For all you out there needing last-minute holiday gifts — Christmas gifts, Hanukkah gifts, holiday gifts, or, ahem, New Year’s gifts — we’ve got you! Check out this thoughtful list of last-minute gifts that don’t feel last-minute at all. We’ve got subscriptions, books, experience gifts, gift cards, treats, and ideas for shopping locally.

In fact, while most websites we’ve seen are just sharing a bunch of Amazon ideas as last-minute gifts, you’ll find ideas here that really are last-minute. Like, even if you’re scrambling on Christmas Eve or the night before a Hanukkah party!

Of course, remember, the most important thing is you. So no panicking. Connecting with the people we love—that’s really the spirit of the season. The gifts are just a bonus.

And don’t miss: Our complete 2024 Holiday Gift Guide.
(IOUs can be good gifts too!)

This post contains affiliate links, and purchases may generate a small commission that helps support our team at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support this holiday season!

45 wonderful last-minute holiday gift ideas. You’ve got this!

 

This cool subscription gift box for a gadget lover

Breo Box is one of the best curated boxes we’ve seen — and given ourselves as gifts! The notification comes immediately, making it a smart last-minute holiday gift that doesn’t feel last-minute. Check out our unboxing post to see some of the cool stuff your lucky recipient may get when it arrives in the mail.

A Rosetta Stone subscription

For an experience gift that lasts a lifetime, but is delivered in minutes for convenient last-minute gifting, our partner Rosetta Stone offers effective, expert-crafted courses in 25+ languages. It’s a wonderful idea for a world traveler, someone who’s always wanted to learn their family’s ancestral tongue, or that proverbial person who has everything — but the ability to speak fluent Japanese. (55% off for a limited time — choose 12-month access to a single language, or lifetime access to all 25 languages.)

Personalized ice-cream pints, delivered

Ice cream in December? Heck yeah! eCreamery ice cream delivery is one of our go-to gifts, in part because of their holiday flavors and custom (or semi-custom) labels. Alternately, try the Salt & Straw Ice Cream Pint Club for truly great flavors that keep on coming.

 

A poster for instant download featuring their favorite song lyrics

For a last-minute gift that feels like you spent a lot of time on it, order custom, printable artwork from one of the incredible indie artists on Etsy–like this custom song lyrics poster by Roniroots. And so affordable!

Related: 20 very cool personalized gifts for adults that may be worth an IOU

A gift card for a custom pet portrait

A cute custom pet portraits from iambuniStudios is such a thoughtful gift for someone who loves their dog or cat, and we love the retro styling! An IOU means they can work with the artist directly to create the perfect portrait in the colors they love.

 

A coveted tech gift you can pick up in-store

Depending where you live, your local Apple Store may offer same-day pick-up — or delivery in as soon as 2 hours, if you know someone with the AirPod Max headphones (or whatever!) on their holiday wishlist. You can also choose same-day pickup at Target from your nearest location; or if you have time, look into overnight shipping from Amazon.

Luxury beauty gifts that ship fast

Did you know Amazon has an entire section dedicated to premium beauty products that are all sourced from manufacturers and not resellers? Even if you can’t get to a store in time, you can get overnight delivery on some of our favorites, including  Philosophy’s Amazing Grace collection — so perfect for gifting!

Also check out Clinique’s best-selling  Almost Lipstick, a fun nail set from Londontown ($8 off with coupon!), The Urban Decay Everyday Eyeshadow Palette that looks good on everyone, or for a small indulgence, the viral Grande Lash-Enhancing Serum.

A practical subscription to keep passwords safe

For a practical gift that you can give last minute, we cannot recommend a subscription to 1Password more highly — our editor Liz even got one for her parents! Also check out 1Password for Families, especially if it’s for someone with online teens always asking for their streaming passwords.

 

A gift card for dinner out…or dinner in.

Stop by your favorite local restaurant and ask for a gift card toward a dinner out on the town. If you’re too late to run out for one of those, grab a digital DoorDash e-gift card for a delicious night in. This also happens to be a top request from our teens and college students.

A child’s very own magazine subscription

Magazine subscriptions are cool last-minute gifts for kids of any age! For children, we love Highlights for Kids, which continues to be great for younger kids, or The Week for seriously curious tweens or teens. Or, gift a Kindle Unlimited subscription, which gives access to so many magazines.

An online course for learning a new creative skill

For lifelong learners, creative hobbyists, or someone looking to brush up on a skill for a new endeavor, a gift subscription to Skillshare gives them access to so many cool, creative courses in illustration, graphic design, animation, photography, crafting, and mor

A wine-tasting in a box

Now that Sugarwish and Vinebox have come together, you can find more adults-only gifts at Sugarwish! That includes a whole variety of wine tasting gift boxes and a cocktail/mocktail mixers gift box, which is delightful whether they drink or not. They get a notification over email or text, then when the gift comes in the mail, it’s like a second gift!

A new board game or puzzle each month

Unbox Boardom offers an incredible board game subscription, perfect for a family game night fan or unplugged gaming. If you need a last-minute holiday gift for a puzzle fan, check out this puzzle of the month subscription too.

A Year of Calm

Practical and wonderful as a last-minute holiday gift idea: A subscription to the Calm app, for meditations, mindfulness exercises, breathwork, sleep stories, and more. If you’d like other ideas, see our list of our favorite meditation or mindfulness apps recommended by our tech team. 

A NY Times Games-Only Subscription

Calling all Wordle fans! Did you know you can give a subscription gift just for NY Times Games? Its a dedicated app including the crossword (of course!), Spelling Bee, Wordle, Strands (above), and everyone’s new favorite obsession, Connections. Plus Sudoku, mini crosswords, and an archive of years of crosswords to help pass the time while keeping brains sharp.

A monthly book subscription for kids

If you need a gift for kids who love reading, we highly recommend well-curated book subscription gifts like Bookroo (above). You can find more book subscription gifts for kids on Cratejoy, including Ourshelves, which gets high marks.

A very special monthly book subscription for adults

One of the best bookstores in the country, Politics & Prose, offers a Book-A-Month Club featuring a new release that your recipient isn’t likely to own yet. For something extra special, check out the Politics & Prose signed first editions club. Wow. (Image: @politicsprose)

A subscription box for coffee lovers

For the avid coffee drinker, we love this My Bean Monthly coffee subscription that comes tailored exactly to someone’s tastes. Wrap up a nice thermal mug with the subscription details inside, if you need an actual gift on Christmas,

A box of homemade holiday cookies

A box of your favorite homemade cookies is always a treat. Need a new recipe? We recommend these sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies both from Suburban Soapbox, and included in our list of 24 favorite holiday cookie recipes shared by Cool Mom Eats readers. Search Amazon for lots of festive cookie boxes or holiday-themed cookie tins that can make goodies feel extra fancy.

A box of cookies homemade by someone else

Thank goodness for Goldbelly, which has an entire category of cookies that can be delivered before Christmas. (Or Hanukkah, since it’s the same date this year.) Since most ship quickly anyway, you really can order last-minute but hurry! Some shops do sell out. A gift of the famous Levain Bakery signature cookie assortment? Yes please!

A mug of homemade hot chocolate bombs

If you’re more of a candy person, we cannot get over how cute these corgi marshmallows and DIY chocolate bombs are, from Soap Deli News. Try her recipe, or check out these other ideas for making amazing DIY chocolate bombs — and pack it in a cute mug or a mason jar.

A gift card supporting an indie maker on Etsy

If you’re like us, you can lose yourself browsing Etsy. If you don’t know what to get someone, send an Etsy Gift Card so they can pick out their own special goodness supporting an independent maker or artist. To make it even cooler, check out our post on 12 wonderful ways to make 12 of the top holiday gift cards even giftier.

An audiobook subscription, to listen and learn all year

For the book lover who doesn’t have time to sit and read, a gift Audible subscription will let them listen to the year’s best books anytime, anywhere. Another great idea: Libro.FM — an indie alternative with a great seledction, all supporting local bookshops.

Holiday Pillar Candles, No Wax-Pouring Necessary

We love how a set of inexpensive prayer candles from Amazon or a local craft store can be easily transformed into brightly colored, festive pillars of light. Just use the downloadable Christmas neighbor gif pack of printables from our friends at Caravan Shoppe — just $6 for a lot of festive labels that inspire even more ideas for last-minute DIY gifts for your friends, neighbors, kids’ teachers, salon…and.anyone who could use a little kindness.

Music or Voice Lessons

Virtu.Academy offers private, online lessons with musicians from Juliard, The Cleveland Orchestra, The Met Opera, and more. What a brilliant gift for someone who’s already proficient, or someone who’s always wanted to learn.

Baking Lessons: In person, online, or on demand

We are big fans of King Arthur Flour, but maybe you’re not aware that King Arthur Baking School has been spreading the joy of carbs (ha) for nearly 25 years! If you’re not near their locations in Vermont or Washington State, there are a ton of cool classes online in everything from pizza, to macarons, to cream puffs & eclairs.

The gift of (future) travel

Airbnb gift cards are a perfect way to say “we’re going away together!” Or, perhaps, “you’re going away without me!” Your choice.

A special floral delivery…maybe same-day!

We love ordering from The Bouqs because flowers arrive fresh, often from local shops, and customer service is terrific. You can even check options for same-day delivery depending on zip code — but don’t count on December 25 availability. Order soon!

An Apple One subscription

With an Apple One subscription — a perfect family gift, by the way — everyone will have access to the newly expanded Apple Music, unlimited free games on Apple Arcade (including all the new games out this month), Apple Fitness, and Apple TV — just in time for the new season of Severance! (Shown above: FKA Twigs, with exclusive mixes on Apple Music Club.)

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A VPN for privacy in a not-so-private digital age

If you’ve been following the news lately, you’ll know why more people are increasingly concerned about privacy of even basic functions, like texting. A gift to NordVPN is practical, thoughtful, and affordable — they have huge holiday deals for subscriptions just over $3 each month right now.

A gift card to their favorite mall shop

Those Vera Wang towels at Kohl’s might not be something you’d give as a holiday gift, but they may be just what someone in your life needs. Give a gift card to a chain with a nearby location like Kohl’s, Foot Locker, REI or Urban Outfitters and someone on your list will be thrilled to shop the post-holiday discounts.

Support for independent journalism

A gift subscription to a digital newspaper or magazine is always thoughtful, and now more than ever is a great time to support independent journalism. A subscription to ProPublica is meaningful on many levels. For other ideas, consider Mother Jones, 19th News, The Conversation, or a subscription to your favorite Substack newsletter. (Shameless plug here for our own Liz Gumbinner’s Substack!)

A DIY gift basket around a favorite theme…like zombies!

DIY gift baskets can be so fun and surprisingly easy to throw together at the last minute. Check out these make-your-own gift basket ideas from a previous gift guide, or consider:

• A Movie Night Bask: Include gift cards for Alamo Drafthouse or Fandango, along with some popcorn and all their favorite theater treats. Or get niche around a genre, like this zombie survival gift kit, above,  from Sandy Toes & Popsicles. It even comes with a free printable to tie it together. Perfect for Apocalypse Z and Last of Us fans!
• A Spa-in-a-Box: Include scented candles (hey, this one is Pantone’s color of 2025!), shower steamers, and body oil…and maybe a gift card for a mani-pedi.
• A Kids’ Favorite Toys Basket: Pull together a basket full of art and craft supplies, mini-games, or gifts around a character or theme the child loves. Target makes it easy with categories around superheroes (you can even fill this superhero gift bag!), Marvel, Star Wars, Beetlejuice, Minecraft, or Hello Kitty.

A new game for instant download

This year’s hot Playstation 5 game is Astro Bot! If you don’t have time to order it for delivery, you can download it instantly on your console. Or if you don’t know what the gamers in your life want to play, a Nintendo, Xbox or Playstation gift card lets them pick out their own favorite. You can also check out gift cards toward Roblox or Steam for your favorite gamers.

Craft boxes for kids — or a whole monthly craft subscription

We’ve raved about Kiwi Co. subscription boxes for years. Their gift boxes help kids from toddlers to tweens get super creative, whether they love art, crafts, STEM, or pretend play. Kiwi Co now has brand new STEAM boxes suitable for older teens that let them make things they’ll be psyched to keep.

Gifts like an annual family membership to a local museum, zoo, science center, or indoor play space is a gift that really does keep giving. Even if it’s just tickets for a single visit somewhere they’ll love. For even more creative ideas, the Virgin Experiences site, lets you search by activity, city, and age. (They’re 20% off with the code XMAS20 right now!)

Also consider tickets for sports in your area, live theater, or any event that gives you something to look forward to after the holidays are over. (Sorry Swifties, no more Eras Tour.)

An easy homemade spa scrub

This sugar spice scrub recipe at Hello Glow was also a popular idea in our guide to DIY holiday gifts this year. It’s perfect for a best friend, a teen, or a mom who needs a little down time…along with a promise to actually leave her alone long enough to enjoy it.

 

A special food delivery from their hometown or favorite destination

Support your favorite local restaurants or coffee shops with a gift card and maybe some merch. You can also scour Goldbelly and search by region for deliciousness from around the country, like NYC’s wonderful Russ & Daughters. They also offer gift certificates, if you’re not sure whether they’d prefer a chocolate babka or a dozen bialies.

 

A handmade ornament you can make quickly.

These handmade photo ornaments via Homey Oh My don’t look like an afterthought at all. So easy! Or, if you’re shopping for a reader, fire up your printer to make the viral “books of the year” ornaments we shared in our list of DIY gifts you can make for friends and family.

 

 

A thoughtful tribute donation to a meaningful cause

If you pick the right meaningful organization, no gift will be more treasured by your loved one. We’re big fans of  the essential work of World Central Kitchen, but these days it’s hard to pick just one — think about what they care about. Animals? Clean air and water? Public schools? The arts? Veterans and military families? A tribute donation to their alma mater? It really is hard to go wrong. here.