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Do you feel like you’re losing the battle with clutter?
It’s relentless isn’t it?
We all just have so much “stuff” these days, don’t we?
Too much stuff to enjoy and value and just use full stop.
Especially our kids.
Which makes buying gifts – whether Christmas or birthdays – hard doesn’t it?
We want to show our deep love for our families.
And like Harry Potter’s obnoxious Aunt Petunia, it’s all too easy to think that means a massive pile of gifts on the special day.
When actually the last thing most of us need is yet more stuff!
To lie neglected for the next 12 months cluttering up the house.
But you know what?
There are actually loads of brilliant clutter free gifts out there.
And as I was trying to get ahead of the game for Christmas and a crop of birthdays I came up with this massive list of 101 clutter free gifts I could get for my whole family.
There’s stuff for everyone from kids to grandparents.
And for all budgets.
I do hope it gives you some ideas and helps you ditch at least some of the clutter.
Do let me know what you think, and share your own ideas, I would love to hear from you.
And if you’re desperate to declutter and need some help do sign up for my newsletter …
Clutter Free Gifts
1. Unforgettable Experience Days
Rather than more clutter, gift your family and friends an experience, they’ll never forget …
- Parachuting
- Go karting
- Hot air balloon
- Falconry
- Helicopter ride
- Steam train trip
- Boat trip – e.g. canal trip
- Vintage plane ride
- Tank driving
- Stadium tour
- Whale watching
- Clay shooting
- Paint balling
- White water rafting
- Super zip wire
- Bungee jump
- Pony trekking
Some of these won’t come cheap by any stretch of the imagination but you could give a voucher to contribute or you could join forces with the rest of the family to treat someone.
2. Digital Subscriptions
Let your family enjoy their fave movies, music and books totally clutter free …
- Music subscription – e.g. Spotify
- Movie subscription – e.g. Netflix
- Audio books subscription – e.g. Scribd
- Online magazine – e.g. National Geographic
- Family tree site subscription – e.g. FindMyPast or Ancestry – are great for grandparents
- iTunes / Google Play voucher
- Digital photo frame
3. Garden Gifts
You don’t have to be an avid gardener to enjoy clutter free gifts such as …
- Fruit trees
- Rose bush
- Bluberry bush – if your kids love blueberries, this is a fab gift. We have two bushes which are super easy to look after and have the most delicious fruit. If you’re a fellow Brit, the RHS have a great collection of blueberry plants.
- Speciality bulbs
- Mushroom growing kit
- Packets of seeds to plant each month
- Sponsored tree in woodland – we were given one of these in one of our lovely London woods
- A gardener for a day in spring – great for new parents or grandparents to get on top of the garden for them
- Butterfly raising kit
- Ladybird (ladybug) raising kit
- Monthly flower subscription
- Garden plants subscription
4. Yummy Stuff
One sure way to keep the clutter out is to gift yummy treats.
They eat it. They drink it. It’s gone!
No clutter …
- Ice cream voucher – always a winner with kids
- Pizza voucher
- Wine tasting
- Wine club membership
- Afternoon tea at a fancy restaurant
- Coffee shop voucher
- Monthly subscription for really lovely coffee or tea
- Monthly cheese subscription
- Monthly wine subscription
- Home made jam or jelly
- Home made cookies
- Simple home made fudge, candy or mints
- Cool local craft beers for the beer lovers in your family
5. Cool Classes For Kids
You could buy a one time taster lesson – for £15-£30 – or spend a bit more for 3 or 4 lessons if you know it’s something they’ll love …
- Ice skating
- Rock climbing
- Horse riding
- Skiing
- Canoing
- Sailing
- Surfing
- Scuba Diving
- Archery
- Magic
- Music lessons
- Drama or stage lessons
- Special dance class
- Online classes – animation, electronics, lego, coding
6. Cool Classes for Grown Ups
Cool classes aren’t just for the kids … how about
- Guitar playing
- Beer brewing at a local craft brewery
- Rally driving
- Cooking with a local restaurant
- Chocolate making
- Water colour painting
- Wine making – at local vineyard
- Cocktail making
- One on one swimming class – I need this, my breast stroke is rubbish!
- Online classes – sewing, knitting, quilting, embroidery, languages, photography, drawing, crochet
7. Tickets
Tickets for big events have got crazily expensive haven’t they? So gang together to buy a really special clutter free gift or give a voucher to make them that bit more affordable …
- Big theatre show
- Favourite band concert
- Comedy show
- Live TV show
- Ballet
- Opera
- Favourite sports team
- Big sports event e.g. tennis, golf
- Theatre vouchers
- Cinema vouchers
8. Memberships
If anyone in your family has somewhere they love to visit, buy them a membership card, so they can go whenever they like or get one for the whole family …
- Theme park season ticket
- Museum or gallery membership
- National arts or parks membership e.g. English Heritage, National Trust, Art Fund. We were given English Heritage membership as a gift and got so much use from it
- Zoo membership
- Cinema membership
- Sports team membership
- Adopt a zoo animal
- Adopt a museum exhibit
9. Pampering
Treat all the tired mums to some time off and special TLC with a …
- Massage
- Facial
- Manicure
- Pedicure
- Hair cut at a fancy hairdressers
- Night in a local hotel for tired parents …
- … with baby sitting by you thrown in
10. Time Together
Finally, of course the most precious clutter free gift we can give is time … whether it’s time together or some of our own time to help the family out …
- Homemade voucher for gardening or cleaning or mending services
- Family photo session
- Weekend away together
- A really special holiday – see if you can get the whole family to go without other gifts and use the money for a really special experience together
So there you go, 101 clutter free gift ideas.
I hope you liked them.
For more practical ways to cut out the clutter in your home follow me on Facebook and check out these posts:
- How To Have a Clutter Free Home
- The Real Price Of Overwhelming Clutter
- Step By Step Declutter Guide
- How To Declutter Your Garage
Laura says
I think your ideas are fab, I really do, because I too, live in a house of clutter, I have two boys 15 (today) and my other son is 19. So I have years of artwork /school papers/projects, photos , lots of photos, duplicates from back in the day from when we use to get our film developed! I have saved all these years because I really am going to make that photo collage, as well as their indivual baby books and yet to be done scrap books, as well as I bought ALL the supplies to make the most remarkable books anyone has ever seen! yeah, right, in my” spare time”… but, anyway, I really need to “purge” This IS the winter when I actually plan on making these books!!! ( we’ll see) but back to clutter, I have SO MANY really beautiful trinkets, nic nacs, that I have received over the years, I couldn’t bear to get rid of… I couldn’t display them all unless my husband builds bookcases and shelving, lots of shelving!!! So again back to your topic, i love the idea of giving AND receiving any number of the activities you suggested! I’m going to put out these ideas to our families and friends and see what happens, plus I love the idea of my loved ones enjoying something that otherwise they wouldn’t dream of getting/doing for themselves…I’m going to stress that We would love something like this too!!! This way at least I can at least slow down the stuff coming into our little house! Thanks So Much for your ideas!
Kindly, Laura from Cape Cod, MA
Alice says
Hi Laura – lovely to hear from you, I really really hope the suggestions help!! We were so drowning in books, toys, china and nic nacs – loads of them really lovely – but together just overwhelming. Focusing on clutter free gifts has really helped us loads. And helped me focus on what would really make me happy – I’ve asked everyone for theatre vouchers so I can take myself on a mummy-treat to the ballet which I’ve not been to since my 7 year old was born!! Do let me know how you get on Alice x
Deb says
Once for my teenager i decorated her bedroom for christmas she got a new room and i didnt have to figure out what she wanted i have also done a years membership for the gym xc