Clutter-Free Christmas – 100+ Non-Stuff Gift Ideas

Looking for non-stuff gift ideas? Here you’ll find 100+ ideas for gifts that are not things and don’t add to the clutter at Christmas.

‘What do you want for Christmas?’

‘I dunno. You?’

‘I dunno either. I don’t really need anything…’

Does that conversation sound familiar?

For many of us, we don’t need more stuff. Our houses are full of unused clutter. And the kids’ cupboards are overflowing with toys that don’t get played with.

And yet giving is an important part of Christmas.

So how do you balance giving without adding to the avalanche of clutter?

The answer is to give a ‘non-stuff’ gift or a very useful consumable gift that doesn’t end up as clutter.

You may also be interested in our Sustainable Gift Ideas Guide.

21 Non-Stuff and Consumable Gift Ideas

Below are a whole bunch of non-materialistic gift ideas that aren’t things or are consumable.

What are consumable gifts?

Consumables are gifts that you use up so they don’t leave clutter.

Food, for example.

Food is technically ‘stuff’, but it doesn’t leave clutter once it’s eaten.

Whether you’re looking for non-gift Christmas ideas, birthday gifts that aren’t things, or looking for a gift for the person who needs nothing, there’s a gift idea here for just about everyone.

Free Gifts From the Heart

Before we get into gifts that can be purchased, let’s talk about free, heartfelt gifts that are meaningful.

• a heartfelt letter
• a custom playlist on Spotify
• baked goodies
• a family heirloom passed down
• time together

Subscriptions

Subscriptions are a great gift that lasts all year.

One option is a magazine subscription, and if you swap or pass around the magazines amongst your friends, everyone benefits without the mags ending up as more clutter.

But for a truly clutter-free gift, you can gift a digital subscription. Zinio is a fantastic magazine service for the person who likes to read. Just be sure your local library doesn’t already offer this service to members for free!

Other subscription ideas include:

• streaming services like Netflix
• music services like Spotify
• audiobook subscriptions like Audible
• book subscriptions like Kindle Unlimited
• software or app subscriptions like Photoshop
• website subscriptions
• game subscriptions

Consumable subscription ideas include:

• food boxes
• wine clubs
• seed club subscriptions
• craft subscriptions (technically stuff, but consumable)

The key to making sure it doesn’t turn into clutter is to get something consumable (like food or digital movies) or something that you know the person will use (like seeds for the gardener or craft items for the crafter).

Event Tickets

Why have more stuff when you can experience more life? Help people experience more by getting them tickets to an event.

Event ideas include:

• a play
• a music concert
• a sports event
• a gallery open
• a rodeo
• movie tickets
• an exhibition
• a fair or festival

Think local.

While tickets to the Opera House might be out of your budget, a local band or a play at the local theatre company will offer an entertaining night for a fraction of the cost.

Check out your local online events guide for upcoming events.

No local events? You could look at tickets to online events.

Other tickets you could consider are travel tickets. Haven’t seen your family member in a long time? You could all pitch it to buy them flights to visit.

Semi-annual or Annual Passes

Semi-annual, periodic, or annual passes are the gift that keeps on giving.

They can potentially offer a lot of value throughout the year, especially if you buy them when discounted (look out for Facebook specials, shop-a-dockets, ads in the local paper, Groupon and Scoopon).

Ideas for annual passes include:

• the museum
• art gallery
• theme park or amusement park
• science centre
• zoo
• aquarium
• swimming pool/aquatic centre
• National parks
• rock climbing centre
• kids play centre
• mini golf
• arcade
• local attractions

If annual passes are out of the budget, single-entry passes are a great alternative.

Memberships

Do you have a family member or friend who is a member of a club or association?

Why not pay for their membership for them this year? Or maybe you can give them a membership to a new club.

Here are some membership ideas:

• local clubs, RSL, sports club, golf club, country club, surf club
• coffee club membership
• craft association memberships
• Costco membership
• writers’ association membership
• website membership
• roadside service membership
• gym membership
• Travel clubs like Qantus club

Classes or Lessons

Give a man to fish, and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and he feeds himself for a lifetime.”

Classes or lessons are a wonderful gift to give and receive. Not only are they non-stuff gifts, but the recipient gets to expand their knowledge and experience and maybe even find a new favourite hobby.

Class ideas include:

• cooking classes
• art classes
• craft classes
• yoga classes
• music lessons
• dance classes
• woodworking classes
• mechanical classes
• surf school
• circus school
• lectures on interesting topics
• pottery class
• photography classes
• cocktail mixology classes
• kayak lessons

Don’t forget you can gift online classes as well! Online classes are great for people who don’t have access to in-person learning opportunities (aka live in regional areas).

For kids, after-school activities can take a big chunk out of the household budget. Maybe grandparents (or parents) can help pay for after-school activities like dance classes, swimming lessons or music lessons as a gift.

Experiences

“Fill your life with experiences, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show.”

Couldn’t find the original source, sorry, but it’s a nice quote.

Experiences and fun, one-off activities are a great non-stuff gift. To save money, you can check out websites like Groupon for discounts or organise a fun free activity like a games night. The list of possibilities is endless – it will depend on your budget and what’s available in your location.

Ideas include:

• ten-pin bowling
• a local tour
• guided bush walk
• high tea
• wine or beer-tasting tour
• river cruise
• train ride
• open garden tour
• Heritage home tour
• ghost tour
• sunset kayak
• palm reading
• paddle board hire
• family games night
• skating
• a day at the arcade
• horse riding
• fruit picking
• farm visit
• mini golf
• plaster painting

You could go through a website like Red Balloon and let your recipient choose their experience, or you could go straight to the source and buy a gift certificate for the experience. Look around at some of your local (or your recipient’s local) attractions for ideas.

Another alternative is to check out local experiences through Airbnb – they don’t just do accommodation.

If your budget is tight, devise your own experiences.

For example, you could invite a friend over to your own high tea. Or give the experience of a picnic. You could take them for a drive in the country, give someone a home spa or devise your own DIY wine tasting with nibbles.

Your time

There is nothing more precious to give than your time, especially when we’re busy, and life is hectic.

A homemade coupon book is a great way to give your time. It might include cleaning, yard work, or cooking or babysitting. Maybe you’ll do a month’s worth of freezer meals.

A coupon book can also make a great present for kids, especially if it’s full of activities for the summer school holiday. They don’t have to be expensive; they might include playing a board game, going out for ice cream, or going swimming. The kids will love it!

If you’re looking for coupons for kids, you can download the ones below for free:

Professional Services

Instead of giving someone your time, you can give them more of their time by gifting them a professional service that makes life a little easier.

Some ideas include:

• home cleaning
• yard work
• car washing and detailing
• home maintenance
• transport
• VA services for busy people
• babysitting
• personal chef for the evening

As well as saving people time, you can gift certificates for care services, including:

• massage
• facial
• manicure
• hairdressing
• photography/portrait photography

Do you have a special skill? Gift your own skills and save money.

A Meal Out

A meal out with that special person is another way to give an experience gift.

We often give Nanna, who lives far away, an IOU for lunch or dinner when we see her. She’s happy with that because she doesn’t want or need more stuff, but she does like spending time with us.

The frugal option is to use coupons to reduce the cost of the meal (your recipient doesn’t need to know) or to invite your recipient over for a special meal at home instead.

You may also like: How to Extend the Holiday Fun with a DIY Advent Calendar.

Consumable Gift Ideas

The following ideas are technically ‘stuff’, but they are consumable, so don’t end up as clutter around the house.

But the key to preventing consumables from being wasted is to make sure you’re buying something you know the person will like and use.

Personal Care Products

Each and every Christmas, my dad would ask for a stick of his usual everyday deodorant, and that’s exactly what he would get.

It sounds boring, but it was wanted and useful – no waste, no clutter!

Personal care products – ones you know your recipients already use – or new ones you introduce to them, which you know they will love, are a great consumable gift.

For extra special gifts, either make your own or go natural from Nourished Life.

Food

Food is a great consumable gift – who doesn’t eat food?! Last year I was introduced to Vincotto, a delicious salad dressing, and raved about it. My mum bought me a bottle for Christmas.

Food gifts can either be special items that the recipient enjoys but wouldn’t normally buy, regular items to help ease their budget or homemade gifts.

For ideas on making food gifts, see:

• How to make personalised gift hampers
• Gift ideas for Foodies
• Start now for a handmade Christmas

Plants or Flowers

Help grow a garden with the gift of plants. Some nice plant ideas include potted colour (especially in a nice pot that can be reused again), orchids, herbs, ornamental food plants like an ornamental chilli or ginger, indoor pot plants and fruit trees.

There’s nothing like fresh flowers on the kitchen sink to brighten up your morning.

Coupled with some chocolates or nice biscuits, flowers are a nice gift for the person who has everything and doesn’t need anything. My grandmother, who lived in a nursing home, appreciated both.

If you have a flower garden of your own, then this is a personal and very frugal gift. Alternatively, if you live near markets (like Sydney’s Flemington markets), you can go early and pick up a whole heap of flowers very cheaply, from which you can fashion a homemade bouquet.

Here’s how to make up a wildflower bouquet (it’s bridal but it’s the same idea – check out Pinterest for other DIY bridal bouquets for inspiration) and here’s how to transform supermarket flowers into something special.

Craft Supplies

The crafty recipient will always appreciate craft supplies. This is especially true if you know what exactly they need; otherwise, a gift card might be better.

For children, craft supplies offer so much more engagement and longevity than most toys, and they get consumed, so don’t create clutter.

Needed Clothes

Almost all of my kid’s new clothes come from the Nannas. At some point, my mum rings and asks what the kids need. My daughter, who is a fashionista (she doesn’t get it from me!) loves receiving clothes.

Pyjamas, swimmers, winter coats, shoes, hats and yes, even socks and jocks make useful gifts.

Uniforms are another option. Ok, unwrapping a school uniform would be awfully boring, but if your child is hoping for dance lessons or karate lessons in the new year, unwrapping the required clothing would be a very exciting surprise.

Essential Homewares

Most of our essential homewares, like sheet sets, towels, kid’s beach towels, glasses, and mugs, have been gifted over the years.

Sure, a sheet set isn’t the most exciting thing to open on Christmas day, but it was wanted and appreciated. It is a super useful gift, and it’s saved me a packet on home essentials over the years.

Calendar or Diary

My mother has bought me a calendar every Christmas for the last 20 years. I would be lost without it. Calendars, planners and diaries are a great practical gift.

And they have the potential to last longer than one year! Some of the pictures from last year’s calendar are now hanging framed in my daughter’s room.

[See also:  How to up-cycle an old diary into a journal – and re-gift as new!]

Needed Tools

As long as tools are needed and will be used, they can be a great non-clutter item.

Don’t just think traditional hammer and spanner tools, but also essential kitchen tools, sewing or crafting tools or kid-sized tools, essential sporting equipment or hobby equipment.

Similarly, essential school supplies and stationery can also be a useful Christmas present.

Gift Cards

I’m not the biggest fan of giving gift cards, but I do enjoy receiving gift cards – a double standard, I know!

Gift cards enable the receiver to buy something they actually want or need.

Make your gift card personalised by tailoring it to the person. For example, an iTunes gift card for the music buff, a coffee gift card for the coffee drinker, and a Kindle gift card for the book lover.

I have used gift cards in the past to buy groceries, and it’s been a big blessing. We have also gifted gift cards we have received (if you do this, just make sure they are not expired or close to expiry!).

Check out She Knows for some funky ideas on how to give gift cards with pizazz, or One Good Thing for more creative ways to give gift cards. These ideas work for memberships, subscriptions, experiences and other non-stuff gifts.

Donations

If you know someone who has everything they need, consider donating on their behalf – just make sure it’s a person who would appreciate the gesture.

When there are people in the world who don’t have food to eat, clean drinking water, or access to education, the donation gift can be the perfect solution for the person who already has everything.

Not giving ‘stuff’ that ends up as clutter doesn’t mean not being generous during the Christmas period. Here you’ll find non-clutter-creating ideas to cover everyone this Christmas.

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