For minimalists, it can be said that the best present is presence. There’s no better way to show minimalists you care than to spend quality time with them. Take them to the movies, to dinner, go camping, skiing, backpacking or hiking together. Just spending time with them is worth more to them than any gift you could give them.

If you’re looking for a more practical and useful way to gift them your time you can consider ways to help save them time or money. Since minimalists are all about simple living and being able to spend more time and energy doing the things they love instead of being tied down to daily chores or obligations, there are many ways you can help free themselves from some of the things on their to-do list. You could offer to babysit their kids, dog sit so they can get away for a while, or cook dinner for them, just to name a few.

2. Gift them a meaningful experience.

Minimalists would much rather accept an experience than actual “stuff”. Experiences to minimalists replenish their souls from the daily depletion of energy from day-to-day activities. Experiences can be big or small. The whole idea is that you’re giving them a chance to get away from the daily grind by giving them a way to unwind, refuel, let their mind wander, relax, or just let go. Gift experiences can be as simple as buying them a massage, tickets to a special event or concert, or something bigger like a weekend getaway, cooking or art classes, or a winter pass to a ski resort.

You can even consider digital subscriptions or purchases that don’t amount to shelves and shelves of physical things. Ebooks, audiobooks, Hulu or Netflix subscriptions and Amazon gift ecards are great minimalist gift ideas… anything to reduce the clutter of physical books, DVDs, and CDs.

3. Give them something consumable.

If you really want to get something tangible for a minimalist, some of the best gifts are perishable ones that can be consumed. The great thing about this kind of gift is that you won’t feel guilty about getting them something physical that they can unwrap because they can consume it then dispose of it afterwards. These gifts won’t collect dust, they won’t get thrown in the back of the closet or in the attic, and they won’t end up in a yard sale either. Some ideas for thoughtful consumable gifts include: their favorite wine, chocolate, coffee, or tea.

We happen to be partial to Schmidts Fudge Haus (local to our neighborhood in Columbus, OH) and Gorant Chocolatier (local to Ohio) if you need some help deciding.

Thoughtful Gifts for Designers & Creatives

We can’t help but give a few gift ideas for those designers and creatives in your life. As creatives ourselves, we know how fussy we can get when it comes to gifts. Let’s be honest, creatives and designers usually have everything they want, and if they don’t, the things they do want are so obscure you’ll never find them. So here’s a few ideas that you can’t go wrong with.

1. Moleskin Notebook

Most designers have a notebook they carry around to sketch ideas, write notes, project ideas, and even to-do lists in. In our jobsite meetings or meetings with clients we usually have a moleskin notebook and a good pen with us. You really can’t go wrong with them. They’re the most popular line of sketchbooks and notebooks for creatives and come in a variety of sizes and colors to choose from.

2. Uniquely Creative Etsy Goods

When it comes to gift ideas, we love Etsy. Etsy is a marketplace for creatives, designers, and makers to sell unique, handmade items and vintage goods that you won’t find anywhere else. We’ve found some very obscure items on here and even have connected with other artists and makers who have helped with some of our random art projects. If you can’t decide on something specific to get your creative friends or family members you can always get them an Etsy gift card and let them pick something out for themselves.

3. Donate to a Charity

Many social ‘do-gooders’ are passionate about service and giving. Some would much rather you give to a cause than buy them a gift. For people like this, it’s nice to consider donating to a charity they support. Think about what types of things or causes they are passionate about and donate on their behalf. Are they passionate about animals? Donate to the ASPCA. Do they support the Red Cross or Make a Wish Foundation? Do they regularly volunteer with a specific organization that you could donate to or even volunteer with them?

If you’re looking for other good charities to donate to, consider our personal favorites:

Habitat for Humanity – Donations fund affordable housing projects across the U.S. and around the world to help provide people in need with a decent place to live.

Charity: Water – 100% of donations directly fund clean water projects.

Pencils of Promise – 100% of donations go directly toward building schools and educating more children.

The charities we are most passionate about supporting are those that donate at least 90% of their funds to actual projects or causes and ones that improve the living conditions of inhabitants around the world. For help in figuring out how to give smartly check out Charity Navigator. It’s a great resource that provides objective ratings of thousands of charities to help you find ones you can trust and support.

A Special Thoughtful Gift for the Little Ones

Little Moon & Big Mo by Padalecki Studio

And finally, we’re super excited to share a children’s story with you and your little ones!

Images courtesy Padelecki Studio.

Our dear friend, Megan Padalecki, has stepped outside of the traditional role of architect and into the world of self-published author and illustrator of children’s stories.

Drawing parallels of the architectural design process, Megan’s writing and illustrative process follows a similar sequence. From idea conception, to pre-design exploration and research, to story and drawing development, and finally refinement before the stories debut in their published form is not unlike creating architecture to her.

Her storytelling creatively intertwines education with curiosity, discovery, and exploration while her remarkable illustrations draw the reader deeper into the stories by making meaningful connections with the characters and the spaces they inhabit. But it doesn’t stop there! She masterfully laces her stories with an underlying “big picture” theme relatable to our lives on this planet, which is another reason we love them so much.

Megan has just published 3 books. Her debut story, Big Mo, follows the sensational journey of a pet iguana as he grows too large for his home and threatens his natural environment. AND it won the 2016 National Indie Excellence Award for Best Picture Book! Little Moon follows the odyssey of a newborn squid as she searches for a sense of belonging in a seemingly endless sea. Sudan peers into the diverse world of the African savanna and follows a rhinoceros named Sudan, inspired by the beloved Kenyan rhinoceros who was the last male of his kind.

We know your children will love these stories. The story writing, illustrations, and message are superb. Pick up your copies today over at Amazon.

To learn more about Megan, her books, design process, and other artistic projects check out Padalecki Studio.

Disclaimer: Please note that a few of the links above are affiliate links.