The Know’s thoughtful and affordable gift guide
We’re so excited to share our Christmas gift guide with you! This year, we’ve paid extra attention to the price tag, without compromising on that warm fuzzy feeling we hope to give to our loved ones.
We reached out to our community on Instagram and asked our wonderful newsletter readers for gift recommendations, and were blown away by the response. You shared with us your favourite small brands and businesses - some of which we’d heard of, and some of which we were so happy to discover for the first time - and suggested DIY Christmas gifts that are *so* much fun to make.
We’ve woven these into our guide, alongside our team’s personal recommendations, ensuring a focus on affordability and sustainability throughout. In each section, you’ll find both general gift ideas and specific recommendations which are so useful for those of you feeling a little time-poor right now. And if, like us, you’re looking to switch things up this year, we’ve put together a special section at the end detailing easy twists on classic gifting traditions.
So put your favourite music on (Christmas songs or otherwise), dive in and get inspired!
For your most organised friend
Calendars. This year, we’re giving calendars the airtime they deserve. They’re arguably *the* most practical gift - I mean, literally everyone needs one - but they can also double as stylish wall art. We’re loving this calendar from the Royal Academy (and they’re currently Buy 1 Get 1 Half Price!), this one by David Shrigley, and this one featuring art and vegan recipes to try from around the world.
Woven baskets. We’re at the age where the prospect of using woven baskets to store literally anything (makeup, socks, laundry, you name it) is deeply exciting. We’re pretty sure your friend will feel the same - Etsy has a wonderful selection.
Pen holders. Because the desk is here to stay, but the mess doesn’t have to be! We’re loving these beautifully designed concrete holders from Juliet Poppyseed, which are guaranteed to brighten up a friend’s workspace (especially important if they’re WFH, trust us). Our co-founder Lynn has the green holder on her desk and can’t recommend them enough - plus, our readers get 15% off with our code THEKNOW15.
Planners. We’re here to vouch for physical planners: putting pen to paper is much more satisfying than using your phone to organise your schedule, plus it presents an ideal opportunity for moments of mindfulness. Give the gift of organisation *and* self-care this Christmas by gifting a loved one a planner that doubles up as a journal - we love The Positive Planner for this.
For your foodie friend
Coffee. Espresso your love for your friend through coffee this Christmas - it’s an especially thoughtful gift considering how hard it is to properly wake up on wintery mornings. We’re loving Odd Coffee Co., who source surplus coffee from premium roasters, meaning that you bag quality beans at a fraction of the price and your friend will appreciate the next-level taste! Get 10% off with our discount code THEKNOW10.*
Chutneys. The perfect gift for any cheese lover in your life. We like Rosebud Preserves, a Yorkshire-based company who source their products locally and seasonally wherever possible.
A pasta plan. Got a friend who loves good food but never has the time to cook? Gift them a meal delivery service so they can whip up a gourmet meal mid-week. We love Pasta Evangelists for this, as each box includes freshly handmade pasta, an authentic sauce, and garnishes, and takes under 5 minutes to prepare. Use our code THEKNOW25 to get 25% off your first two orders - and they’ll even throw in a free Tiramasù!**
A recipe subscription service. For your friend who loves to cook, and gets excited about trying new recipes. Give them the gift of endless food inspiration with a New York Times Cooking subscription.
A personalised recipe book. Picture that friend or family member who's always whipping up delicious new dishes out of whatever they have left in the cupboard. Now picture them jotting down those dishes so they (and maybe even you…) can continue enjoying them again and again! We recommended this one from Papier - our co-founder Holly was gifted one by a friend for her birthday and loves it.*
For your sentimental friend
Personalised gifts. Whether it’s wall art, coasters, or baubles (our particular favourite), you can’t go wrong with a personalised gift. This works especially well for any friends or family spending their first Christmas in a new home - we like Modo Creative for their range and quality.
A framed photograph. We loved this reader suggestion for its sweetness and simplicity. Pick out your fave pic of you and a loved one, put it in a frame (or even have a go at making your own) and voilà - the perfect gift for your sentimental friend.
Write a personalised list of recommendations. This is arguably the most thoughtful present on the list, and costs absolutely nothing. This Christmas, try gifting your friend a list of recommendations - for example, films, books, recipes, music, magazines - based on what you know about them. You’ll be giving the gift of endless cultural inspo, and your sentimental friends will appreciate this one in particular.
Home-baked cookies. We’re flying the flag for sweet treats this Christmas, and you can take it to the next level by baking your own cookies to give to family and friends. These chocolate orange cookies are a tried-and-tested failsafe, and we also love these miso chocolate chip ones (opt for white choc for a truly incredible taste).
For your friend who deserves a treat
Cinema tickets. Give the gift of escapism with cinema tickets - Everyman offer particularly aesthetic gift cards. It’s also worth checking whether your local independent cinema offers any membership deals, as they’re often a steal!
Jewellery. We’re loving the minimal, stylish and quality pieces from About November, a small label original from South London. All items are sterling silver or 18ct gold-plated, and cost under £35! The brand comes recommended by our growth manager Lily, who wants the whole collection (Father Christmas are you listening?). Get 20% off with our code THEKNOW, valid until 31 Dec.
Candles. Candles always make a wonderful gift, so we were very happy when one of our readers recommended a brand that we hadn’t heard of before, Lux Luz Candles. We love their timeless style, and the fact that profits go towards supporting women affected by domestic violence. Use our code LUXLUZ10 for 10% off UK orders.
Galentine Bath Pearls. We can’t think of any reason *not* to level-up bathtime, especially at this time of year. These luxurious bath pearls come in at less than £20 and make us feel a hundred dollars. Plus they arrive gift-wrapped, making this a wonderful gift for the time-poor buyers.
Wellness gift boxes. If you’re looking to gift your friend something they *truly* wouldn’t treat themselves to, look no further than raye the store’s wellness and pantry gift boxes. They’re indulgent and elegant, packed with small and carefully selected brands that prioritise natural ingredients and quality designs.
For your social butterfly friend
A board game. Help out your friend who loves to host by adding to their board game collection. Fed up of playing Articulate? Our co-founder Holly recommends Dixit, a creative guessing game that’s fun but accessible for a diverse crowd.
A cookbook stand. Give the gift of a stress-free cooking experience with a cookbook stand, which is even more useful when you’re cooking for loads of people and space is limited. And as for what to put on the stand? We recommend Alison Roman’s Nothing Fancy for crowd-pleasing, good value dishes that are hard to get wrong.
Cookware. We’re absolutely loving these chic shot glasses, these ceramic sauce dishes, and this carafe and glasses. The perfect aesthetic additions for your friend’s table the next time they host.
Cocktail glasses and recipe book. The perfect gift bag for your friend who loves to host. We like The Little Cocktail Box that contains recipes and fun facts based around each spirit, and these stylish glasses are perfect for serving up their new creations.
For your crafty friend
A terrarium. We loved this reader’s suggestion, as the act of building and growing your own miniature garden is *so* relaxing, especially as we wait for the plants outside to bloom again! Check out this kit from beards & daisies.
Homemade cookie jar. These make a great present, because your friend gets to enjoy the act of eating *and* making the cookies. Grab a nice jar, layer up the dry ingredients, and tie on a card with recipe instructions. You can’t go wrong with this recipe.
Cross Stitch kits. Repeat after us, sewing is not just for later in life. It’s a super relaxing activity, made even better when you can sew your favourite animal or expression! Hobbycraft is a great place to start looking.
Crayons and a colouring book. These super cute Critter Crayons caught our eye and would make a wonderful gift for the young people in your life, but as we know colouring is not just for kids! Colouring in is insanely therapeutic and made even better when listening to your fave music or audiobook. Plus, Waterstones have a colouring book for almost every interest and event, so you can find one your friend will love.
Fun twists on classics
Adding a handwritten note when you gift books. Books make an objectively excellent Christmas present. And when you go into your local bookstore to pick out a novel for a loved one in your life, it’s likely that you spend time thinking about their interests and likes. So this year, why not try adding a handwritten note to the front page explaining why you think that book is perfect for them? Another equally thoughtful twist on the book-giving tradition is to re-gift a book you’ve already read, adding in a note about why *you* love it.
You’ve heard of Secret Santa, but have you tried Stolen Santa? This new method of swapping gifts adds an extra level of fun to the present-opening ritual. Plus, it also helps make sure that everyone ends up with something that they really want and are guaranteed to use, which is a super easy way to avoid any Christmas waste.
Gifting an IOU note for coffee. This idea works well in lieu of giving a gift card, if you’re looking to switch up what you normally give someone but still just aren’t sure of their tastes. They get treated to a coffee, cake, and your company - what better present?!
Furoshiki: The art of wrapping presents with fabric instead of paper. We hadn’t heard of this Japanese gift-wrapping method until one of our readers wrote in, and we’re so glad they told us about it! It’s where you use fabric or a scarf to tie up a present, and it can be a tricky technique to master, but it’s so worth it. A tip to make it even more sustainable? Shop pre-loved for the scarf.
Gift splitting. Have you ever really wanted something that you couldn’t justify buying for yourself, but also wouldn’t dream of asking one person to get it for you for Christmas? Us too. That’s why we’re loving the concept of gift splitting, where friends band together to buy someone their dream item. This requires a bit of collaboration, and it may even spoil the surprise, but it’s so worth it to get something you’ve been coveting for a long time.
A FINAL NOTE FROM US:
We really hope that our guide has given you plenty of inspiration and prompted you to think about what your loved ones might especially enjoy opening this Christmas. But for whatever reason, we might receive gifts this Christmas that just aren’t the right fit for us. Donating gifts to charity, or putting them to one side so they can be re-gifted in future, is the perfect way to reduce waste and pass on the festive cheer.
* We earn a small commission if you buy select items. For full transparency, we wrote the guide first, using recommendations from our team and our readers. Once the guide was finished, we reached out to these brands and some offered us discount codes, which we’re excited to offer to our readers.
** T&C's: New customers only. Offer entitles customers to 25% off their first two orders and to receive one complimentary tiarmisù in the first order. Minimum £15 spend applies. Fresh pasta orders only, offer excludes the purchase of Pasta Evangelists gifting products. Cannot be used on existing or paused pasta plans.