Gifting can be hard. It’s often a challenge to come up with ideas for teens, coworkers, frenemies, and people who have everything. You can spend endless hours walking up and down aisles or scrolling through web pages attempting to find the perfect present…and still be unsure that you’ve made the right choice. Take a little bit of the pressure off this year and browse the ideas below for those hard to gift people.

Best Gifts For Hard-to-Shop-For People: Recommendations

Best Gifts for Neighbors

Neighbor gifts should feel warm without feeling like an obligation. A handmade ceramic mug set or tea kettle from a local market or gallery is practical and personal, especially paired with a box of loose-leaf tea or hot chocolate. Edible gifts (which we have many recipes for) are the classic choice: a tin of homemade cookies, a pie, a casserole for a busy week, a jar of sauce or syrup, or a fruit basket. For something that lasts, wooden coasters carved with the family’s last name, or a themed set tied to their hobbies, are easy to find from small makers and online sellers.

Best Gifts for In-laws

In-laws often want for nothing, so aim for gifts that bring the family closer. A digital photo frame that you can fill with new pictures remotely is a favorite with grandparents who live far away. Custom paintings of a wedding photo, the grandkids, or the family pet, commissioned from a local or online artist, become heirlooms. For wine lovers, a quality corkscrew, engraved or electric, is something they’ll reach for every week. And a subscription to a magazine, a sports streaming package, a book club, or a meal kit keeps giving long after the holidays.

Best Gifts for Boss and Coworkers

Office gifts should be thoughtful, neutral, and easy to enjoy. Candles in a clean, crowd-pleasing scent are a safe bet. Personalized stationery, such as engraved pens, pencils, or a good notebook, suits nearly any desk, and desk accessories like a faux plant, a stylish mouse pad, or a chair cushion make the workday a little nicer. An insulated travel mug will get daily use. Sweets from a local bakery or an international candy shop are always welcome; choose vegan, gluten-free, or nut-free options so the whole team can share.

Best Gifts for Teens 

Teens are famously hard to buy for, which is why a gift card matched to their passions is a winner rather than a cop-out. Concert tickets to see a favorite artist, or a gift card from a ticket seller or local venue, will earn you cool-relative status for the year. Beauty fans will love a gift card to Ulta Beauty or Sephora. Athletes and sneakerheads can pick their own gear with a card to Nike, Adidas, or Dick’s Sporting Goods. Readers can stock up at Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, or a local independent or used bookstore. And for new drivers, gas and fast-food gift cards may be the most practical present of the year.

Best Gifts for Frenemies

For the rival in your life, a little wit goes a long way. A plant is a polite gift, and a cactus sends a message without saying a word. A self-help book or a blank journal gently suggests room for growth. A sarcastic mug with a snarky phrase lets the gift do the talking.

Best Gifts For People Who Have Everything

When someone’s shelves are already full, give them an experience. Wine tastings, pasta-making classes, crafting workshops, and VIP events can be booked through Eventbrite, ClassPass, or Groupon. A year-long museum membership to a local art, history, music, or sports museum is a gift they can enjoy again and again. A donation in their name is meaningful for anyone who values giving back: plant trees through the Arbor Day Foundation, symbolically adopt an animal through the World Wildlife Fund, or sponsor a child through Save the Children, then print the official certificate to wrap. Or give them something they probably don’t have yet: a subscription to TABLE Magazine.

How Much Should You Spend on a Coworker Gift?

There’s no single rule, but keep it modest and consistent. Many offices set a limit for gift exchanges, often around $20 to $25, so ask before you shop. When giving to a boss, a group gift from the whole team avoids any hint of currying favor, and a handwritten note of thanks often means more than the price tag.

Are Gift Cards a Thoughtful Gift for Teens?

Yes, when they’re specific. A generic gift card can feel like an afterthought, but one tied to a hobby, a favorite store, or a show they’ve been talking about proves you were listening. Pair it with something small to unwrap, like a trendy blind box or trinket from a local shop.

Tips for success

• Listen all year. Keep a running note on your phone of offhand wishes, favorite brands, and new hobbies.
• Shop local. Makers’ markets, galleries, and independent shops offer one-of-a-kind gifts you won’t find online.
• Set a budget first. Decide what you’ll spend per person before you shop to avoid last-minute splurges.
• Include a gift receipt. It makes exchanges easy and takes the pressure off a guess.
• Make experiences tangible. Wrap a printed confirmation or pair it with a small related item, like a wine glass for a tasting.
• Add a note. A few handwritten lines turn even a simple gift into something personal.

Want to give something homemade? Start with TABLE’s guide to edible holiday gifts, or bake a batch from The Ultimate Guide to Christmas Cookie Recipes. 

For the cocktail lover, assemble an Old Fashioned Craft Cocktail Kit or a bottle of Sugar Plum and Sage-Infused Vodka. 

Browse our Shopping and Pantry and Bar sections for more ideas, and save Valentine’s Day Gifts for Her and Him for February.

About the Author

Kylie Thomas (she/they) is TABLE Magazine’s Online Editor, covering restaurants, events, and Pittsburgh lifestyle, including the magazine’s Things to Do in Pittsburgh column. A summa cum laude graduate of Point Park University, they also run the photography business Photos by Ky, shooting everything from concerts to weddings and cocktails. Read more of Kylie’s stories on TABLE.

Photo Courtesy of Priscilla Du Preez

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