Xmas Gifts for a Grandma

Most grandmothers love simple, inexpensive Christmas gifts that are heartfelt.

Finding a perfect Christmas gift for a grandmother might be difficult because many grandmas "already have everything" and don't want knickknacks or other material items. They also may have reached an age where they don't need much. Simple and meaningful is best when searching for a Christmas gift for a grandmother.

Mailing Kit

A letter-writing kit offers grandmas everything they need to keep in touch.

Purchase various supplies necessary for writing letters: pens, pencils, postage stamps (perhaps of a celebrity who was alive when she was growing up), pretty stationery (perhaps in her favorite colors), pre-stamped envelopes, pre-stamped postcards, thank-you notes (handy for acknowledging Christmas gifts), a self-inking return-address stamp, return-address labels (perhaps coordinating with the stationery), and a personalized self-inking rubber stamp for the backs of envelopes (perhaps bearing her initials or name). Place these items into a decorated gift box or container with a label that says, "Letter-Writing Kit." Grandmothers love to stay in close contact with family members and friends who live far away.

Guest Passes

Give a grandmother the gift of travel.

Present her with guest passes or tickets to somewhere she loves to go (or would enjoy going), and offer to accompany her. Some grandmothers may enjoy season passes to a nearby state park (plan a picnic together, maybe for her birthday). Other grandmothers may like movie or theater tickets. If finances allow, give her an all-expenses-paid vacation to a place she has always wanted to visit. Or, you might organize a family reunion or Christmas get-together for the next year in a central location.

Cookie of the Month

Give her a different batch of cookies each month.

Bake a batch of her favorite Christmas cookies, package them in a pretty Christmas gift box and tell her that during the upcoming year she will receive a different batch of homemade cookies each month. Tailor the cookies to monthly celebrations and events, such as pink-sprinkled sugar cookies for Valentine's Day, green-frosted shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day, or black-and-white cookies in May for the Indianapolis 500 Race. (Choose a different monthly item if desired, such as Jam of the Month, Candy of the Month, or Knitted Dishcloth of the Month.)

Personalized Calendar

Grandmas will love family photos organized into a custom-made calendar.

Create a special wall calendar for the upcoming year that features a variety of family photos. Many online retailers and office-supply stores offer photo calendar services, or purchase software to create a calendar on a home computer. For December, use a photo from last Christmas. Tailor the photos to the month (a summery picture for June; playing in autumn leaves for November). Optionally, mark special dates on the calendar (family birthdays and anniversaries, for example). The grandma can throw away the calendar part when the year is over and keep the photos.

References

• FlyLady: Clutter-Free Gift Ideas for Grandparents
• ChristmasGifts.net: Traditional Christmas Gift Ideas for Your Grandma

Resources

• Not Made of Money: 50 Homemade Gifts and Gift Ideas from Around the Web