Minimalist Gift Guide: 16 Gift Ideas for Minimalists
Christmas is around the corner, only a few more weeks to wait! This means it’s time to buy presents for your loved ones! Gift-giving can be very hard at times, especially when we need to find gift ideas for minimalists. That’s when you need a good minimalist gift guide!
And if you’re a minimalist yourself, you probably want to give something meaningful to that person.
Something they will use and be happy with for a long time.
Whether you’re a minimalist or you’re looking to buy something for a minimalist, the whole process can be a struggle!
Most minimalists don’t want a ton of presents. They’d rather get something they’ll love, a gift that the giver was very thoughtful about.
To help you choose the perfect present, here is my minimalist gift guide with 16 gift ideas for minimalists!
And after you’ve found the perfect present for your loved one, make sure to read my 9 tips to have a simple, minimalist Christmas this year.
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Minimalist gift guide: 16 gift ideas for minimalists
1 – Something on their wishlist
What better present to give your loved ones than something they truly want?
Buying them something that was on their wishlist is the best way to make sure that you’ll give something they’ll love and want.
It will also be a lot less stressful for you as you won’t have to worry about whether they’ll like the present or not.
2 – Money / gift cards
Money may not be the most meaningful gift to give, but it allows your loved one to choose whatever they want.
If you want to give something a bit more personalized, consider giving a gift card, there are so many out there!
A gift card for a store they usually like to buy things from.
One for their favorite café, or an Apple gift card or an Amazon one.
Ask them where they like to go shopping, and you’ll know which one to choose!
3 – A plant
Who doesn’t like plants? Very few people!
That’s good news because it might be a great minimalist gift to buy for your loved ones.
It is not only a beautiful way to decorate and add some greenery to a place. It’s also an amazing way to detox their home and make it healthier.
Plants are a gift I love gifting people when I have no idea what to give them!
4 – An e-reader
This one is amazing for book lovers!
If your loved one is a bookworm, consider buying them an e-reader.
That way, they won’t have to store hundreds of books at home anymore, they’ll have everything on this small device.
It’s also very practical for traveling, as it’s pretty small. Perfect for minimalists!
5 – Consumables
If you have no idea what to get for that person, consumable products could be the best option.
They won’t be cluttering their space for a long time! And who doesn’t like food?
You could make cookies or a cake. Or you could buy good coffee or different teas for them to try out.
But consumable products could also be makeup or skincare that this person enjoys.
You could even gift some candles, but make sure to choose non-toxic ones!
Read more:
- 7 best natural, non-toxic Christmas candles for a safe & cozy holiday
- 7 best non-toxic candles to create a cozy atmosphere in your home
- 12 best non-toxic candles on Amazon to make our homes cozy
- 8 best phthalate-free, non-toxic fall candles for safe autumn scents
6 – Everyday items they need
To make sure you don’t make a mistake while choosing their gift, ask the person if there’s something at home they ran out of or that they need.
It could be as simple as comfy socks or a new pair of shoes as their old ones recently got worn out.
Are they running low on their favorite perfume? Or do they need a new high-quality pan as their old one isn’t in good condition?
Ask them and buy them a practical gift they need!
Read more:
7 – Subscriptions
Subscriptions are great gifts for minimalists, especially if it’s something they’d pay for anyway!
It can be a magazine subscription. Or a meal delivery subscription that will help them save time during the week.
Netflix, Audible, Spotify, or other online subscription services are also very popular.
They’re probably something they’d love to get as a present!
8 – Your time
This one might sound a bit cliché, but what better proof of love than to gift someone your time?
Time is limited, it’s one of our most valuable resources as humans.
Offer them to spend the day with them doing what they love.
Or do them a favor and offer them to babysit their kids, fix something broken, do their chores, or mow the lawn.
This will save them a lot of time, time that they will be able to spend practicing self-care or relaxing and taking it slow.
9 – DNA testing
This one is such an original gift to give and it’s been more and more popular in recent years.
Gifting a DNA test to that person will help them understand where they’re coming from.
And they could get surprising results they would have never expected!
It’s a great non-physical gift which makes it perfect for minimalists!
10 – A weekend trip
Most people love traveling so you cannot go wrong with this one!
If you have the means to, booking a nice weekend trip for your loved ones is such a beautiful present to give.
Thanks to you, they’ll be able to explore a new place and discover beautiful landscapes.
And they’ll come back with lots of memories to tell you about!
11 – A pass to a place they’d like to visit
This one is a must in a minimalist gift guide like this one!
If your loved one enjoys watching movies, a movie pass is a perfect gift!
Or it could be a pass to a museum, a theater, a park, or a swimming pool.
They’ll be able to access that place whenever they want and this will also save them a lot of money!
12 – An experience
Gifting experiences is also perfect for them to create memories they’ll remember for a long time.
For people on the bold side, skydiving or bungee jumping could be great ideas.
But there are many other activities your loved ones could do!
Consider gifting them a ride on a hot air balloon or a horse, tickets to a laser game or to go paddling at the beach.
Inviting them to the spa or the restaurant is also a great option!
Read more:
13 – A course
If you know that the person you want to gift something wants to learn a new skill, take advantage of it!
Gifting them a class or a course to learn something they love is a super meaningful present.
It could be anything!
There are classes and courses to learn anything. Baking, pottery, yoga, learning a new language…
It could even be a virtual course to learn skills like graphic design, digital marketing, or how to build a website!
14 – Donate to a non-profit they love
One of the best gift ideas for minimalists is to donate in their name to a charity they love.
It’s an amazing non-physical gift, especially great for people who say they don’t need anything in particular.
You will do a good deed, and your loved one will feel good about that too.
There are many charities you can donate to. Homeless shelters, environmental NGOs, cancer charities, animal shelters.
Find out which cause they’d prefer to support and donate there!
15 – A photo album
Even though this is a material gift, creating a photo album full of memories is a meaningful gift they’ll probably be happy to have.
You could include pictures with you and that person or photos from a trip you took together.
This gift will make them think of you when they’ll be looking at all these memories. I’m sure they’ll be grateful to have it!
16 – A piece of art you made
Another way to give a personalized present is to create a piece of art for them.
It could be a painting of a landscape they love or of their beloved cat.
You could write them a poem or create some beautiful pottery pieces for them.
Or you could even knit them a nice hat or a sweater for the winter months.
They’ll know you spent your precious time creating something special for them, which is a beautiful way to show them your love.
Final thoughts on this minimalist gift guide and gift ideas for minimalists
There you go! This was my minimalist gift guide with 16 gift ideas for minimalists!
Whether you want to give a present to someone for Christmas, on their birthday or for another occasion, gift-giving can be very hard.
This is especially true if the person you want to give a present to is a minimalist, or if you’re a minimalist yourself.
When giving a present, remember to always prefer quality over quantity.
It doesn’t matter how many gifts you give.
What is important is how thoughtful and meaningful the present is. And how well the person is going to appreciate it.
For more gift ideas, feel free to read the following articles:
- 18 unique sustainable gifts for her
- 15 unique sustainable gifts for him
- 24 sustainable Christmas gifts everyone loves
- 18 sustainable & organic Mother’s Day gifts your mom will adore
- 16 sustainable Father’s Day gifts your dad will adore
Are you struggling to find great presents for minimalists? What are your favorite minimalist gift ideas?
I’d love to know, tell me in the comments below!
I love homemade gifts, they come from the heart and are often the most memorable. I love the idea of experiences as well!
So true, homemade gifts are so unique!! 🙂
Great job, and very helpful! Really a good and ingesting read.
Thank you so much, I’m happy it could inspire you to find gifts for your loved ones!! 🙂
I love the consumables idea! I recently started giving food and flowers as gifts. You know the person will get use out of it and its sustainable. Thanks for sharing other ideas as well.
Yes, consumables are perfect gifts for minimalists! Once these are enjoyed, they’re no longer here cluttering up your space! 🙂
I love this list! Plants, art, and experiences are truly all I need to be happy haha thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you!! 🙂
Let’s hope your friends and family will see your comment before Christmas and gift you just that 😉
Thank you for these ideas! My husband is becoming more of a minimalist, and since it’s Christmastime now, he’s overwhelmed with the idea of more stuff coming into our house. I love your ideas for giving him a course. He has some hobbies that I could probably find a food course about, and then I wouldn’t just be left with giving him consumables like clothes and food.
Oh, I’m glad I could help you find great gift ideas for your husband!
Courses are such a great and meaningful gift, I’m sure he’ll love it! There are so many out there, you’ll probably quickly find what you’re looking for 🙂