25 Christmas Gift Ideas You Need

I have 25 Christmas gift ideas you may want to consider. My family tends to give things that are needed by each family member whether it’s Christmas or not. We’ve had college students away at school, newly married couples, and little grandkids. We have 17 grandchildren, so imagine how fun Christmas is; yes, it may be a little loud when we all get together.

This year, we have two great-granddaughters to add to the list, but they live in different states, so we won’t see everyone we would love to see.

Christmas seems to be approaching fast this year, and I must admit I love Christmas music. I don’t shop in person much these days; buying online seems more manageable. We buy very few gifts, but I used to love hearing Christmas songs in the stores. It’s a joyful time of year; I don’t need gifts to be happy. I love hearing about your traditions and the memories you have made, so please share them.

Make Sure Your Great Gifts Are High Quality and Qualify as Thoughtful Gifts

Not every family member lives in the same state, so we don’t often get to have the holidays with everyone. Plus, some kids have their in-laws to trade off each year. We get it, and we’re thankful when we have even a few we can get together with; it’s truly a blessing. As family members exchange gifts, they try to find the ideal gift that will truly fill a need and be appreciated when folks return home.

This year will be different because of the state of affairs in our country, including the high price of gas if traveling by car, the cost of an airline ticket, the price of food, and so much more. This year, I highly recommend getting emergency preparedness and cooking items that qualify as the best Christmas gifts. I many homes, these would be considered uncommon goods as gifts. As a family that’s been involved in prepping for decades, they seem like the logical approach to gift-giving.

I know many of you already do that, and I commend you. I’m sure some of you think these are unique gift ideas, but I’m always thinking of ways to get my readers to consider practical and helpful things, whether useful or unique Christmas gifts.

Please don’t go into debt for gifts or anything else right now. I hope I’m wrong, but I believe things will get more expensive in the short term before things get better.

Kitchen Prep

Have you ever been in someone’s kitchen helping prepare a meal and needed a measuring cup? You open the drawer and can’t read the measurement size numbers on them? This happened when I visited my daughter, actually a few of my daughter’s homes.

It’s nice to replace old, unreadable items with others that make their lives easier. Doing so brings much joy to you and them when they open the Christmas present. You aren’t doing so to try and maintain a certain lifestyle. You’re simply doing the gift-giving to make daily chores, especially in the kitchen, much easier.

Most have been married for over 20 years and haven’t replaced the cracked Tupperware containers. They used to replace them if cracked or broken as their kids were growing up since they needed the reliability of the best products they could afford.

Maybe they need encouragement to keep their kitchens well-stocked and ready to go. I just heard they are going to start selling that brand at Target! Even though Tupperware seems pretty expensive compared to other brands, it lasts for years.

Let’s discuss some things that qualify as perfect useful gifts and not just gadgets when shopping for loved ones or that special best friend on your gift list.

25 Christmas Gift Ideas

The name for my website, www.foodstoragemoms.com, was chosen so I could attract and help people who were interested in learning about being prepared for emergencies of all kinds. Of course, food storage is a vital part of being adequately prepared, but you also need water, unique cooking devices, items for your kitchen, products to keep you warm if the power is out, and so much more.

If you’re a loyal reader, you have heard about and possibly purchased some of the items listed below. Still, this list of recommendations might prompt you to reconsider what constitutes the best Christmas gift ideas as you plan your holiday shopping.

Treat this post as a “Holiday Gift Guide” and go forward with the best gifts a mom, dad, friend, or coworker can buy for those they care about this holiday season.

1. Water Containers

I’ve stressed for years that water is essential. A rule of thumb is that you can survive only about three days without it. The most important consideration is having clean water to drink and staying hydrated.

You also need water to cook, do laundry, and maintain proper personal hygiene. Water storage presents issues regarding space available and the cost of buying a container. Those folks with small space available for food and water storage have a unique challenge. You can refer to my archive above to get great suggestions for storing water no matter your living situation.

I have some large storage tanks, but smaller containers probably make more sense for holiday gift-giving. Below are some links to some products I have and highly recommend. They are inexpensive, stacked, easy to use, and can be moved from place to place. Great gifts don’t need to be expensive, but should be thought out to best fit a particular need.

They won’t do much for the gift recipient regarding taking a shower in an emergency but can provide water to stay alive until help comes or the emergency is over.

WaterBricks and WaterBricks Spigot

Saratoga Farms 5-gallon Stackable

Blue Cans Brownells is the cheapest place to buy 50-year shelf life Blue Can Drinkable Water. You buy a case of 24 cans for every family member. I would suggest you tell them it’s for emergencies only, but you can sleep at night knowing they have some cases of water in their homes. Update: they are out of stock now; get on their waiting list.

2. Water Preserver

Storing water for extended periods requires you to consider the quality of that water when it comes time to use it. A standard for some families is to use unscented bleach to treat their stored water and make it fit for consumption.

The challenge with bleach is that it is only good for about six months, so the stored water has to be dumped and replaced. The product in the link below is good for water treatment and lasts five years. Boy, what a difference!

Water Preserver

Yes, it’s good for 5 years, so you don’t have to rotate it as often as other products. You can treat small or huge containers; follow the directions on the bottle. If you decide to use unscented bleach, as mentioned, you’ll want to rotate the water every 6 months, which is much too often for me.

3. Water Filters

You may find yourself in a situation where, for some reason, your stored water has gone bad, or, more likely, the water source has become contaminated. It’s sad, but we hear about municipal water systems that have experienced a breach or whose pumps don’t work when the power is out. You’re then forced to find a backup water source like a pond, stream, lake, rainwater, etc.

Being put in that situation means you’ll need to filter your water, if even for just a few days. There are some larger-volume solutions for water filtration, but the links below are for products that have a fairly low price point. They have been used and tested for years, and I highly recommend them as a good Christmas gift.

It will comfort you that this substitutes for tech gifts for teens who may hike, family members off to college, or family members stuck bugging in during an emergency.

Berkey Sports Bottle

Sawyer Water Filter Bottle

Emergency Fire Blanket 

4. Food

As of today, I struggle to recommend #10 cans of freeze-dried food. Food, in general, is expensive right now, and long-term storage food is also costly. I’m glad I started purchasing Thrive Life #10 cans many years ago, but I couldn’t afford the prices being charged today.

Luckily, they sell pantry-size cans, which are a little cheaper and a good size for Mark and me. Just so you know, if you sign up for a monthly delivery service, you get the food at a more affordable price point.

If you’re starting, I recommend canned goods. Yes, they have a shorter shelf life, but they’re food your family may need after a disaster or unforeseen emergency. Check out some of my posts below for a nice list of canned food ideas that make sense as a gift set if you buy multiple items. They’re a nice list of things you should consider for your food storage needs.

• 11 Canned Meat Ideas I Recommend
• Canned Foods I Highly Recommend You Store
• 11 Cans Of Fruit I Recommend
• 15 Canned Vegetables I Highly Recommend

5. Food Storage Containers

Food storage containers come in all shapes and sizes and aren’t “one size fits all.” I wrote a post a while ago discussing the various ramifications of proper food storage and the types to be considered. One thing is sure: they must be BPA-free in a plastic container so the plastic chemicals don’t seep into your food. Click the link below to read all about it.

In case you missed this post, Food Storage Containers I Recommend

6. Canning Supplies

The best places to get canning supplies are Walmart or Amish stores. If you have access to Farmer’s Markets or can grow your own food, be ready to preserve it by freezing, dehydrating, or canning it.

I can highly recommend the Ball Canning Book or the USDA Canning Guides. Please follow their instructions to have a safe canning experience since other canning guides may mislead you regarding what’s safe to can. Having a family garden can be fun, educational, and rewarding. Watch your food “backup plan” take shape as you look forward to a good harvest and the following canning steps. To learn about gardening, check out my archive for some accurate, in-depth information.

7. 5-gallon Storage Buckets with Gamma Lids

I realize a lot of people use Mylar bags; I highly recommend putting those bags inside 5-gallon buckets or any heavy-duty BPA buckets. I found these on Amazon. They are sturdy, and the lids go on quickly. Hudson 5-gallon Buckets with Gamma Lids

Like so many things these days, the cost of buckets has gone up, yet they are great for storage and last a long time. I like using gamma lids since they go on easily, help protect the food product, and are pretty sturdy.

8. Bread Pans

These are my favorite bread pans; they make a one-pound loaf. We must teach our family to make bread, biscuits, and tortillas. Fat Daddio Bread Pans. Making bread is a skill we all should know. I have taught classes and try to prompt families everywhere through my posts to learn how. Again, check out my archive and learn how you can learn how to make no-fail bread every time. I made three loaves of homemade bread today in my new natural gas stove. Mark and I will be making different sandwiches, toast, and other meals with this delicious bread!

9. Measuring Cups and Spoons

These are my favorite Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons. I mentioned in my intro above that it’s frustrating to have measuring cups where you can’t read the size. If you don’t know what someone wants, consider getting them a gift card with a note suggesting they upgrade their measuring tools during December, for a birthday, or any time they want their kitchen to move up a notch.

10. Mixing Bowls

If you have several glass or stainless steel mixing bowls, you can make bread in the large one or squeeze lemons in the small ones. Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls

11. Saucepans

My most used saucepans would have to be a 4-quart Saucepan, a 6-quart Saucepan, and an 8-quart Saucepan.

12. Dutch Oven

I prefer the 6-quart Dutch oven because the weight is about all I can handle. 6-Quart Lodge Dutch Oven. In case you missed my Dutch Oven Template for Temperatures, here it is again. Dutch Oven Temperature Guide

13. Cast Iron Pans

The food tastes better in cast iron pans, am I right? You can find gently used cast iron pans at garage sales and thrift stores. You can start collecting a few here and there. Before you know it, you’ll have all the desired sizes. Cast Iron Pans and Pizza Cast Iron Pan

14. Can Openers

My motto is “one is one, and two is one”. Please have more than one can opener; it’s a backup for when the first one breaks. We should all have a small can opener and larger can opener for #10 cans. Small Can Opener and Larger Can Opener.

I love my electric can opener. I’ll use it when we have power, which right now is every day. Electric Can Opener

15. Rolling Pin/Biscuit Cutter

Rolling pins are needed in every kitchen to make bread, biscuits, tortillas, and cookies, to name a few. Biscuit cutters can also be used for biscuits or cookies. Rolling Pin and Biscuit Cutters. You can fill the belly if you know how to make biscuits.

16. Flashlights/Batteries/Radios with NOAA

Please be prepared for blackouts. There will be some, for sure. I hope they are short-lived, but no one knows how long they will last. Having solar flashlights is a great approach. We have a bunch on our window sills, so they stay charged.

Smaller Olight Flashlights and Larger Olight Flashlights

NOAA Emergency Radio

Having an emergency radio with a solar panel, crank handle, or batteries is a wonderful gift.

Bushnell Lantern/Flashlight

17. Solar Flashlights/Lanterns

Please stock some of these and place them in your sun-facing windows; you’ll always have a light source.

Small Goal Zero Solar Lanterns

Solar Flashlights

18. Wool Socks/Gloves

Please be prepared with good socks if you’re a hunter, camper, or go hiking. We need to protect our feet and hands. Look for some suitable solid gloves. You can never have too many

Men’s Merino Wool Socks

Women’s Merino Wool Socks

19. Sewing Supplies

I love to sew and wish the schools still taught Home Economics. It’s a skill everyone needs. Please take sewing lessons if you can, you will never regret it.

Singer Sewing Kit

20. OTC Medications

I’m very worried about our supply chain right now. I recently heard that Amoxicillin is hard to get. What’s next? We need some items in our home to help our families get through the common illnesses this year. Please stock up now. If you see what you need, buy it. Always check the dates on all over-the-counter medications.

I’ve started buying smaller containers even though they may be a bit more expensive per pill (for instance). If I never use the bottle and it’s expired, I’ll save money in the long run. Please remember to rotate, toss, and replenish those items your family uses regularly.

In case you missed this post, 35 OTC Medications You Should Store. This post has a FREE printable list for you to check off what you need.

21. Propane Tanks Filled

When in doubt, get your tanks filled. Please check them, and don’t get caught without any propane. Yes, the tanks have been in short supply, and propane was scarce a few years ago.

Propane Tanks

22. Charcoal

Please stock some charcoal. It may still be on clearance. Place the charcoal without chemicals to light in airtight containers. They will last indefinitely.

Kingsford Charcoal

23. Butane Stove/Kelly Kettle

If you missed this post, you need to see how it works. How To Use A Kelly Kettle

Butane Stove with Extra Canisters of Fuel

Kelly Kettle

24. Pocket Knives/Ammo/Tools for Protection

You know what you need, and I feel confident you can protect yourself.

Smith & Wesson Extreme

25. Family Recipes

If you missed my post on family recipes, How to Organize Your Favorite Recipes,

Please ask your friends and family members for their recipes now if your parents and grandparents are still alive. We all realize that most recipes are memories we share with loved ones. Try to get them to write down or somehow share their recipes? We all want their recipes or at least the ones we enjoyed eating the most! LOL!

Final Word

I hope you enjoyed my post on 25 Christmas gift ideas. It worries me how high prices are going up on everything. I doubt they will go down anytime soon, so please stock up on what you can. Please teach your kids and grandkids to cook from scratch; one lesson a week or a month will work. May God Bless this world, Linda

Copyright Images: Christmas and New Year AdobeStock_297120401 by Di Studio