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The holiday season is underway. Don’t be that last-minute gift giver; give the best gift to every person in your life with these great ideas!
Blue-Collar Gifts for him
This first section is dedicated to the people in your life who like to get their hands dirty.
My first suggestion, recommended by a blue-collar man himself, is “Dirty Hands Clean Money” merch by Troll Co. Troll Co has created a clothing line made to support blue-collar workers with the quote “DIRTY HANDS CLEAN MONEY” made by blue-collar workers for blue-collar workers. You can shop this brand on Amazon, the company’s website and Pseudio.
The next option — one that many blue-collar workers may want for style or safety — is something from Pit Vipers. This brand makes sports performance equipment such as sunglasses, safety glasses, sports visors, and more. A nice pair of Pit Viper sunglasses or even safety glasses for work and style is a great gift for blue-collar men to make them feel cooler.
A handy gift that you can never have enough of is a socket set. Blue-collar workers are always losing and misplacing their sockets so getting them a new set could make their day. These kits can be found at Canadian Tire, Home Depot and Amazon.
When asking my blue-collar source for ideas, he said that “a cool knife” is definitely a durable gift. When working the trades, you’ll never know when a knife will come in handy, so it makes a great gift idea. Canadian Tire, Amazon and Cabelas all have great folding knives.
Every blue-collar person loves Carhartt; whether it’s overalls, hoodies or hats it’s no doubt something they want. Carhartt can be a bit pricey, but if you’re looking to spend a little extra for a good-quality gift, you can go for something like a hoodie. Carhartt products can be found on its website, Marks and Amazon.
One last thing that a special blue-collar person in your life might not ask for but probably needs is a nice pair of warm wool socks. Whether they are working outside, in the rain or in heavy boots, they’re gonna appreciate a nice pair of wool socks for extra comfort from being on their feet all day. Amazon, The Real Wool Shop, and Marks all have some good options for wool socks.
Swiftie Gifts
Since Taylor Swift is all the rage right now, you definitely have one or two Swifties in your life. Here are some creative gift ideas for Taylor Swift fans:
My first suggestion is an obvious one — Taylor Swift merch. Swift’s website has a wide range of merchandise, from t-shirts to ornaments and tour hoodies that any Swiftie would be happy to unwrap. To be extra creative and unique, you can browse Etsy for gifts made by fans and sellers. These gifts are usually sold for a more reasonable price than the official merchandise.
Every Swiftie knows a staple Swift item is a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses from the Lover era. Heart-shaped sunglasses are a fun and easy thing to get so that Swifties in your life can wear them to a concert or just for extra style. You can most likely find these specific sunglasses on Amazon, Ardene, or Etsy.
At the release of Swift’s song “Cardigan,” she launched a line of cardigans to go with each of her albums. Any Swiftie knows the Taylor cardigans are something to have. Though on the pricier side, they are so cute and comfy. You can purchase the official cardigans on her website or unofficially on Amazon or Etsy.
Another classic Swiftie gift is a CD or Vinyl of their favourite album. Taylor has 11 studio albums and four re-recorded albums, giving you tons of options. Find out your Swiftie’s favourite album and get them a physical copy so they can cherish it forever. You can get Swift’s CDs and vinyls on her website or any record store and even Amazon.
Many Swifties have started to support the Kansas City Chiefs after Swift and Travis Kelce became a power couple. If your Swiftie is one of them, try getting them a Chiefs sweatshirt or a piece of their merch; they will love it! You can find Chiefs merch at the official online merchandise store, Amazon and Boathouse.
Swift’s signature look is red lipstick so, for a more subtle gift, try getting your Swiftie a red lipstick. This one is a bit more flexible depending on the person and if they like a brighter or darker red colour. You can pick up a red lipstick at Sephora, Shoppers Drug Mart and even Walmart.
Crafty Gifts
If you know someone who has a fun crafty hobby, you can’t go wrong with getting them some extra supplies and things to keep them going!
This first idea is for the knitters and crocheters in your life — the ones who can never have enough yarn. This is an easy gift available at almost any craft store in so many fun colours. If you don’t know what kind of yarn to get them, try a gift card so they can pick it out themselves.
Another idea for the knitters and crocheters in your life is new hooks. They will always appreciate a new hook, so find out what kind of hooks or needles they like and find the best quality ones you can find — I promise they’ll be grateful. Hooks and needles can be found at Michaels, Amazon and Walmart.
If the crafter in your life is really into sewing and in need of a new sewing machine, think about getting them the next upgrade in sewing machines. Sewing machines can be found on Amazon, Canadian Tire and Walmart.
The artists in your life who draw probably frequently need new pencils and markers, so maybe run to your nearest craft store and get some good-quality art supplies. Alcohol-based markers, Prismacolor pencils and charcoal pencils are always good options.
If the artist/crafter in your life is looking to get better at their skill or even pick up a new hobby, try purchasing an art class for them. You can get classes for almost anything like crocheting, painting, and pottery making. You can get classes at The Knit Cafe, Pottery Studio, and Pinot’s Palette.
You can also get that crafty person a Cricut, which is perfect for someone who likes to make t-shirts and mugs. A Cricut is a printing and cutting machine for making DIY projects. It can be a bit expensive for a machine and materials, but most crafters love their Cricuts. You can get a Cricut at Michaels and Walmart.
Fashionista gifts
For the ones who are always dressed to impress and are up with the latest trends, these gifts are for them. Most likely, the fashionista in your life has a lot of clothes and a unique style, so I’ve got you covered on what to get them.
An easy peasy one is a gift card to their favourite clothing store. If you don’t know what their size is or exactly what to get them, find out what their favourite store is and get them a gift card so they can choose. Gift cards are sold at most clothing stores, drugstores and grocery stores.
The next item you can get is a bag. Montana West has a wide selection of bags, from handbags to backpacks to duffle bags. Western fashion is very on-trend right now, so a Wrangler bag from Montana West is a great idea for a bag they will use all the time. My favourite Montana West bag is the Wrangler Aztec Tote bags, which have enough room for all your belongings and come with a crossbody strap.
This time of year, I feel like everyone is eager for a pair of Uggs to keep them comfy and cozy as the winter months approach. Uggs are very trendy right now; whether it’s the platform boots or the Tazman slippers, they are everywhere. Get your fashion-forward friend a pair of Uggs this holiday season!
A more simple gift idea is a hair accessory. If you don’t know exactly what kind of clothes to get, a hair accessory never goes wrong because we all know fashionistas love to accessorize. A trendy bow or cute headband is always fun or even consider getting some cute clips. You can get cute hair accessories at H&M, Ardene and Amazon.
If you know the fashion lover in your life well, try and get them an item from one of their favourite trends. There are so many new fashion trends circulating right now; whether it’s low-waisted pants, camouflage, or cowboy boots, there are tons of options. Garage, Aritzia and Urban Outfitters are all good stores that have tons of trendy clothes.
My last idea for the fashionistas is to get them a cool jacket. Since winter is coming up, a jacket could never hurt. If they love fashion, look at the new trends and try to find a unique jacket they might love. Some trendy jackets right now are fur coats, F1 jackets and leather trench coats.
Music Lover Gifts
For those hardcore music lovers in your life — the ones always talking about the newest album release and singing along to their favourite songs — these gift ideas will be perfect!
My first suggestion is something every music lover needs to own: a record player. It might seem old-fashioned, but they have been modernized with good speakers, fun colours and sizes, and even Bluetooth capabilities. Getting a music lover a record player gets them to start their vinyl collection, which is always fun. Record players are available on Amazon, Best Buy and Urban Outfitters.
If your music lover is also a music collector, the best gift for them is adding to their collection! As a personal vinyl collector, receiving new vinyls as gifts is always so exciting. If they are more of a CD lover, try and get them their favourite album on CD because having a physical copy of your favourite songs is something special.
If you’re planning a larger gift for the music lover in your life, try and get them concert tickets to one of their favourite singers or bands. Concert tickets these days can be extremely expensive, but they are a once-in-a-lifetime experience and always leave the best memories. If you’re looking for quality time with that music lover that’s special to you, get two concert tickets so the both of you can enjoy a concert together.
The last one is a super useful gift that all avid music listeners need, which is a good quality pair of headphones. Some of the best-reviewed headphones are Airpods by Apple, Beats by Dre, and Skullcandy wireless headphones.
Gifts for The One Who Doesn’t Want Anything
The hardest gifts to get are the ones for the people who say they don’t want anything. We all have those people in our lives who never say they want anything, which makes gift-giving so much harder. So here are some fun ideas that anyone will appreciate:
Homemade gifts are always a good and sentimental option. Making a homemade card, crocheting a gift or any crafty hobby you have is always appreciated. Try making them a sentimental card, knitting them a blanket, or even making them a candle.
An easy gift that can never go wrong is a gift card. Find your special person’s favourite shop and get them a gift card so they can pick out whatever they want. It may seem like an easy way out, but even a gift card for groceries can make life a little easier.
A cute idea is a ticket or coupon for some quality time with your person. Maybe get tickets for a movie you guys could see together, a concert they’ve been wanting to see, or even a sports game they’ll love. Spending quality time with your special person rather than receiving physical gifts can mean a lot to someone and be a lot more fun for them.
A good idea that’s not necessarily a physical gift is slicing them some of your time. Show someone you care by going out of your way to do something extra special, like shovelling the snow, being a free babysitter, or even cooking them a homemade meal. Sometimes, giving someone a little bit of extra time on their own can be the best gift of all.
Getting someone an edible gift is always a good idea because it leaves no clutter and is delicious. Find out their favourite food or snack and give it to them or take them out to dinner.
The last gift is always a fun one to get someone, which is a cool gadget they might not think of but is useful. You could try getting them a mug warmer plate for their morning coffees or a heated blanket for these cold nights. Winners and Marshalls always have cool gadgets as well as Canadian Tire and Amazon.
The holiday time can be very stressful with all of the gifts to give and plans going on, having ideas of what you give those special people in your life. The most important part of the holidays is spending time with loved ones and not gifts, so take the weight off your shoulders with this list and enjoy your holiday season.