45 brilliant last-minute holiday gift ideas you can ship, make, pick up, or IOU. You've got this! | Holiday Gift Guide

Wine is always nice, and our partner TotalWine has an entire category of creative holiday gift ideas that deliver in hours from local liquor stores. Get creative, beyond wine — we love this St. Nicholas Peppermint Liqueur in snow globe packaging that actually lights up and plays music!  (Visit TotalWine.com for prices and selection by state/city. Shipping by FedEx also available)

For the candy lover of any age, we recommend Sugarwish ecards. Your recipient gets a text or email instructing them to pick out from 2 to 12 of their favorite cookies, candies, popcorn, or other treats, depending on the "wish" you're granting them. See our post on great gifts for teens for even more ideas that teens love -- though this one is for adults too. Trust us.

Prime Members can shop Amazon til the last second, or pop by your favorite indie bookstore for one of this year's hottest new books. We recommend Cher: The Memoir, or if you're looking for fiction, James by Percival Everett is super popular. If you're running Christmas-morning or Hanukkah-evening late, remember Kindle ebooks or Audible audio books are delivered instantly!

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.)

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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)

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 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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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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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.

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.

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!)

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.

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.

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.)

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.

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.

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 framed photo for a loved one is always a lovely gift idea -- even if it seems "obvious," it's always appreciated. Visit a local framing shop, craft store, or even a pharmacy for a cool vintage-style frame (this one from Target!) and insert a special photo.

In addition to framing a photo, consider framing a special piece of child's artwork, a photo or painting of your home, a handwritten letter from a grandparent, an invitation or ticket from a memorable event that year, or a fun surprise announcement for your family. Preserving important memories is never a last-minute thought, even if it's a last-minute gift.

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.