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Unique Gift Ideas


She has a walk-in closet full of every style of shoe imaginable. She owns every electronic gadget as soon as it comes out. And don’t even try to figure out which restaurants she’s frequenting this month. If this sounds familiar, you’re facing a classic case of The Friend Who Has Everything.

Or maybe you have someone on your holiday shopping list who is just too cool for the average gift.

Forget that emergency car kit and the pocket pool table set. Skip the hot chocolate gift set and the grill seasonings. Even gift cards just won’t cut it. The common just won’t work. You yourself are quirky, funny and yes, maybe even a little strange. Embrace it. And infuse your personality into your Christmas shopping list with unique gift ideas.

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The estimated average amount spent on Christmas shopping in 2014 was $720. A whopping 25 percent of shoppers planned to spend $1,000 or more. Almost as many — 24 percent — planned to keep Christmas affordable with a budget of $250 or less.

No matter where your Christmas budget lies this year, we’ve got plenty of gift suggestions for you. If you’re looking for gifts that aren’t normal, you’ve come to the right place. These weird gift ideas will have your friends and family wondering when you became the coolest person in their lives.

(Blank) of the Month Club

It may sound cheesy, but monthly clubs are the gifts that keep on giving. Each month the recipient gets something new based on the theme of the club. You can find a monthly club for almost anything: wine, cake, candles, coffee, flowers.

The club membership makes a unique gift for a friend while keeping their interests in mind. You can also use the monthly club membership as a way to expand a friend’s horizons. Your friend who only drinks white zinfandel can discover a whole new world of wines with a wine of the month club membership, for example. Or you may gift your mayo-loving friend a membership to the mustard of the month club to prove mayo is not the only tasty sandwich condiment.

Get This Gift For:

  • Your friend who always wants more — they’ll get something new each month instead of just one gift under the tree
  • Your crush — that monthly arrival reminds them of how thoughtful you are, and it’s not illegal like stalking
  • Anyone who is obsessed with anything

Tips for Success:

  • Pick the monthly club based on the interests of the recipient. You might think the Candy of the Month club sounds awesome, but your whole-food-eating personal trainer friend may not see the value of it. You don’t want to be responsible for them gaining 30 pounds and losing their job at the gym.
  • Decide how many months you want to gift the recipient. You could spring for the whole year, but many clubs also offer shorter terms, such as 3 or 6 months.

as-seen-on-tv-gift

A Toothpaste Tube Wringer or Other “As Seen on TV” Treasures

Need a weird gift for a friend who has everything? Go the “As Seen on TV” route and pick up a toothpaste tube wringer. Or maybe you want to go fancy with a suction cup-mounted toothpaste dispenser. Who doesn’t love freshly dispensed toothpaste with a simple touch?

The “As Seen on TV” fun doesn’t stop there. Make cleaning easy while keeping the recipient’s feet cozy with dust mop slippers. Get the EZCracker for those who struggle to crack eggs the old-fashioned way. And let’s not forget the Bump It for all those big-hair girls on your shopping list. When you think about it, there’s an “As Seen on TV” product for everyone on your shopping list.

Get This Gift For:

  • All the cheapskates on your list who will appreciate squeezing out the last drop of toothpaste
  • Your mate who can’t seem to figure out how to squeeze from the bottom of the toothpaste tube
  • Your Great Aunt Ida who loves a good “As Seen on TV” product
  • Anyone you want to prank with funny gifts

Tips for Success:

  • Make sure the recipient can take a joke. Not everyone will laugh when they unwrap dust mop slippers.
  • Grab several classic “As Seen on TV” gadgets to create a themed gift basket.

personalized-photo-gift

Personalized Photo Gifts … Featuring YOU!

Grandparents go ga-ga over personalized photo gifts displaying pictures of their grandbabies. But why isn’t anyone asking for a larger-than-life photo of your dazzling smile? They may not ask for it, but trust us, they’ll appreciate it.

The possibilities are almost endless when it comes to personalized photo gifts. Blankets, playing cards, posters, mugs, cloth bags, pillows and puzzles are just a few options.

Get This Gift For:

  • Your mom — she’s probably one of the few who will actually delight in your mug on a mug
  • Your long-distance girlfriend or boyfriend, so they can wrap themselves in a blanket plastered with your face and pretend they’re next to you
  • Your brother, to remind him you got all of the handsome genes in the family

Tips for Success:

  • Choose the photo based on the recipient. Go a little risqué for a photo pillow for your girlfriend. Just don’t mix it up with the phone case you order for your mom.
  • If you want to go sentimental instead of gag-gift, use a collage of photos with meaning that show the relationship between you and the recipient.
  • Use a photo with high resolution for the best results. You want your face crystal clear for all to enjoy every time they see the personalized photo gifts.

A Personal Math Theorem

Let’s face it: None of the friends in your circle are likely to discover a math theorem. But that doesn’t mean they can’t have one named after them. TheoryMine allows you to dedicate a math theorem to anyone on your shopping list, for a small fee, of course. Think of it as an updated version of naming a star after someone — which is still an option for those astronomy lovers on your list.

Get This Gift For:

  • Your high school math teacher
  • Your friend who had to retake Algebra 1 … three times — they’ll see the humor in the gift, we’re sure of it!
  • Your sister who loves to be the center of attention — why wouldn’t she go crazy over having something named after her?

Tips for Success:

  • Get creative when naming the theorem. Incorporate the recipient’s nickname or an inside joke when you create the name.
  • Realize that naming a star, theorem or similar things after a person is really just a symbolic gift with a cheesy certificate attached.

Futuristic Gadgets

She may have the newest iPhone version the day it comes out, but does she have a 3D printing pen or a laser project virtual keyboard? While not essentials, these futuristic tech gadgets give the recipient something to talk about. And these cool gifts for your friends make great party tricks. Just think of the fun 3D objects your pal can make with her 3D printing pen at her bachelorette party next year.

Get This Gift For:

  • The head of the IT department at work — it never hurts to butter up the IT staff with gifts, because then they may not roll their eyes so much the next time you mess up your network access
  • Your creative friend who is always doodling
  • Your friend who loves to have the latest gadget before everyone else
  • Your brother who dreams of owning a 3D printer but doesn’t have the budget for it

Tips for Success:

  • Consider compatibility. If your friend is a die-hard Apple user, get them a gadget that works with the brand.
  • Get a gadget that matches the recipient’s interests. If they hate drawing and haven’t even heard of 3D printing, the 3D printer pen is probably not a good gift match.

Bacon Anything

Fads come and go, but bacon is here to stay, folks. We can guarantee you have at least one bacon fanatic on your list. You’ll recognize them by their faint, lingering smell of pork flesh and a subtle greasy film every time you shake their hand.

Whether or not you share their affinity for pork, bacon-themed items are funny gifts that are right up their alley. Try bacon-flavored gum, bacon-flavored toothpaste or a scarf that looks like bacon. (We don’t recommend a scarf that tastes or smells like bacon, however.) If you want to go a little classier, give the gift of fancy bacon. We’re not talking Oscar Meyer bacon strips here. We’re talking gourmet, artisan-quality bacon from a specialty shop.

Get This Gift For:

  • Your bacon-loving bestie
  • Your friend from high school who works as a chef
  • Your uncle who owns a pig farm

Tips for Success:

  • Don’t mix up the vegans and the carnivores on your gift list. An assortment of artisanal bacon given to your vegan cousin could send shockwaves through your family’s Christmas celebration for years.
  • If you want to add in an experience, give tickets to a local bacon festival with the bacon-themed gifts.

Ugly Christmas Sweaters

It’s almost guaranteed you’ll get invited to at least one ugly sweater party each holiday season. Like bacon, this is another fad that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Help out the people on your Christmas shopping list by gifting them the coolest ugly sweater you can find. We’re talking hideous reindeer patterns, light-up designs, tacky Christmas sayings. The uglier the better. While you’re at it, throw in one of those knitted hats with the fake beard attachment or a pair of light-up reindeer antlers.

Get This Gift For:

  • Your college roommate who’s still down to party for any reason
  • Your grandma who thinks the ugly sweater is actually gorgeous
  • Your significant other so the two of you can win the Best Ugly Sweater contest at that annual ugly sweater party you attend

Tips for Success:

  • Stroll the aisles of local thrift shops to find authentic ugly sweaters from your mom’s day, or just rummage through her closet.
  • Check out retailers of quirky items to find brand new ugly sweaters designed with ugly sweater parties in mind.
  • Add your own touch of ugly to an old sweater by sewing or hot-gluing tacky Christmas decorations, such as battery-powered lights, tinsel, mistletoe or any Christmas ornaments from your childhood.

A Flask in a Tie or Other Cool Alcohol-Related Gear

Family gatherings. Office parties. Crowded malls. The holidays provide many reasons to drink. Why not make it easier by supplying everyone (21 and over, of course) on your guest list with some cool alcohol gear?

We’ve heard rumors about flask ties and flask scarves. The lucky recipient can impress grandma by wearing a tie to Christmas dinner. And she’ll never notice him sipping his favorite drink from the tie. Grandpa’s jokes will be funnier as the night wears on thanks to the flask tie.

For the hipster on your gift list, buy a mustache guard he can slip on to any glass. He no longer has to choose between enjoying his favorite craft beer and keeping his ‘stache clean and cool-looking.

Other alcohol-related gift ideas for cool friends include wine decanters in funky designs, wine glasses with cheesy sayings, and small-batch custom alcohol like moonshine.

Get This Gift For:

  • Yourself for that upcoming holiday celebration with your in-laws
  • Your mom so she can drink the stress away when she cooks Christmas dinner
  • All of your old fraternity brothers who still know how to drink
  • All the alcohol aficionados on your Christmas list

Tips for Success:

  • Carefully assess the alcohol tendencies of the intended recipient to find just the right alcohol-related gift. You don’t want to give the wine snob on your list a plastic beer helmet with a built-in straw.
  • Not sure what the recipient likes? Invite them out for a drink, and sit back while they order. Or just snoop through their basement bar the next time you’re at their house.
  • If you’re giving gear, add a bottle of the corresponding alcohol. Giving a set of quirky stemless wine glasses without a bottle of wine is just plain cruel.
  • Don’t make the mistake of giving alcohol to the teetotaler on your gift list. You could always try to convince them that filling a wine decanter with drinking water is the latest craze. But it’s better to avoid that awkward situation before it happens.

gift-for-pizza-lover

Authentic Stuffed Pizza from Chicago

No need to pack your bags or buy everyone on your gift list a plane ticket to Chicago. Instead, bring the taste of Chicago to you, no matter where you live. Giordano’s makes your pizza to order, freezes it, and ships it to your location where you can reheat it in your oven.

Get This Gift For:

  • Your friend who moved from Chicago and can’t stop talking about how great his hometown is
  • Your Cubs-obsessed boyfriend who wants to feel like he’s in Chi-Town taking in some baseball
  • Your baby brother who eats everything in sight
  • Your mom who loves to remind everyone about how hard she works slaving away over a hot stove for everyone
  • Your friend who is always broke and lives on ramen
  • That guy in the office who never stops talking — the pizza is sure to keep him quiet
  • Any foodie on your list
  • Anyone who loves pizza. That should be everyone on your shopping list. Don’t trust anyone who doesn’t love pizza.

Tips for Success:

  • Choose between cheese, sausage, pepperoni and spinach.
  • A 10-inch Giordano’s stuffed pizza serves one to two people. With two, four and six pizza options, your gift can serve anywhere from 1 to 12 people depending on how hungry they are.
  • Buy a two-pack, four-pack or six-pack and keep one — or five! — pizzas for yourself. After all, it was thanks to your savvy gift-giving that the recipient even has a Giordano’s stuffed pizza under the tree.
  • Order the heart-shaped Giordano’s pizzas to show the recipient your love.
  • Add Giordano’s swag to round out the gift: a cutting board set, bib, apron set and T-shirts are on the menu.

Unique Gifts for Unique People

Your holiday shopping list likely includes a wide variety of personalities and interests. Whether you’re looking for strange gifts, funny gifts for friends, or just something a little out of the ordinary, it’s fun to check out items that aren’t mainstream.

Mix and match gift items to create the ultimate holiday gift. Pair a Giordano’s pizza with any of our quirky gift suggestions to satisfy every friend’s hunger and quest for the weird, wacky and wonderful.