What do you mean you haven’t even started Christmas shopping yet?! Better start panicking, then calm down and use this list of trending gift ideas to get a move on. Hannah Collins is your consumerist guru on which 2024 gift trends you should put your cash into this Christmas. 

Reusables

The Stanley cup craze earlier in the year has continued its vice-like grip on the ‘youth’, and while it’s still inexplicable that giant, colourful beverage holders are having this effect, it’s at least a trend with its heart in the right place. Eco-friendly Christmases have been higher on our priority lists of late, and that extends to the presents we buy each other. There are plenty of Stanley imitators out there that are cheaper and more sustainably made, or you might consider branching out into other dishware for on-the-go lunches, storage containers for food and soaps or travel kits for toiletries. Not wildly exciting but infinitely useful.

Pictured: The Barbie x Stanley 80s Western Ken Quencher

Buy it: £60 (FREE delivery), uk.stanley1913.com

Subscription services

No longer just for watching telly or the weekly shop, you can get every little thing delivered to your door these days on a rolling basis: disposable razors, books, toilet paper, coffee, alcohol, plants, perfume… Everything you regularly want or need but often forget to top up, and gifting someone a subscription to one of these makes the giving experience longer, more thoughtful and not thrown out after a month of non-use.

Alternatively, you could get them a membership for an experiential gift, like the National Art Pass for culture lovers or a National Trust or Cadw membership for nature and history buffs.

Pictured: National Art Pass

Buy it: £48-£118, here

Personalised presents

Instead of lots of small stocking fillers, one more expensive item with a personal touch could be worth its weight in gold. Maybe literal gold (or another precious metal) if you get some engraved jewellery. Welsh gold specialist Clogau have a range of engravables, as do UK-wide Pandora. Embroidery is also having quite a moment this year, and Etsy is teeming with customisers ready to stitch whatever you want onto a cosy jumper or T-shirt. Thanks to the Swiftie cultural stranglehold, you might consider friendship bracelets, too.

Pictured: Custom pet embroidered sweatshirt

Buy it: £22.99 (FREE delivery), StationaryByZhou on Etsy

AirTags

The current ‘parents swear by’ gadget for keeping track of potential wayward items that are lifelines for kids – tablets, laptops, even an entire school bag. They’re also popular for luggage when travelling. Pioneered by Apple, these small devices connect to the Find My app and can be prompted to make a noise or pinpoint the distance you are from your lost item. The next best alternative is made by competitor Tile in a range of non-Apple standard colours.

Pictured: AirTag

Buy it: £35 (FREE delivery), here

Belt bags

Once relics of ‘holiday dad’ cringe, the humble fanny pack or bum bag has been creeping in popularity over the past few years, culminating in its rebrand as the belt bag. Brave users can wear them the old-fashioned way around the waist; normies slung around the hips doubling as a belt, and the terribly fashion-conscious sideways over one shoulder and around the torso. Belt bags are also incredibly versatile: suitable for any gender or age, available in a huge range of styles and prices, and give you easy access to your handbag or pocket essentials. 

Pictured: Fjӓllrӓven high coast hip pack, peach sand

Buy it: £55 (plus postage), here

Wellness packages

Sometimes, it’s just nice to let someone know you’re thinking of them and their wellbeing. A hamper of goodness for someone who really needs a bit of self-care can include snacks and drinks (healthy or indulgent), home spa kits for relaxation, or exercises in mindfulness and reflection. You could also get someone an activity kit, like pottery, painting, jewellery-making, puzzle-solving, baking or brewing, for a subtler approach to helping a loved one focus on themselves.

Pictured: The be kind care package gift box

Buy it: £38 (plus postage), here

words HANNAH COLLINS