While there’s a certain joy in receiving socks every Christmas, as with all things, sometimes it’s nice to think outside of the box.
Unusual gifts can show that you’ve put some extra thought into the gifts that you’re giving, while ensuring that those gifts are truly a surprise.
Coming up with unusual gift ideas can be tricky though – it’s hard to think outside of the box!
To help you out this holiday period, we decided to compile this short collection of unusual gift ideas for Christmas.
Visit small markets
While most of our shopping nowadays is done in shopping centres, centred on global brands and institutions, it’s very difficult to get a truly unusual or unique gift in this manner.
Most shops we use have a presence around the world – what you get can be seen and bought by thousands, maybe even millions, of other people.
When it comes to small markets and the handmade items sold at them, it’s a totally different story.
These artisans tend to make their items by hand, and what you get will be truly unique.
Whether it’s a potter making gorgeous coffee mugs with an unusual twist, or a felter who makes colourful hats or hot water bottle holders, small markets are a great way of finding truly unusual and unique gifts.
Handmade items on Etsy
Etsy, in many ways, represents the online version of the small market.
Most sellers on Etsy are artisans, obsessed with their craft and dedicated to creating unique, unusual objects.
While browsing their site doesn’t provide quite the same ambience as walking around a market, you’ll get a lot more variety, and a number of vendors will be willing to accommodate personal requests – lots of the items on their site are made-to-order.
Etsy can also be a good place to look if you don’t have a market near you, or if you aren’t available on the weekends, when a lot of markets are held.
Personalised gifts
If you’re somewhat stumped on what to get for your loved ones, or if you’re looking for something a bit more special, personalised gifts can be an excellent choice.
Online shops like Getting Personal sell a wide variety of personalisable Christmas gifts.
Potential gifts that you could get include wine glasses, cheese boards, wallets and jewelry cases, all of which can be inscribed with the name of the recipient, a short message, or a variety of other small personalisations.
Homemade gifts
If you feel like getting creative, then making your own gifts can be a great way to come up with something unusual.
You don’t have to be super crafty to be able to make your own gifts – there are so many resources to learn new skills online, and the gift doesn’t have to be perfect.
At the end of the day, Christmas is about bringing people together and sharing; as long as your gift shows that you’ve thought about the recipient and that you care about them, then the gift will be perfect, whatever it is.