25 Vacation Present Trade Theme Concepts

Yearly, individuals ask us for theme concepts from my household’s annual Christmas present trade. We first talked about this custom on a podcast episode in 2016 and now, practically a decade later, we’re placing the total, up to date checklist in an easy-to-reference weblog submit. So in the event you or your loved ones are feeling caught or overwhelmed by your vacation buying checklist, see why introducing a theme would possibly do the trick!

How Our Present Trade Works

For so long as I can keep in mind, my prolonged household has organized a present trade to lighten our collective vacation buying load. As a substitute of shopping for presents for EVERY SINGLE cousin, aunt, & uncle (there have been 22 of us rising up!) we might draw a JUST ONE title at random from a hat.

The one guidelines are:

1. It will possibly’t be the identical individual you had final 12 months
2. It will possibly’t be a right away member of the family (sibling, mother or father)

We constructed traditions round this trade. On Christmas morning, we’d take a particular second to go across the room and watch every individual unwrap their “trade present.” After Christmas dinner, we’d fold up little strips of paper and draw names for the subsequent 12 months. I’d describe it as an enormous a part of my core Christmas recollections.

We’ve tailored the trade over time too. As extra cousins bought married and had youngsters, we condensed the checklist from people to household teams (ex: me + Sherry + our youngsters = 1 unit). And as my fast household grew, we instituted secondary exchanges between my siblings & our spouses and one other between our youngsters & their cousins. All of those present exchanges assist scale back the stress & value of vacation buying, and permit individuals to deal with fewer, extra significant and specialised presents.

Why Vacation Present Themes Assist

Sooner or later, we added a theme to our Christmas present trade. I don’t keep in mind why or who recommended it, but it surely’s been one other enjoyable and useful a part of our custom. Plus, it has result in some fascinating and inventive presents over time too!

They began off easy (ex: Meals & Drink) however have gotten quirkier over time (ex: What’s That Odor?) since we strive to not repeat a theme. No matter you select, I’d argue a theme makes gifting extra enjoyable for each the giver and recipient – particularly in exchanges the place you may not know the individual tremendous nicely (assume workplaces, neighborhoods, that cousin you don’t see fairly often, and so on).

Present themes are like a writing immediate. They will slim your focus, spark an concept, or level you in a extra particular buying route than “discover one thing Nice Aunt Barb would possibly like.”

Positive, everybody nonetheless needs to present and get issues which can be well-liked. However we discover that with a theme, we care much less about getting stuff that matches our private pursuits, and largely take pleasure in issues which can be a intelligent, considerate, or fascinating interpretation of the theme. So our complete household finds that it makes present buying simpler, much less anxious, and extra enjoyable… which is why we haven’t completed a single 12 months and not using a theme ever since!

20 Vacation Present Trade Theme Concepts

Listed here are 20 years value of Christmas present themes that my household has used – together with some examples of how the concept was interpreted. A number of the trickier ones ended up being probably the most enjoyable (#19 for instance). Be at liberty to make use of or adapt any of them that you just assume can be a success with your loved ones.

1. Say Cheese: Photograph or cheese-related presents have been the primary focus – we bought a state-shaped cheese board for our cousins who dwell in Wisconsin. Many different issues like frames, polaroid cameras – and even mouth associated stuff like novelty gum (saying cheese = smiling) was within the combine.
2. Journey Junk: Objects or souvenirs that individuals picked up whereas on journeys or holidays that 12 months was the topic of this theme – so many individuals bought enjoyable mugs, ornaments, or different keepsakes (a field filled with postcards from each state, and so on).
3. The Yr of Granny: To honor my nice grandmother’s ninetieth birthday, we selected presents that reminded us of her, like an the automated card shuffler that she owned. A number of her favourite snack, or objects in her favourite colours have been exchanged.
4. Hey Scorching Stuff: Scorching or spicy meals, fire-related objects (candles, firepit provides), or issues to maintain your heat (socks, blankets, and so on). This was enjoyable as a result of it had a large interpretation.
5. The Nice Outside: Actions or video games to make use of exterior or objects associated to spending time in nature (path combine for mountaineering, Nationwide Parks books, and headlamps for the youngsters – who bought a large kick out of them).
6. Again In The Day: Old skool objects like a retro-style board sport or a nod to household historical past & traditions have been objects that ended up being exchanged this 12 months. This was a enjoyable one.
7. On The Highway: Presents that have been good for highway journeys or journey, like automobile exercise books for teenagers, favourite automobile snacks, a cool atlas or e-book of path hikes somebody may highway journey to, and so on.
8. Out of This World: House, alien, or sky-related presents (we despatched a sampling of freeze-dried sweet and different “astronaut meals” to our cousins).
9. Magic & Thriller: Presents like “thriller snack field” with enjoyable worldwide snacks or this homicide thriller puzzle have been good for this theme.
10. Be A Good Sport: Sports activities-related presents like memorabilia from a favourite workforce or precise video games to play collectively, tickets to a neighborhood occasion, and so on.
11. Feeling Inexperienced: Eco-related presents, or issues that have been actually the colour inexperienced. This was a surprisingly large class that all of us loved.
12. Peace & Quiet: Presents round rest & calm (candles, books, sleep masks, spa present playing cards) and even issues to maintain youngsters busy to present dad and mom a spare second or two.
13. Throughout State Traces: Native presents from the city of the gifter. This was enjoyable since you may ship one thing your space was identified for, or some native deal with or merchandise.
14. Exterior The Field: Issues which can be uncommon, any merchandise that you just take out of a field to finish (like puzzles, board video games, and so on), and objects which can be too massive to slot in a field in any respect – like “adopting” a wild animal.
15. Guide It: Literal books, studying associated objects, or issues associated to “reserving” a ticket, journey, and so on.
16. What’s That Odor? Presents with distinctive scents (candles, soaps, meals, scented markers, and so on) or gag presents like a fart machine.
17. Small Enterprise Finds: Objects or present playing cards that assist a small enterprise in your city, the city of the recipient, or a favourite small enterprise on-line.
18. Trivial Pursuit: Something falling underneath the standard classes in Trivia Pursuit (Geography, Leisure, Historical past, and so on.)
19. G.O.A.T.: Stuff you assume are the “best of all time” of their class, or that may be defined by different interpretations of the G.O.A.T. acronynm (like: Go Out And Journey). There have been additionally some presents that includes the precise animal, just like the hilarious “screaming goat” we included in ours.
20. Secure & Sound: Objects associated to security (we bought this gentle up collar for my cousin with a brand new canine) or that make noise (somebody rounded out their present with some Pop Rocks sweet). Somebody gifted us a Worst Solid State of affairs survival e-book, which was fairly entertaining to learn on our subsequent highway journey.

How We Choose Our Present Themes

There’s no artwork or science to selecting our themes – somebody simply pitches one in individual or by way of e mail – after which we vote or casually agree on a favourite as a household. As of late we often simply go together with the primary concept as a result of by now everyone knows what makes a great theme for our group, and might assume in a large approach to make a variety of issues match into any class we land on.

What makes a theme good? One thing that has a number of potential interpretations – together with sudden ones! For this reason we attempt to use a intelligent title or phrase, not only a descriptive class – like selecting “Feeling Inexperienced” over a theme like “Eco-Pleasant.” This small spin encourages, however doesn’t require, individuals to be inventive when buying. “Feeling Inexperienced” nonetheless covers eco-friendly presents, but in addition issues which can be inexperienced in coloration and even issues that can have your abdomen churning (like these gross out Beanboozled jelly beans).

So in the event you’re developing with a brand new theme, I’d recommend pondering of easy class – colourful issues, meals & drink, issues associated to historical past – after which giving it a enjoyable title. For instance, give your colourful issues theme a reputation like “Over The Rainbow.” This opens the door to concepts associated to The Wizard of Oz/Depraved, issues discovered within the sky or house, or possibly even issues on the finish of a rainbow (gold-colored presents, “fortunate” attraction bracelets, and so on).

Listed here are some extra examples:

• “Meals & drink” may lead you to “What’s Cookin’ Good Lookin’?”
• “Historical past-related” may lead you to “Time Journey”
• “Music” may lead you to “Loud & Clear”
• “Journey” may lead you to “Pack Your Baggage!”
• “Toys & Video games” may lead you to “Press Play”

Extra Vacation Present Concepts

We’ve positively been responsible of shoehorning an excellent present concept right into a theme some years! So in the event you want a couple of common present concepts to get you began, you should definitely examine all of our vacation present guides:

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