Unique Christmas Gifts For People You Love

by Angela Price

To be original at Christmas takes careful planning. One might even check notes with other gift givers to be sure there is no doubling-up. Finding unique Christmas gifts can be easier than you think, however, when looking on well-chosen internet sites.

For example, one thing that never goes out of style is the Christmas village. The more advanced our society becomes technologically, the more we seem fascinated by scenes of a bygone era. Department 56 villages meet our fascination halfway.


These include simple sets, like the gazebo, and more elaborate ones, like the Dickensian display. Your shop could be based in the North Pole, selling peppermints. It could come from New England and sell wreaths.

Items like figurines inspired by early characters from TV in the 1960s bring out the little kid in us. Remember How the Grinch StoleChristmas as it looked in the original book and broadcast? Imagine receiving a snow globe with his face on it instead of the Hollywood version.

Retro items go even further back, to the days of our parents and their parents before. Give the gift that recalls a lifetime, such as a metal sign featuring an old-fashioned Santa. Even something simple like napkins featuring wreaths and holly in fifty year old design may be enough to bring back stories of Christmases gone by.

Gifts are wonderful, but putting them under a tree is part of the ritual too. This means ensuring your recipient has a safe stand that will support the weight and height of his fir. Whether a cut tree or one with roots, there is a stand that can hold it up and keep it fresh. Give a stainless steel variety painted red and green, or one with a remote watering attachment to avoid crawling underneath with a watering can. Add a tree skirt if the stand has not been decorated in any way.

If you must divide Christmas between two sets of parents, plus grandparents and friends, then the season may start early for you and yours. When this happens, there is the possibility of opening gifts a week before the big day. This makes for a great time to give the gift of a game, especially one theme around the festive season. Some families also have a tradition that one item is opened per family member the night before. Give everyone the gift of a personalized tree ornament, stocking or sack.

As for lovers of all things green, their selection grows each year. Give the gift that keeps on growing with a pre-seeded flower pot. Inside a decorative container there will already be soil plus the seed for lobelia, poppy or some other flower. Simply water and watch it rise any time of year. Another item which would be unique in the literal sense is an oil lamp made from recycled glass. Each one is different from every other, featuring a small tree surrounded by blown glass in vibrant and swirling colors. - 39969

About the Author:

Angela Price is an interior decorator and home staging expert. For more information on Department 56, visit HardToFindItems.com.