Show Grandma Your Love: The Best Christmas Gift Ideas

A Gift for Grandma

Whether you’re spending Christmas with your friends, your immediate family, or the grandparents, chances are you’ll soon be putting together a Christmas giving list of your own.

Maybe your list is full of everyone you know, or perhaps it’s more simplified, like this:

  • Nana - the one who encourages me to follow my dreams
  • Grandpa - the one who taught me that I can do anything
  • Mom - the one who loves me unconditionally
  • Dad - the one I can depend on for anything
  • Sis - the one who helped me learn that I am enough
  • Bestie - the one who’s with me on every adventure
  • Lover - the one who makes me feel complete

What Should I Get My Grandma as a Gift?

Let’s look at that first one on your list: Grandma. That word conjures up a certain image, doesn’t it? It could be a lady whose poise is flawless and whose nails are always done. Perhaps it's a lady whose long gray hair is swept back in a braid and always seems to be wearing an apron. Maybe your grandma rocks shocking red hair as she out-camps everyone you know. Regardless of her appearance, Christmas is a great time to honor your grandma for who she is.

Gift Guide: Get to Know Your Grandmother

Christmas gifts for Grandma should come from the heart, but what does that even look like? If you’re unsure, get to know her first. Pay attention to what she finds interesting. What does your nana enjoy doing? Where does she spend her time? If you don’t know, ask her!

Incorporating your grandma’s life, personality, and interests into your Christmas gift is a wonderful way to show you love her. Take a step back and analyze for a moment. Is there a gadget that would make things more convenient for her, but she’d never buy for herself? What about a museum she’s always wanted to tour? Perhaps there’s a website that she’d like a membership to. Here are some interest- and personality-based Christmas gift ideas to consider:

  • Crafter: Electric scissors are convenient and easy on any arthritic finger joints that might appear as the years wear on. 
  • Outdoor Enthusiast: This hands-free portable neck fan will keep your grandma cool whether she’s out biking, hiking, walking, or traveling.
  • Show-watcher: A subscription to Britbox just might be your grandma’s favorite gift this year. The subscription unlocks the best of British television from Downton Abbey to Gardeners’ World.
  • Lifelong Learner: Does your grandmother always have the answer to your questions, or is she always taking those free community classes? A subscription to Masterclass will give her access to courses taught by incredible people for an entire year.
  • Avid Reader: Perhaps your grandma is an avid reader and regular at her local library. Consider getting her a subscription to Book of the Month or a similar club, which will send her a new book each month. This could also make a great Mother's Day or birthday gift.
  • Puzzle-doer: If your grandma loves to take quiet afternoons to put together a puzzle, there are beautiful options that she’s sure to love.

Make Your Gifts Sentimental

Being able to reflect on your life is a gift, especially if it’s full of love and laughter. Are there memories that you and your grandmother share that can be preserved? Perhaps printing a nice photobook of a shared vacation or writing down favorite memories could be a great place to start. Other Christmas gifts for Grandma include:

  • A wifi-enabled digital photo frame: This frame is great for grandparents and parents who want to be involved in their kids’ lives but live far away. This frame would stay in your grandmother’s house, but anyone with the frame’s information could upload photos to it. Not only does it have sufficient memory to hold thousands of photos, but you can upload more wherever you are, even if you aren’t nearby. This wonderful gift is something your whole family tree could pitch in on so your grandma can see photos from all of her children and grandchildren.
  • Personalized calendar: At your next family reunion, take the opportunity to get a large family photo, then use Shutterfly to create a personalized calendar made up of family photos your grandma will be sure to hold dear.

Gift Experiences Instead of Items

Sometimes giving a personalized gift is tricky because Grandma and Grandpa already have everything. In this case, some of the best grandma gift ideas are experiences rather than physical items. 

Food

Think back to your last Thanksgiving or Christmas. Was there food present? Do you remember any of it? Food is a massive part of our lives and culture, and nothing combines comfort and sentimentality quite like a favorite meal or a treat that reminds you of a happy time. Food can be fun, simple, extravagant, homemade, store-bought, and everything in between. Odds are your grandma loves a certain kind of food. Some Christmas gift ideas include:

  • Putting together a bundle of family recipes that you and she have worked on together. If possible, add pictures of both of you! Shutterfly is a great place to do this.
  • If your grandma is a soda drinker, put a sprinkling water maker (a personalized tumbler) and some flavor drops into a DIY soda basket.
  • Does your Nana love serious comfort food? Get her a care package full of homemade soup and bread, like this one from Spoonful of Comfort.
  • Is your grandma the ultimate hostess? Put together a basket with tea towels, a bottle of sparkling cider, a beautiful serving tray, scented candles, and a set of cute salt and pepper shakers. 
  • Get your grandma and grandpa a gift card to a new restaurant they’ve never been to and encourage them to try a new dish.

Activities

Our world is shifting toward minimalism. If that’s your grandmother in a nutshell, consider getting her the gift of an experience. Non-food experiences can involve traveling to new places, visiting new venues, or going somewhere with a new group of people. This could look like a private tour through your grandma’s favorite sports team’s stadium or a getaway to a mountain resort spa. If you can make it an experience she can share with others, even better.

Tap Into Your Creativity

Even last-minute Christmas gifts can be meaningful. If you only have time to write a personal letter telling your grandma how much you love her, then do it. It only takes a few minutes, but it could be something she holds onto for the rest of her life. A little time invested can go a long way. Painting a picture, writing or recording yourself singing a song, designing and printing out her favorite poem, or creating a collage out of little things that remind you of her are all gifts that will be cherished.

What thoughtful gift will you give your grandma this Christmas?