The Essential Clutter-Free Gift Guide

Did you see what I did there with the mugs? In case you missed it I was being ironic with my cover photo for the Clutter-Free Gift Guide. Based on my experience as a Professional Organizer, mugs are the apex example of a gift that will become clutter. Everyone has  more than enough mugs!

A few disclaimers about this Clutter-Free Gift Guide. It is meant to give you some clear criteria for how to think Clutter-Free when you are holiday shopping, not do your shopping for you. I have some great examples to share, please use them if they apply for your people but this is not meant to be an exhaustive list of gifts. There are plenty of other bloggers that will do that for you if that is what you were looking for ❤️ Last disclaimer: there are many physical things in this guide. If you have been decluttering for a while you may feel like every physical thing qualifies as clutter. Not so! When items are used, loved and displayed they are not clutter – they are treasured posessions.

My objective when shopping for holiday gifts is that everything I purchase fulfills one or more of the following criteria:

• Consumable/Re-Stock
• Versatile/Useful/Helpful
• Personal/Meaningful/Beautiful
• Experiential
• Not a mug

If I am disciplined in sticking to these criteria, I am unlikely to create clutter in the homes and lives of the people I love.

Gift Consumable/Re-Stock

I put this one first because it’s the one I’m leaning on most this year. When you gift something that is meant to be consumed then it doesn’t sit around the home of your giftee collecting dust. It’s a guaranteed winner in this Clutter-Free Gift Guide, provided you choose your consumables appropriately.

This year I’m using two food-related gift strategies. The first is a collection of goodies from our local Farmer’s Market (assembled beautifully in a basket or box is my plan) – these will go to our local friends that we spend the holidays with. These friends appreciate good food and they cook a lot, so I know they will enjoy it. I like the idea of supporting small businesses and gifting yummies that they wouldn’t ordinarily buy for themselves.

The second is sending gift baskets from some venerated and very cool food institutions to our friends and family who are further afield. Some of my favorites include Olympia Provisions Charcuterie from here in the PNW, Michigan-based Zingerman’s Grocer and this year I’m trying out ice cream gift boxes from 2 Ohio-based Creameries (Jeni’s & Graeter’s)

If you’d like an even more fail-proof gift strategy, choose refills of everyday-use items. This works well for immediate-family members. For instance, my husband likes Aveda Rosemary Mint Shampoo & Conditioner. It’s super-expensive so he only gets it at Christmas. I fill my girls’ stockings with refills of their favorite skincare products. Not sexy – but guaranteed to be used up!

Gift Versatile/Useful/Convenient

More good filters for the Clutter-Free Gift Guide: versatility, usability, convenience. When you can use something for more than one purpose there is a greater chance your giftee will use it. Ditto when the gift is easy to use. A KitchenAid Mixer does multiple duties in the kitchen, plus it’s beautiful to look at! A TheraGun Mini helps old muscles recover from workout & injury, and it’s easy to use and store because it’s small. A Phone Case wallet is convenient  because it holds your ID and cards with your phone, eliminating the need for a handbag.

These are just a few examples of things that I find to be high on the usability scale, you can probably think of some of your own. No matter what you land on, the other important consideration is whether it’s something your giftee will use. Just because something is useful in general doesn’t guarantee it will get used. There needs to be a match!

Gift Personal/Meaningful/Beautiful

It’s hard to go wrong with a personalized gift (as long as it’s not a mug!) My official favorite gift (I’m giving 3!) this year is an Aura Digital Photo Frame. I got one for my dad, my Aunt & Uncle and my in-laws. I’ve pre-loaded them all with hundreds of pictures – it’s so easy to do! I uploaded some from my computer and some from my phone. You can invite anyone else to upload photos as well, you just need the app and Wi-Fi. The picture is HD quality. I think it’s one of the best ways to enjoy all the memories to spent decades capturing!

My other favorite gift to give is a glassybaby votive. They come in a myriad of colors and glow in a magical way when you put a tea light inside. I also put flowers in them in the Spring and Summer months. They are so beautiful and you can personalize the experience of giving one through their super-creative names.

Gift Experiential

Last category in the Clutter-Free Gift Guide! When you give an experience there is literally no clutter risk. Experiential gifts can take the form of tickets (music, sports, museum, oh the possibilities!) Experiencing an event with someone is fun and creates connection.

They can also take the form of trips. I like this one for immediate family, especially if your nest is empty(ing). Trips are harder to come by once the kids are grown and the family unit has dispersed. Instead of giving your grown kids a bunch of stuff that could turn into clutter, take them on a trip! We did Disney a couple of years ago (Santa left Mickey Mouse cards in their stockings) and it was money so well-spent. 

Another experiential idea is to gift a service. You could treat someone to a mani/pedi or a massage. I’ve had many folks reach out because they want to gift Home Organizing or Photo Organizing to someone they love. It’s a great way to express love and tame clutter at the same time!

I always find myself a little stressed as the gifting season approaches each year because I’m hyper-aware of giving things that could turn into clutter. That means, when I find a good gift that fits nicely into my clutter-free criteria I jump on it! I hope your gifting season is a huge success and please,stay away from the mugs!