10 Unique Christmas Gifts To Give Your Best Friend

Your best friend has always been there for you. She has given you much-needed guidance, celebrated your achievements as if they were her own, and supported you during moments when you felt like breaking down in tears. And you can’t overlook all the wonderful memories you’ve made together!

So, what better way to show appreciation than giving her a lovely Christmas gift? 

Remember, the greatest presents revolve around freedom, the freedom to express one’s true self. Therefore, it is crucial to acquaint yourself with their individuality and passions. That is the key to presenting a gift that will leave a lasting impression.

How to choose the best Christmas gift 

To shop better, psychology professor Elisabeth Dunn suggests starting with something you have in common with the recipient. In an interview for BBC, she said that instead of using our own preferences and adjusting them for how we and the recipient diverge, we should focus on what we share and pick a gift from there.

“People are better at choosing something for themselves,” she says, “so if you have something in common with somebody, get something that shares the same affinity, because something you would like will more likely be something they like.”

For an even stronger gift think about a common interest you share and buy something that your recipient can experience, like concert tickets or a cooking class. Research has also shown that experiential gifts can bring you and the recipient closer, even if you don’t experience the gift with your recipient.

However, it’s important to remember that the value of a gift is not solely in its material worth, but in the sentiment behind it. Ultimately, the most important thing is to show genuine thoughtfulness and consideration for your best friend, whether through gifts or other meaningful gestures.

Christmas Gift Ideas for Friends

The ideal present for your best friend is one that mirrors her personality, and the unique bond you both share. What matters most is the thought and effort you invest in finding a gift that holds meaning for her. 

Here is a compilation of distinctive, yet equally amazing, gift ideas to surprise your best friend.

• Colouring books for adults

Does your best friend have a bit of artistic flair? Then an adult colouring book may be the right thought for her. 

They have been consistently popular since 2013 when Johanna Basford’s elegant, calming ‘Secret Garden’ started the trend. Since then, there have been a plethora of adult colouring books published. We love ‘Moments of Mindfulness: The Anti-Stress Adult Coloring Book with Activities to Feel Calmer‘ by Emma Farrarons. It contains 60 hand-drawn scenes to colour and 30 prompts to help readers de-stress.

• Luxury bath salts

Self-care should be a must for every midlife woman. Soaking in bath salts, in particular, is a way to upgrade our friend’s daily routine promoting relaxation and well-being.

Ortigia Bath Salts are so tempting that even those friends who resist relaxation will give in. Ideal for a bestie who is always too busy to look after herself, they soothe tender skin and tired limbs. Just a handful of Fico D’India salts dissolved in the bath will make the water incredibly soft and infused with the fresh fragrance of fig and cedar. 

• Deck Card game 

Who said card games are no longer popular? It has long been the go-to game for many people who want to have a good time with their friends and family and today you can find so many different types.

‘Where Should We Begin – A Game of Stories‘, by psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author Esther Perel, is a game designed for people to connect around the power of storytelling. This is more than just a question deck, let the Prompt Cards guide you and the Story Cards inspire you to share the stories you rarely tell.

‘Where Should We Begin‘ is many games at once. The rules are tailored to the many situations you might find yourself in, and to different types of groups. A great thought for exploring your friendship even more.

• Password Book

It happens to you, it happens to everyone, but your best friend will never lose her passwords again with these handy books. She can say goodbye to annoying password resets and sticky notes cluttering her desk. 

Password books are becoming incredibly popular among midlife people as the ultimate solution for securely storing and organizing all their login credentials. 

We love this password notebook by Upugo with alphabetical tabs, leather cover, pen loop, inner pocket, elastic closure band and ribbon page marker. With dedicated pages for websites, usernames, and passwords, your friend can easily find what she needs without compromising security.

• Positive message t-shirt                 

T-shirts are not just simple pieces of clothing, they can be a powerful tool for spreading positivity and inspiration. Positive message T-shirts have become increasingly popular in recent years, with graphic tees featuring motivational quotes, uplifting phrases, and thought-provoking designs and they can inspire your best friend, too. 

Here at CrunchyTales, we are proud of our sassy ‘Winking Eye Gen X Power’ tee, set in 7 different colours. A way to use fashion as a tool for self-discovery.

• Club’s membership

The trend towards women-only spaces is growing. Whether your friend is an executive seeking her next step, an entrepreneur, or just someone who wants to grow her network and keep exploring and learning, a club membership is a great gift.

We love, the CoveyClub, “the meeting place for lifelong learners”, a resource accomplished women turn to for connection, learning, advice, and support. Their expert-led classes and meetups will give your friend the confidence to try new things, both inside and outside of the club, thanks to specially curated experts to teach twice a week on a variety of topics, mostly focused on transition and reinvention. Membership starts from $30 per month.

• Self-care journal

There’s something special about thoughtful inexpensive gifts and sometimes a little thought can go the extra mile in terms of appreciation. 

Research has actually shown that spending more does not always guarantee a well-received gift. One study found that the more expensive a gift, the more givers expected recipients to appreciate it. But while givers thought spending more conveyed more thoughtfulness, receivers didn’t associate the price with their level of appreciation.

Giving your best friend a self-care journal as a gift would enable her to discover more about herself, reduce stress, and understand her emotions. 

“When I was going through a difficult time“, says our style expert, the fearless fashionista Lauren Simmonds, “a friend sent me a self-care journal with thought-provoking prompts to help me process my feelings. I loved it, and when I heard another friend was struggling, I paid it forward and sent her the same journal.” 

A self-care journal is a personal guide to self-discovery, designed to help people set goals, track their moods, and cultivate gratitude in their daily life. Lauren recommends “Notes to Self: A Journal for Self-Care” by Lisa Currie.

• Sprouting kits

Consider giving a sprouting kit as a unique and thoughtful gift for those who want to try something new in the kitchen and take their nutrition and well-being to the next level. 

“Sprouts are incredibly nutritious, tasty, and easy to grow“, recommends the midlife whisperer, wellness coach and crunchy expert Ellen Albertson “Simply soak the sprouts overnight, rinse twice a day for a few days and enjoy. I add them to salads, sandwiches, and smoothies“.

She loves giving and getting sprouting kits from the Sproutman. The Plant Protein Starter Kit is a supercharged blend packed with some of the best sources of plant protein, including garbanzo, pea, adzuki, mung, and lentil. Once they’re sprouted, all 9 essential amino acids (plus lots of other nutrients) are yours for the taking!

• Disco Bag

You’re never too old to rock your look. Gift your loved one all the colours of the rainbow this Christmas! Crafted in soft Italian leather and with enough room for all the essentials, this ‘Bright Rainbow Leather Disco Bag‘ is the perfect day-to-night accessory (complete with an adjustable strap and an interior pocket), an iconic cross-body disco Bag in a metallic rainbow finish to remind your friend she is still a dancing queen!

• Scented candle

You never go wrong with candles. They are a tradition in many cultures, a mainstay in many homes, and even a luxury to treat yourself and others. They create a soothing atmosphere and help boost our moods, while also calming our minds and relieving stress.

We love the Awakening Garden scented candle by Finnish brand Marimekko featuring fragrances of birch, sprouts, and wildflowers and it comes in a coffee cup, which has been given a new life as a tealight. The candle has a cork lid and can have any Marimekko pattern from a random assortment. 

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