Clutter-Free Gift Ideas for a Simple Holiday Season

If you’re looking for some clutter-free gift ideas, you’re in the right place. Today, I’m sharing a huge list of clutter-free gift ideas for you and everyone on your list!

Giving and receiving gifts is part of the holiday season for many of us. While giving and receiving gifts can be a lot of fun, it can also be a source of stress sometimes too. Especially if you are in the process of decluttering or are already living a more minimalist lifestyle.

But choosing to live a simpler, clutter-free life doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy giving and receiving gifts. It just might mean you do it a little differently.

And that’s what today’s post will help you do by inspiring you with a huge list of clutter-free gift ideas to give and receive!

Why buy clutter-free gifts?

If you are decluttering and embracing minimalism or a simpler life, you are probably becoming more aware of how much clutter you had. As well as becoming more conscious of stopping the inflow of new clutter. You know the burden clutter adds to your life and the benefits of living with less.

And the last thing you want to do is add new clutter to your home in the form of gifts you don’t need, want or like.

You are probably also more conscious of avoiding adding clutter to anyone else’s homes with gifts you give them too. Buying intentional, thoughtful, clutter-free gifts lets you express love for those you care about, but without cluttering their homes.

These clutter-free gift ideas can help you come up with gift ideas for things you can give to the people you love, without adding clutter. As well as gift ideas for yourself that won’t add clutter if anyone is asking what you’d like for a gift.

This gift guide includes over 40 clutter-free gift ideas for the holiday season or any time of year!

What are clutter-free gifts?

Clutter-free gifts are things that are either not “things” at all and won’t take up any space in someone’s home, like experiences or activities. Or consumable items that will be used up, not adding any permanent clutter.

Don’t waste your money or add clutter to people’s homes by buying gifts they won’t use or don’t even want. Use this list of clutter-free gift ideas to take the stress out of trying to come up with thoughtful gifts you or people you’re buying for will enjoy.

Really think about the recipient’s tastes, preferences and interests, and use this list of clutter-free gift ideas to come up with a gift they’ll be thrilled to receive.

40 Clutter-Free Gift Ideas

I’ve grouped the clutter-free gift ideas into categories to make it easy to find gifts for everyone on your list.

I also have a great list of clutter-free gift ideas for kids, to help you buy intentional and clutter-free gifts for all the kids on your list too. As well as gift guides for intentional gift ideas and minimalist gift ideas.

**This post contains affiliate links. Click here to read the full disclosure policy.**

Experience and Activity Gift Ideas

Giving someone experience or activity gifts are the ultimate clutter-free gifts. Not only does the person get to have an experience, adventure or do an activity they enjoy. But you won’t add any clutter at all to their home.

You can even do the experience or activity with the person to not only treat them to a memory-making gift but also get to spend time with them. Often, time spent together is one of the most valuable gifts we can give someone we love!

Here are some examples of experience and activity gift ideas:

• Tickets to a concert, performance or sporting event – think about the person’s interests and what they enjoy, then surprise them with tickets!
• A night away at a hotel or bed & breakfast – choose a place you think the person would enjoy and treat them to a night away.
• A trip, plane ticket or travel voucher – depending on your budget, you can even take the person on a trip. Or give them a travel voucher to use towards a trip or travel experience.
• A lesson or class the person will enjoy – think about the person’s interests and treat them to lessons or classes they’ll enjoy. Some ideas are yoga classes, arts and crafts classes, golf lessons, fees to join a sports team, a session with a personal trainer, cross-fit training sessions, etc.
• Passes or a membership to an activity they love – if there’s something the person is interested in, surprise them by giving them a membership or passes for the activity. Some examples of passes or memberships you can purchase are for golf or a driving range, a gym, a yoga studio, a batting cage, bowling, a ski lift ticket, a fishing licence, an art gallery or museum, etc.
• A one-time activity for the person – treat the person to an adventure or activity you think they’ll enjoy. Some ideas are zip-lining, white water rafting, a breakout room, pottery painting, a paint night event, etc.
• Movie passes or take the person to a movie they’ve been looking forward to seeing.
• A movie night in a box – give a digital movie or movie rental certificate, along with snacks, treats and drinks to enjoy during the movie. You can even include a gift card to order pizza to enjoy during the movie.
• A game night in a box – put together a box including a game to play, along with snacks, drinks and treats to enjoy during the game night.
• Plan a date to spend with the person – plan a day or time you and the person can spend together. It might include an activity, a meal, a coffee date, going for a hike, etc. Or simply spending a day together at home with no interruptions or distractions.
• Host a dinner party for friends and/or family in lieu of gifts – the chance to spend time with those you love is often more enjoyable than any gift would be.
• Make plans for a monthly lunch, dinner or coffee date with the person – again, spending time together is a great way to show your love.

Consumable Gift Ideas

Consumable gifts make great clutter-free gift ideas. You can still give a thoughtful gift the person will enjoy and use. But these gifts won’t add permanent clutter to their home.

I think most people appreciate receiving a thoughtful gift. Especially one that shows the giver knows them well enough to find something they would enjoy.

Thinking about the person’s interests and preferences, here are some consumable clutter-free gift ideas:

• Coffee, tea, wine, beer, etc. – look for a certain kind the person loves, or buy them a fancy brand they wouldn’t normally treat themselves to.
• Chocolates, nuts, jerky, treats, etc. – again buy a certain kind the person loves, or splurge on a special treat they likely don’t buy for themselves.
• Flowers – are always a great clutter-free gift. The receiver gets to enjoy a bouquet of beautiful flowers and they can get rid of them when they die.
• A home-cooked meal or treat – cooking or baking something yourself is a great clutter-free gift idea most people are delighted to receive and enjoy. And most people really appreciate the love and time that went into it.

Gift Cards

Gift cards make great clutter-free gifts because the person can use them to treat themselves to something special, or for something they need or want.

You can even make an effort to make gift cards clutter-free by avoiding gift cards that are for purchasing “things”. Instead, opt for gift cards that let the person purchase an experience or consumable item.

Here are some great examples of gift cards for clutter-free gift ideas:

• Restaurant or coffee shop gift card – choose a place the person enjoys so you can treat them to a meal or a few cups of coffee or tea.
• A gift card or cash towards something the person is saving for – if you know the person is saving for a big purchase, maybe a trip, home renovations or a new computer, give a gift card or cash to go towards it. Include a note letting them know that you want to help contribute to their goal.
• Amazon gift card – you can buy almost everything on Amazon, so you know just about anyone will be able to use an Amazon gift card. This is a great option for someone who’s hard to buy for.
• Practical gift card – a gift card for a grocery store, gas station, etc. is another option. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a gift card for a treat or a splurge. Practical gift cards are usually very appreciated!

Subscriptions

Subscriptions are great clutter-free gift ideas because it’s something the person can enjoy throughout the year. And if it’s a digital or consumable subscription it won’t add any clutter to the person’s home!

Some ideas for great subscription clutter-free gift ideas are:

• A Netflix, Disney +, Spotify, etc. subscription
• Audible subscription – an Audible subscription is great for anyone who enjoys audiobooks.
• Amazon Prime – there are many perks of an Amazon Prime membership, like free, fast shipping, access to movies and TV shows, music, Kindle books, photo storage, etc.
• Kindle Unlimited – a Kindle Unlimited subscription is perfect for any avid readers on your list. You can even include an e-reader with it if the person doesn’t already have a device to read on.
• Meditation app – you can give a gift subscription to excellent meditation apps like Calm or Headspace.
• Magazine subscription – as long as the person is someone who will read the magazine, then recycle it, a magazine subscription shouldn’t add clutter to their home. You can also give the person a digital magazine subscription to avoid any clutter at all.
• Consumable monthly subscription boxes and services – there are many great subscription services that are consumable so they won’t add clutter. Subscription boxes for things like coffee, wine, cheese, candy, flowers, etc. are great clutter-free options. Even arranging for fresh flowers to be delivered monthly is a great clutter-free gift idea.

Digital Gift Ideas

Beyond the above ideas for subscriptions to digital services, digital gifts make excellent clutter-free gift ideas too.

Some examples of digital clutter-free gift ideas are:

• Any kind of digital or downloadable product – think about what the person will enjoy. Some examples are movies/movie rentals, books, games, music, online courses or classes, etc.

Self-Care Gift Ideas

Treat the person to something they may not normally buy for themselves. Self-care items are things some people don’t spend money on or don’t have a budget for, but are usually really appreciated. Think of ways to pamper the person in a way they’ll enjoy and give them the gift of self-care.

Some ideas of self-care clutter-free gift ideas are:

• Self-care gift certificate – this could include things like a massage, spa package, float session, facial, aromatherapy session, manicure, pedicure, etc.
• Make-up items or gift certificate – if there is a special make-up item the person has been wanting, it would make a great gift. Or a gift certificate to let them pick their own make-up is great too. Make-up is consumable, so it won’t add permanent clutter.
• Consumable self-care items – think about what the person enjoys. Some examples are bath bombs, bubble bath, bath salts, essential oils, lotion, face masks, etc. Again, these are all consumable and will be used up. Treating the person to a really nice luxury product they may not buy for themselves is always nice as well.
• Candle – many people enjoy burning candles. Just make sure the person you’re buying for will actually use the candle so it doesn’t become clutter.
• Gift certificate for a haircut or color at their favourite salon.
• Spa night in a box – put together an at-home spa package including everything the person would need to pamper themselves at home with a few spa treatments.

Other Clutter-Free Gift Ideas

Here are a few miscellaneous clutter-free gift ideas:

• The Life on Purpose Authenticity Calendar – a wonderful, inspiring and thoughtful gift that can be reused year after year. As you know, I love inspiring quotes and words. This calendar is the perfect way to give your loved ones an encouraging, thoughtful and beautiful calendar of quotes they can use for years to come. Learn more about The Authenticity Calendar here.
• Photo yearbook – putting together a photo book with photos from the year is often a gift people enjoy.
• Family photo session – hiring a photographer for a family photo session is a great gift idea.
• Donate to a charity in the person’s name – making a charitable contribution to an organization that’s important to the person is a great gift idea.
• Gifting a useful service – this is another practical gift idea most people will appreciate. Think about ways you can make the person’s life easier. Some examples include babysitting, housekeeping services, having their car detailed, etc.
• Ask the person if there is anything they need or would like – it never hurts to ask if there is anything the person needs or wants! Even minimalists and people who are decluttering have things they may want or need. If you can get them something they will use and appreciate, it’ll be a great clutter-free gift!
• A heartfelt letter or card – sometimes expressing your love and telling the person how important they are to you is the best gift you can give!

Clutter-free gift ideas to simplify the holiday season

Clutter-free gift ideas help you simplify the holiday season and avoid adding clutter to people’s homes. I hope this list will help make your holiday shopping a little easier!

What are your favourite clutter-free gift ideas? What’s on your Christmas wish list this year? Leave a comment below to let me know!