Whether they’re near or far, grandparents are some of the most special people in a kid’s life and they’re often super generous, giving their grandchildren toys and games the child’s parents may have passed on (ahem, all the super loud toys). This holiday season, return the generosity with these thoughtful gifts for grandparents that are sure to make them feel loved.
Thoughtful doesn’t have to mean a handmade card drawn by your 3-year-old and a macaroni necklace (though that’s cute too); sometimes the best holiday gifts for grandparents are useful, like a massage gun to help ease aches and pains, or a digital frame that displays pictures from your phone right into their house. Thoughtful gifts can also add color or comfort to their home in the form of a bright throw, a new piece of art, or even a cool twist on a classic Scrabble game. It can be hard to think of the right thing to get grandma or grandpa, and if you’re stuck on what to get your child’s biggest cheerleader (and sometimes free babysitter, if you’re lucky), turn to this for some ideas.
From candles to crochet, cookbooks to a custom journal, read on for the best sentimental and thoughtful holiday gifts for grandparents because they’ll say they don’t want anything, but a sweet gift goes a long way.
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A Colorful Throw
Add some color to their house while keeping them cozy all year long. This luxe throw blanket is made from an amazingly warm and soft blend of mohair, wool, and a touch of polyamide. It’s made by Ezcaray, a family-owned and operated textile house in Spain, and it’s hand-washed, dyed, and woven using quality fiber. There are several pretty colors to choose from too.
One reviewer noted that the throw has nice colors and is soft and warm, but also sheds a bit, so just be mindful that this thoughtful present for grandma may leave a little fuzz on her couch (but nothing that can’t be fixed with a lint roller).
Landscape Art
If grandma or grandpa wants to brighten their house, try giving them a colorful art print (bonus points if you get it framed). A landscape or a print inspired by the natural world like this illustration of Moraine Lake in Banff National Park is always a good choice, but if they like more abstract art, Walker Noble Studios has that too. If grandma and grandpa stay over regularly, it could also be thoughtful to decorate the guest room with touches like art that you know they’ll love.
This Banff print is printed on museum-grade paper with archival ink. It’s 12 by 16 inches, and comes unframed or framed (framed art starts at $185).
A Beautiful Scented Candle
The beauty of giving a scented candle is that they can never have too many of them. Redoux Candle’s scent 529 is a lovely, light blend of sandalwood, orange blossom, ginger, amber, and saffron, and it’ll fill the room with the warm, inviting scent. If you’re looking for something a bit more wintery (maybe a Christmas tree scent if they didn’t get a tree this year), Nest Fragrances has lovely winter scent options including Hearth, which has a subtle fireplace smell, or Holiday— a blend of pine, cloves, pomegranate, and orange. There’s also Blue Cypress & Snow which smells like a day at the mountain.
A Cute Crochet Kit
There’s something so fun about a keepsake gift for grandparents that gives them an activity to do and a creative outlet. Sure there’s a good chance your kid will get to keep the keepsake here (unless grandma or grandpa loves foxes) but they’ll be delighted to make something their grandchildren will love. This cute kit is for intermediate to advanced crocheters (though Woobles has tons of great beginner kits too). Included is a PDF pattern (you may want to print that out ahead of time), cotton yarn, a tapestry needle, stitch marker, and more. You can add a crochet hook too for $ 5 — this is included in the price above.
A Luxe Body Lotion
Give dry winter skin a real treat with this luxurious body lotion from Yina. It’s made of a blend of Chinese Medicinal plants which help boost circulation, improve tissue laxity, and just so happen to smell calming and amazing with its zesty botanical scent that smells calming yet uplifting and bright.
I actually have this lotion and it’s my favorite for dry skin (especially when paired with a body gua sha, which Yina also sells in its online store). Its first ingredient (and therefore most plentiful) is nourishing shea butter, which leaves even the driest skin more smooth and silky.
An Elegant Mediterranean Cooking Set
Amateur chefs and seasoned pros alike will rejoice to receive this amazing cooking set from Petat. Included is the Ikaria Cookbook by Tessa Kiros, which is full of flavorful and comforting Greek dishes. You’ll also find a premium olive oil packaged in a gorgeous minimalist bottle (perfect for showing off on the counter), a set of rock salt plus a grater for the salt (yep, salt can be grated), a set of recipe books, and a lemon mint candle which is pretty much the scent of a clean kitchen.
If they’re not really into cooking, Petat has other sentimental gifts for grandparents like a wine and cheese set or you could build your own gift of things you know they’ll love.
Colorful Bento Box Lunch Carrier
For the grandparent who loves picnics, or who brings their lunch to the office (or to your house to babysit) a colorful bento box lunchbox is a thoughtful and useful gift. Not only do these bamboo fiber lunch boxes come in great colors, they’re also suitable for hot or cold food, dishwasher-safe (skip the microwave though), and the top pops off to double as a plate. There’s a removable divider inside and this style helps to cut down on plastic bag waste.
If you’re not sure that they’ll use a lunch box, the Ekobo brand has other great products including pretty food storage containers.
A Bottle Of Wine
A bottle of wine is always a safe choice for grandparents who like to unwind with their favorite vino. This Chardonnay is from Maison Noir, an Oregon-based winery. Per the company’s website, this wine benefits from ”a very long and cold fermentation - almost two months - resulting in a lean and mean wine with perfume of honeydew melon and pear surfing huge waves of minerals, bringing a nice tide of racy starfruit to the finish.’
You may not immediately think that a wine that takes cues from the punk, hip-hop, and skateboard apparel of the ‘90s would be a hit with grandparents, but this crisp wine speaks for itself and will be loved by anyone who tastes it.
The Comfiest Pants For Lounging
These are the pants for a grandparent who takes lounging seriously. Described as “inactive wear” this soft pants have a gently tapered leg without being tight or cuffed at the ankle. They’re made of a modal cotton with a bit of spandex for a soft stretch, plus they have pockets. I have these pants, and I can attest that they’re truly so comfortable; they’re light but still warm with an elastic waist that stays put. As one reviewer said, “Thank God I bought two pairs so I can wear one while I wash the other.”
These come in a ton of different colors too.
A Personalized Family Print
The best artwork is personalized artwork. With Shelly Klein's custom prints, you can "choose skin tones, hair, and clothing color to create a lovely lineup, then customize with your family name and the year you were established as a quirky clan." This custom gift for grandparents will remind them of how loved they are everytime they look at it; plus it’ll give them an excuse to talk about their grandkids when visitors comment on the image (as if they need an excuse). Pricing starts at $85 for an unframed print featuring up to four images, and goes up to $185 for a framed print with up to 12 images (so you can fit the whole crew in).
Food For When The Kids Come Over
Most grandparents look forward to their grandkids coming over, but they may not be psyched to have to figure out what to feed them (and then keep an eye on the kids while cooking). A gift certificate to Little Spoon means grandma and grandpa can keep food kids will love in the freezer, and when it’s time to eat they’ll just pop it in the microwave. Each meal is just $5 and is made without artificial sugar or preservatives, plus there’s hidden veggies inside. The meals are so good (I’m a fan of the tortellini) grandma and grandpa may want to have one of these for a quick lunch even when the kids aren’t around.
A Custom Gift For Grandparents
A custom notebook always feels so special and indulgent, even if it doesn’t break the bank. This beautiful book comes from Papier and you can choose from several different colorblock options from muted to bright. You can also choose hard or softcover (soft is $20.99), and you can also choose between lined, blank, or bulleted paper (bullets are great if they always seem to be making lists).
You could get creative or silly with the customization too; instead of their name you could write something fun like “World’s Best Grandmother” or whatever makes the most sense for the grandparents in your life.
A Useful Christmas Gift For Grandparents
Aches and pains are bound to happen, (especially when grandparents are picking up heavy toddlers). This massage gun helps to relieve pain, soreness, or any weirdness that comes from looking at the phone, sleeping in a different position, or lifting something heavy. Massage guns can be pricey, but this one is on the more affordable side, and the brand also makes a mini massage gun for $79.99 (all their products are on Amazon).
It comes with six removable heads of different shapes, plus it’s quiet and not too heavy. One reviewer said, “This massage gun has a little weight to it but not too heavy, just just enough weight so that you can glide it across your muscles without needing to press it down.”
A Special Scrabble Set
Here’s a great gift for the grandparent who takes their Scrabble game (or Words With Friends) seriously. This gorgeous board is made using a linen texture with raised-letter grid and a maple wood cabinet drawer for storing the gorgeous painted wood tiles. It’s for ages 8 and up, so grandma or grandpa can play with their grandchildren. This keepsake Christmas gift will get handed down from generation to generation, plus it’ll make for plenty of fun family game nights, and it looks beautiful on display even when it’s not in use. The MoMA design store has tons of unique gifts for everyone on your list.
A Custom Gift For Grandparents
How sweet is this customizable sign? And there’s space and options for every grandkid, whether your family is small with just one grandchild, or large (you can add up to 20 names) plus you can always add on more rows when more grandchildren are born. Make sure you use an extra-strength command hook when hanging this sign if there are several grandchildren to list.
This sign is made of real wood, and you can pick from several stains like red mahogany, classic gray, or golden oak. With over 5000 reviews, this has five stars on Etsy, and one reviewer put it perfectly, “Beautifully made. No sharp edges and you can still smell the fresh stain. Received in a very timely manner. Only took two weeks and they quoted me three. Love that you can purchase additional name plates for future grandkids; the hardware is even already there for a new one! Thank you so much. My mother in-law is going to love it, and my sister in-law will be jealous she didn't think of this first!”
A Digital Picture Frame
Having a digital frame means you can finally display all the photographs you’ve taken with your phone. The “Family Share” feature lets you send photos directly from your frame to a grandparent’s frame, so it stays updated with the most recent pictures. It works with Android or iOS devices, and needs a WiFi connection (so you may want to help them set it up, or risk getting a bunch of phone calls from your parents). You’ll also have the option to shuffle photos or have them appear chronologically.
One reviewer said, “I got this as a Father’s Day present for both my husband and my father and we all love it. My parents love to see pics of the grandkids they are missing (especially during this pandemic) and appreciate it when I add more photos. My brothers can add their own pics too
Whether they’re across the country or your kids are lucky enough to have grandparents nearby, these holiday gifts for grandma and grandpa will show how much you appreciate them.
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