10 last-minute Christmas gift ideas

It’s 23 December. Or even the 24th. Almost all your presents are ready, except one. And then you realise it’s far too late to count on a delivery.

A last-minute Christmas gift can still be genuinely thoughtful, even without a parcel on its way. A booking, a gift card, a ticket or a gesture prepared at home can sometimes mean more than something bought in a rush.

Here are 10 ideas that need no delivery: gifts you can receive by email, print or book online. You can find a last-minute gift without rushing around the shops. And if you’re still looking, find another Christmas gift idea in our selection.

Choose something instant. As Christmas approaches, go for something you can receive straight away by email or print at home. It also saves you spending the day refreshing the tracking page for a parcel that won’t arrive in time.

Give them room to choose. If you’re unsure about the size, their tastes or even whether they’ll use a gift, a gift card or an experience is often a safer choice. That’s particularly true of people you know well but whose shoe size you couldn’t tell anyone.

Make the presentation count. A digital gift doesn’t have to look like an email forwarded between meetings. Lovely paper, an envelope and a few handwritten words are enough to make it feel right at home under the tree.

A gift card is your last-minute Christmas gift lifesaver. You avoid choosing the wrong thing, and the person can take their time picking something they really like.

The Zèta gift card is digital and arrives by email immediately after you order, even on the evening of the 24th. You can forward it directly or print it to put under the tree.

It lets them choose from vegan trainers, smart shoes and accessories, all handmade in Portugal. It’s also a good option when you don’t know their shoe size. Available amounts are €50, €100, €139, €155, €159 and €180. 

A subscription is a good choice for a last-minute gift that keeps giving beyond 25 December.

Music, films and series, newspapers and magazines, or audiobooks: a subscription can be activated in minutes and enjoyed for months.

The best approach is to start with their habits. If your brother listens to podcasts every morning or your mother devours novels, you probably already have an idea.

Know someone who’s always keen to learn something new? Give them an online class or workshop.

You can give a cooking, photography or language class straight away, and they can take it whenever they like. No need to find a free date between Christmas, New Year and family meals.

A lovely way to start the year with a new activity.

You can create your own gift voucher: ‘Good for dinner’, ‘Good for a day without household chores’, ‘Good for a weekend away together’…

The idea costs little or nothing, but it shows you’ve thought about the person. For someone who values moments over things, it’s an option we’d happily choose ourselves.

Print the voucher on lovely paper, slip it into an envelope and add a few handwritten words. Your gift is ready.

For someone who loves discovering new things, an exhibition or museum visit could be just the thing. You can book a ticket online and print it at home.

You could even choose an exhibition taking place in January. The gift is ready on 24 December, but the day out is still to come.

You can book a lovely dinner in two minutes, even on 24 December. Choose a restaurant the person likes and announce the surprise with a little printed card.

You can simply write down the date, place and time. Your gift is ready, and the booking saves you from that classic 24 December predicament: desperately searching for somewhere that’s open.

For a change from material gifts, consider an activity or a weekend away. A massage, an escape room or a cooking class can be booked online at the last minute.

You can simply print the booking confirmation or make a little card to announce the surprise. And this time, there’s no risk of the gift being forgotten at the back of a cupboard.

If there’s a cause close to their heart, you can make a donation in their name.

The receipt arrives by email. You can print it and tuck it into a card, with a few lines explaining why you chose this charity.

For someone close to you who would rather support a cause than receive yet another object, this can be a particularly thoughtful choice. And at least you know your gift won’t end up at the back of a cupboard.

Your favourite bookshop, a local maker or a small shop the person already loves may offer gift cards too.

Some are available online or can be printed immediately. You let the person choose what they like while supporting a business near you.

It’s also a good solution for that brother-in-law whose dog’s name is about the only thing you know. You have few clues, but at least you can avoid giving the wrong gift.