10 Unconventional Gift Ideas for Friends and Family

Ava Garcia, Staff Writer

As the holiday season approaches, gift-buying is becoming a priority. Thoughtful gifts are hard to find, leading some people to buy ordinary presents. The next 10 unconventional gifts will provide people some guidance this holiday season: 

1. Writing a Poem/Letter

At times, gifts can be expensive and hard to find. Writing a poem or letter solves this problem. Affordable and memorable, writing a letter for a person shows how much you care and shows you put forth considerable effort to make the personalized gift. 

2. Making A Personalized Playlist

Music is at the heart of the holiday season. When making a personalized playlist, one can add songs that make one think of the person. Making a retro cassette and adding designs and drawings to the case can enhance this gift and make it more aesthetically pleasing rather than just sending a playlist through Apple Music or Spotify. 

3. Concert Tickets

With concerts returning slowly, concert tickets are a unique gift this holiday season. Whether a local band or an international superstar, concerts are a fun way to get out of the house and spend time with friends.

4. Charm Bracelet 

A way to mitigate the stress of thinking up a new gift each year, one can gift someone a charm bracelet. Each holiday, you can gift a new charm and add it to your friend’s or family’s collection, making it a gift that keeps on giving.

5. Spotify Glass Gift 

The Spotify glass gift, a gift made of a sheet of glass, has been trending all over TikTok. The gift includes a picture of a loved one and a song code that represents them, allowing the receiver to scan the code and have it play directly on their phone. 

6. Mindfulness Coloring Book

With the stress of the past year, many people need a short break from the world. Gifting a mindfulness coloring book will show how much you think about a person and provide them with a quick escape during the day through coloring. 

7. Fully Annotated Book 

Books have been on the rise this year. Since people are getting back into reading, this idea is an original, thoughtful gift for a loved one. Gifting an annotated book allows the reader to see the thoughts of the annotator and the amount of time put into the gift.  

8. Paint By Numbers 

Paint by Numbers has also been on the rise on TikTok. It is a picture of yourself and a loved one with numbers coordinating to certain colors. Filling it in can be a fun group activity and once filled in, it reveals a personalized painting.  

9. Digital Camera for Kids 

Many places sell affordable kids’ cameras that are a fun way to capture moments throughout the year without using up iPhone storage. This gift could be given to anyone who loves to take pictures and remember all the little moments. 

10. Capsule Letter Messages 

Short and personalized letters, Capsule letter messages can be opened each morning to start the day. This gift means a person can continue to receive nice messages all month long.