to gift it: Create a party-style invitation with a place and date for your meeting. If you’re doing this virtually, create a Zoom link and suggest a cozy beverage to enjoy together while you chat. If you’re meeting in person, choose a favourite cozy coffee shop as the location for your meetup.
A memory jar
What it is: Fill a jar with handwritten notes of shared memories, compliments, and reasons you love and appreciate this person. Get creative, personal, and funny—the best combination is a mix of heart and humour that reflect your relationship well. This is a great gift idea for kids to do for parents or grandparents. It would make a wonderful teacher gift idea too.
How to gift it: Write each note by hand on pretty note paper, or print and laminate for more durable pages. Store the notes in a mason jar or any other special container, and add a ribbon with a personalized label around it.
A custom playlist
What it is: My elder millennial heart still reminisces fondly over the days of homemade burnt CDs and the hours spent listening to the carefully curated songs on each one. To bring this nostalgic idea to the 21st century, why not make a custom playlist for the music lover in your life? This can be as simple as curating a list of songs that the recipient loves or that remind you of them, or more complex in the form of specific themes and purposes—Nora Ephron-inspired music for the romcom enthusiast, cozy instrumentals for the reader/writer, a Disney soundtrack for the littles…there are so many ways to personalize it and make it meaningful.
How to gift it: For the nostalgia factor, you can use card stock to make a “track list” in the shape of a CD with accompanying notes that explain why you chose each song.
A set of handwritten letters to be opened throughout the year
What it is: The idea for this is similar to the memory jar—write a series of letters for the recipient to open during specific moods or on specific days (for example, “open when you need a good laugh,” “open when you’re feeling nostalgic,” “open when you’re having a tough day,” etc.).
How to gift it: Package the letters in an envelop or box—how you decorate or style this is up to you! Include a mix of encouraging notes, some humour/uplifting memories, favourite quotes, photos…the possibilities are endless.
A cozy walk or hike date
What it is: Give the gift of quality time and plan a walk or hike at a beautiful spot together. You can include a thermos of hot chocolate, coffee, or tea to enjoy along the way. Disconnect from your phone and other devices and enjoy the time spent in nature to talk and reconnect without any distractions.
How to gift it: Create a “voucher” or “gift card” for the date, complete with details about when and where it will take place. Personalize it with a drawing or photo of the spot you’ll visit; you can also include a map and highlight your trail as a keepsake.
Teach a skill you love
What it is: Share a skill you enjoy with someone—a baking lesson, a knitting tutorial, a music session, colouring or scrapbooking, calligraphy, or even the art of making a perfect cup of tea.
How to gift it: Create a redeemable “certificate” for your lesson and set up a time to teach the recipient. You can also do this virtually by recording a video tutorial (which also makes a fun keepsake in itself).
Blind date with a book
What it is: Have some excellent books on your shelf you’re ready to part with? Wrap them up as “blind dates” for fellow book lovers! This is such a fun way to spread bookish joy, unhaul your own shelves, and encourage readers to explore a book they might not otherwise have picked up.
How to gift it: Wrap up the books in any kind of paper you like, and include a few details about the book on the wrapping—genre, a few points about the plot, year of publication. You can get creative in your wrapping style, and include some fun bookish accessories like a highlighter or some colourful tabs for annotating.
I hope you find these tips and ideas helpful! Let me know in the comments how you’re feeling about gifts this year and we can keep this conversation going ◡̈
Happy Sunday,
These are such creative and fun ideas. Thank you.
I just watched "Buy Now!" on Netflix so this list is especially timely.