A gift that shows you care doesn’t have to take several weeks to create or several paychecks to purchase. Check out our holiday gift guide for free and easy heartfelt gifts that will be appreciated — and remembered — well past the season. If you feel like being extra creative, make homemade gift cards that allow your recipients to “redeem” their gifts in the months to come.
Do the Chores
Everyone welcomes a break from doing chores like shoveling the sidewalk, taking the garbage to the curb, or even grocery shopping.
Provide Holiday Help
Give the gift of less stress by helping someone put the finishing touches on upcoming holiday celebrations. Wrap presents, run errands, bake cookies, or clean the house for someone you love.
Give Your Time
Got an aptitude for math or reading and a friend with a kid who is struggling in school? Offer to tutor. Even if you’re not the greatest at schoolwork, you can still sit with a child after school to give a busy mom or dad time to run an errand. You can also babysit for date night or take a pup on a week’s worth of walks.
Fix Stuff
Repair a leaky faucet, hang shelves, change lightbulbs in hard-to-reach places, check smoke alarm batteries, oil squeaky cabinet doors, or get a broken lamp to glow again.
Help Organize
Clean out a closet or a junk drawer, tidy up a kitchen pantry or a laundry room, create a filing system for paperwork or school projects.
Make Art
Help kids create handmade artwork or craft projects to give to parents and grandparents. Their handprints and doodles will be treasured for years.
Share Your Talents
Whether it’s making a home-cooked meal, writing a résumé, creating a photo album, giving a pedicure, filing taxes, gardening, or acting as a personal wardrobe stylist or decorator, share your unique talents with those in your life.
Make a Day of It
Take a friend to a free-admission museum, art gallery, photo exhibition, arboretum, or park where you can stroll, talk, and spend time together making more memories. Add a scavenger hunt to make the outing even more fun.
Give It Away
Make a gift of a favorite piece of jewelry, your gently worn scarf, or a beloved stuffed animal. The recipient will be touched to be entrusted with something you love, and you will enjoy seeing him or her enjoy the item through the years.
Provide Tech Support
Set up a Facebook account for Grandpa and show him how to find his friends. Give Grandma a tour of Pinterest and help her learn to pin. Create a file-sharing account for your parents and fill it with favorite recipes, family photos, or informational articles.