Let’s get it out in the open: we love our families. We do. But love doesn’t have to be expensive. Every family prioritizes celebrations differently so keep that in mind as you evaluate how much to spend on upcoming holidays. We’ve rounded up 30+ unique, inexpensive gifts yet thoughtful gifts. So if you’re feeling like the wallet is a little too light, consider some of these ideas for gifts for extended family this year without breaking the bank. Understand family gifts don’t have to be over the top to be heartfelt and some of the best family gift ideas barely cost anything.
25 Affordable and Creative Gift Ideas That The Whole Family (even large families)
Large Family Gift Ideas #1: Write a Handwritten Family Letter
Words can go a long way, especially when they arrive in the delightful little box that sits outside your front door that just begs to hold something other than grocery coupons. Send some snail mail and let your heartfelt words outshine any toy or new piece of technology. You can reminisce about your year, highlight their year, or just write about what comes to your heart and what you want to share with them. Pull on the heartstrings a bit more and add a personal photo to your handwritten letter!
Large Christmas Gift #2: Custom family time coupons
Sometimes the most heartfelt gifts can’t be found in a store. “Buy” a loved one time by sending them handmade coupons that signify a special time together. This can be a home run for nieces and nephews who don’t get to spend a lot of time with you, so this allows them to get super excited for when you all are together again. Plan a day going to all your favorite spots with your siblings, or your mom’s favorite store, or plan to make a family favorite recipe with someone. Use Canva to create your coupons, this is a perfect easy gift that all will remember for years to come.
Gift for the Whole Family #3: Book subscription
Surprise the book lovers in your family with a new book in their mailbox each month! Gift them a trial period through one of the several different subscription boxes available online. We’re partial to the Book of the Month Club. Go a step further with this and create a book exchange among multiple family members so all can enjoy the books.
Best Gift for a Large Family on a Budget #4: Movie Night in a Basket
Gather popcorn, a few DVDs from that giant bin of discounted movies at the store, or a streaming gift card, their favorite snacks and drinks, and give the gift of a trip to the theater sans the sticky floors and talkative teenagers in the back. The greatest family gifts are ones that everyone can enjoy at one time, this is great for big families.
Customizable Family Gift #5: Bread in a Bottle
The greatest family ideas come from the heart and every member of your family will enjoy this one for years to come. Share your best bread or cookie recipe without sharing your secret ingredients by making a mix and gifting it in a mason jar! Make sure to include the recipe and add some fun shapes for a cookie recipe.
Read More: 37 Unique and Affordable Gifts for Extended Family – Best Family Gift Ideas for the Holidays
Gift Ideas for the Entire Family #6: Old books
If you want to customize a gift of books yourself, detour around the book subscription and satisfy the book lover in your life by visiting a used book store and snagging a bunch of gently used (aka loved on) books! Bonus, they might even find a few notes in the margins. This is one gift that many family members can enjoy, perfect for gifts on a budget and individual gifts that are also upcycled!
Give the Best Gift of Nature #7: Succulent garden
The beauty of succulents is in how well they can survive any climate and any person’s level of gardening. Buy several varying, small succulents, arrange them in a simple pot with some rocks, and surprise your family member with a mini garden, great for the family to be able to enjoy together. Use different pots for each person to personalize it for them.
Christmas Couples Gift Ideas #8: Date night in a box
Double up and make a simple gift that covers two people! Find a gift card to the couple’s favorite restaurant and then include bonus date night accessories like back scratchers, a bag of coffee, or perhaps a bottle of wine. You can create a game night basket with favorite family games, a deck of cards, or a puzzle that they can do together. This gift is something that adults will love, throw in your personal favorites for a thoughtful and sentimental gift.
Personalized Family Gift Idea #9: Photobook
Being away from family most of the year makes both sides miss a lot of each other’s lives. Bring them behind the scenes with a year-in-the-life photobook! This is a gift the family will love, include family a family portrait on the front of the book with the family name, everyone will love this personalized gift of family for years to come.
Family Portrait Gift Ideas #10: Photo Coasters or Magnets
If you don’t want to go through the labor of creating a book, find your favorite images from the family camera and print them onto fun souvenirs like coasters or magnets for your families to enjoy. You can make a different one for every member of the family or even put it on a Christmas ornament to make everyone feel extra special each holiday season.
Read More: 6 Ways to Reduce Holiday Stressors and Keep Your Holiday Merry and Bright
Give the Gift of R&R Idea #11: Bath bombs
These balls of glory are so easy to customize and make on your own without having to stick to the cliche scents seen in stores. Choose from various essential oil scents and buy some food coloring and you’re in business. These are also great for holiday gift exchanges or to give one to everyone on your list. Or if you are short on time, grab these and package up each in a fun way for Christmas.
Fun Family Gift #12: Netflix/Hulu/Prime subscription
Get a loved one started with a few months of coverage with a gift card to one of the various streaming services that they don’t already have. Some of these often come with extra perks or you can bundle Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN together in one. Gift your family a gift of something they can all enjoy together and can even use it to stream music for all to enjoy year-round.
Customizable Gift Ideas for the Whole Family #13: DIY Coffee Mug
Make a plain white coffee mug your canvas and give the coffee lover in your life their new favorite mug. Use Sharpies, nail polish, or acrylic paint to make your special mug shine in the cabinet. Go a step further and then fill the mug with hot chocolate mix with marshmallows, tea, or a bag of their favorite coffee.
Edible Gifts for Christmas #14: Edible Christmas Ornaments
Fill a sphere ornament with a hot cocoa mix or a Christmas cookie recipe, and add a tasty twist to your extended family’s tree this year. This is something that everyone will enjoy and it is something for everyone to enjoy as a family.
Choosing a Gift Together #15: Group Gift Idea
Not an actual gift idea, but still a helpful suggestion if other family members are interested. Split up one big ticket item amongst multiple individuals so you all don’t have to spend the big bucks but still light up a person’s Christmas with their dream gift. From a family vacation to their ideal gift, this is an easy way to make your family smile this Christmas.
Read More: 14 Inspirational First Christmas Ornament Ideas to Celebrate Milestones & Create Lasting Memories
Gift Ideas for the Whole Family#17: Farkle game
Spark family game night even when you can’t be there by creating the simple dice game known as Farkle. Round up some dice from old games you might already have and never play, or make dice from wooden blocks, paper, or any other material you can think up. Add a cup and a short sheet of instructions and soon the family group chats of game night will be rolling through in no time. Busy families like this idea as it will bring everyone together to spend some quality time together.
Gift on a Budget #18: Knit a Chunky Arm Blanket
Even if you didn’t ace home economics in high school, anyone can be crafty with the ingenious craft of arm knitting. There are plenty of tutorials online on the technique and while this is a cheaper option than buying a chunky blanket, it will take a bit of labor. Which makes it that much more special gift for everyone. Find the best yarn you can to make an awesome blanket.
Creative Gift Idea #19: Lotto ticket tree
Get into the festive spirit but leave the edible fruit arrangement at home. Instead, make an assembled “tree” of lotto tickets for the family member who always talks about his lucky number.
White Elephant Gift Exchange Idea #20: Money origami
Want to give money but don’t want to seem lacking in imagination? Fold cash into the shape of whatever your family member is saving up for. Check out this for tutorials on just about any object you could ever imagine. This will be a gift from the pile that won’t last long and will get everyone into the game quickly with this fun gift.
Read More: Stress Free Holiday Travel: Vacation tips on Surviving Travel Over The Holidays
Personalized Family on a Budget Gift Idea #21: Dollar Store Spa Gift Basket
Head over to your local dollar store and fill a basket with DIY manicure/pedicure materials with everything they need. Find your loved one’s favorite color in nail polish and then be sure to include polish remover, cotton balls, foot scrub, nail file, foot scraper, and anything else you can think of that is personal to that person. Make this a small gift that kids love as well, this is also perfect for holiday exchanges while on a Christmas budget.
Cozy Gift Idea #22: Slippers stuffed with lotions
Who doesn’t love fuzzy slippers? We love these budget-friendly slippers that are the perfect pattern for all family members this Christmas. Go the extra mile and stuff them with bath bombs, lotion, and other sweet-smelling scents that will spark relaxation. Reduce your stress by choosing a gift that is perfect for families big and small.
Christmas Gifts for the Whole Family #23: Bonsai tree seeds
Yes, these tiny trees of joy can be grown and not just bought from the local plant store or here for ease. Easy to ship, these seeds are very inexpensive, and giving your loved one something that he or she can watch grow is such a unique and fun gift.
Quality Family Time Gift Idea #24: Family Gift Basket
A family basket can be made up of as many little and budget-friendly items as you want. The thing about creating a basket that everyone can not only enjoy but will create quality family time. A new board game for the competitive family, all the ingredients to make grandma’s famous cookies or something special for each person that is meaningful just to them.
One Present Idea for all Ages #25: Surprise Journal
Giving a journal a gift is no novel gift, however, filling it with random pages already written on with surprise notes is a fun twist. Let the person know ahead of time or just let them start using it and be surprised with notes of encouragement when they least expect it, but might just need it the most. Perfect for the family you love and easy for you to just have to purchase one item and make it special. Select different colors and patterns to suit everyone’s tastes.
Read More: 8 Recipes Featuring Christmas Candy Canes for the Festive Season
Homemade Ideas for Christmas #26: Homemade Treats
Consider making homemade treats this holiday season for a budget-friendly and special gift. Homemade baked goods, candles, scarves, or other homemade gifts can be both thoughtful and budget-friendly. Just make sure to give yourself enough time to create the gifts you want to give.
Inspirational Ideas for Christmas #27: Joy Jar
Fill a jar with uplifting quotes, motivational messages, or compliments written on small pieces of paper. This gift provides your family with positivity and encouragement throughout the year. Think of inspirational messages that are not only for anyone but think about that particular person and what they have upcoming in the next year and any inspiration they might need throughout the year. This can be a fabulous gift idea for someone who might have had a tough year, include thoughts on what they have accomplished and what they do that you love.
The Gift Keeps on Giving #28: Herb Garden Starter Kit
Put together a small kit with pots, seeds, soil, and instructions for growing herbs. This gift is perfect for someone who loves cooking or gardening and is budget-friendly to assemble. if you have little ones at home you can have them paint or decorate the pots to make it extra special.
Christmas Gift for the Household #29: Family Calendar
Create a personalized calendar using family photos and memories for the whole household to use. You can print the photos yourself or use online services to create a customized calendar. Select photos that coincide with each month, think of holiday and seasonal-appropriate photos for each month. This is a useful and meaningful gift that everyone can not only enjoy but use!
Family Christmas Gift Idea #30: Selecting One Present
Another suggestion to think about is to do an exchange of sorts with extended family instead of having to buy gifts for each person. Make a system with relatives where each person who wants to take part draws a name and then each person just buys a gift for that specific family member. This way every family member receives one nice gift and doesn’t have to spend a lot more money as a whole on a bunch of smaller gifts for extended family members that they may not have. It’s completely up to you!
Heartfelt Gift #31: Donation in Their Name
Consider donating to a charity or organization that holds special meaning for the recipient. This budget-friendly gift not only helps a good cause but also shows thoughtfulness and support for their interests or values. You don’t have to monetarily contribute to the charity, you can donate your time, which often goes just as far if not further than money. Make it a family affair and bring along your kids, spouse, and other family members. Snap a picture while you are there and frame it for that special person.
Remember, this holiday season the most important thing is the thought and effort put into the gift rather than the price tag. Personalized and homemade gifts often hold more sentimental value and are appreciated by the recipient. Focus on creating something meaningful and tailored to the person’s interests and preferences. Years down the road one will remember the thoughtful gift that was given and who was behind it. If your gift can help create memories, even better as that is what this time of year is all about!
WANT TO READ MORE?
Sending Christmas Cards Still Brings Smiles
CONNECT WITH DAILY MOM
💖 NEWSLETTER: DAILY READS IN YOUR INBOX 💖
Sign up to receive our picks for the best things to do, see and buy so you can relax and focus on more important tasks! Let us help you be the best version of yourself you can be!
BE SOCIAL WITH US
📌 LOVE IT? PIN IT!📌
