Last-minute Christmas gifts to change someone’s life

Another pair of socks, or a generic box of chocolates? Some Christmas gifts are better than others. If you need last-minute gifts and don’t want to resort to the shelves of your local supermarket, how about some of these options?

– An IOU note

Your friends and family will appreciate the promise of something to come. Why not give someone a note, saying that you owe them a trip to the cinema to see a film of their choice? You don’t need to pay upfront for this gift, but it’s sure to make somebody smile.

– An educational course

An online course is a perfect last-minute Christmas gift. Online courses provide the opportunity to learn something genuinely useful, like British sign language or Photoshop.

Give someone skills that they can really use, to improve their employability or help them to find a new hobby. Buying an online course provides a gift that’s full of purpose, and far more valuable than a new scarf.

– Online shop vouchers

You can buy many online shop vouchers for instant delivery by email. You’ll receive a code that you can quickly write into a card, for a convenient last-minute Christmas gift even once the high street has closed. This gift doesn’t require a lot of thought on your part but gives people the power to use the voucher on something that they really want. Whether they buy something practical or fun, you know that they’ve chosen it themselves.

– Magazine subscription

Subscribe on someone’s behalf to a magazine that they’ll enjoy. A gift subscription doesn’t give them anything to open on Christmas morning but is a gift that keeps on giving with regular weekly or monthly deliveries.

– A photoshoot

Many people want to capture precious memories, but simply don’t have the time or money. Professional photo shoots can cost a lot and aren’t always easy to plan.

If you have existing photography skills, or don’t mind taking a photography course of your own (and gaining some new skills in the process), then you can use these to give a unique last-minute Christmas gift. Tell someone that you’re planning a photoshoot for them and their family, with the promise of their favourite photographs delivered digitally or printed for their frames.

Last-minute Christmas gifts don’t need to cost a lot, nor be boring and unoriginal. Have fun with last-minute gifts, and bring a smile to someone’s face this festive season.