For a creative holiday gift theme, these 12 days of Christmas gift ideas are festive & unique.
I just love themed gifts for Christmas. They’re not only fun to give, they’re also exciting to put together thanks to the amount of creativity required.
So when I heard a friend talk about the 12 Days of Christmas gift theme, I was all over it!
How Does the 12 Days of Christmas Gift Giving Work?
It’s a unique gift giving tradition where you pick out (or make) 12 gifts that match each theme of the 12 days of Christmas (referring to the classic Christmas carol).
Some people give all dozen gifts on the big day itself (or as part of a Christmas Eve Box), while others take a more traditional approach and give one gift daily for twelve days.
I prefer the latter as it spreads the gift-giving out even longer, and who doesn’t love that?
I can hear some of you now…
How in the world am I going to come up with 12 gifts for one person?!
Don’t worry. I’ve got you covered! I’ve broken down each of the days and provided on-theme gift ideas that you can either buy or DIY.
All the gift ideas included below can be found on Amazon, Etsy, or even at your local store.
And here we begin…..
On the First Day of Christmas – A Partridge in a Pear Tree
The first day of Christmas is represented by a partridge in a pear tree. This opens up a lot of great gift ideas suitable for the entire family.
Anything dealing with fruits or even trees would work.
Gift Ideas
A bottle of sparkling pear cider
A partridge in a pear tree ornament
Homemade Gift Ideas
On the Second Day of Christmas – Two Turtledoves
When it comes to choosing each gift, don’t get too wrapped up in the wordage and with being exact.
You can take any part of the word and play around with it. For example, a nice plate of turtle candy is probably better than giving an actual turtledove.
Also, consider brand names and use those to your advantage. For example, the bath care company, Dove, can be used for the turtledove theme.
Gift Ideas
Homemade Gift Ideas
- DIY Dove painting (just swap out the pink ribbon for a red and green one!)
- Dove dark chocolate jar (this tutorial is for Mother’s Day, but it can easily be customized for Christmas with these printable gift tags)
On the Third Day of Christmas – Three French Hens
Cooking three french hens sounds like a lovely (and delicious) way to spend a family holiday.
If you can’t actually deliver fully cooked hens, go for the “French” aspect of this theme. Think French’s mustard, a gift certificate for a French manicure, that sort of thing.
Gift Ideas
The Little Red Hen classic book
Homemade Gift Ideas
On the Fourth Day of Christmas – Four Calling Birds
You can go many directions here. You can focus mostly on the bird aspect of this song verse.
Or you can try to play off the “calling” portion and find a way to tie your gift to something dealing with communication. For example, if your loved one has family overseas, you can give four calling cards!
Either way, have fun with it!
Gift Ideas
Homemade Gift Ideas
On the Fifth Day of Christmas – Five Golden Rings
This is a pretty easy gift if you’re doing the 12 days of Christmas for a significant other. In that case, some elegant golden earrings (or rings for men) are a great choice that don’t require a ton of thought or planning.
If you’re gifting to a sibling or friend, try to play off the word “ring” in non-jewelry ways like a Lord of the Rings book, and other witty ideas along those lines.
Gift Ideas
Homemade Gift Ideas
On the Sixth Day of Christmas – Six Geese a Laying
For this gift, think of anything you can that deals with either geese or eggs. There are many options here to choose from, but our favorite is something homemade and delicious.
Think of a creamy egg casserole or a pitcher of everyone’s favorite seasonal classic: eggnog.
Gift Ideas
Homemade Gift Ideas
- Spiced eggnog
- Creamy breakfast egg casserole
- Goose decoy (if you’re gifting to a hunter)
On the Seventh Day of Christmas – Seven Swans a Swimming
Swans are elegant birds that make you think of peace, beauty, and grace. Theme your gift around these ideals, and it’s sure to be appreciated.
Think of luxury-type products that they wouldn’t think to buy themselves like spa goodies or a good novel to relax and unwind with.
Gift Ideas
Homemade Gift Ideas
On the Eighth Day of Christmas – Eight Maids a Milking
There are a lot of cool ideas here. You can play off the word “milk.” Maybe a nice oatmeal milk bath that you make from scratch or even a nice platter of cookies with a tall glass of cold milk?
Gift Ideas
Homemade Gift Ideas
On the Ninth Day of Christmas – Nine Ladies Dancing
The holidays have long involved music and dancing. To honor this verse of the 12 Days of Christmas song, you have a lot of “wiggle” room (pun intended!)
Music and dancing are both broad and diverse categories, making it easy to find something for everyone.
Think of a speaker system if you want to go all out and splurge or maybe a curated playlist as a budget-friendly option.
Gift Ideas
Ballerina dancers zippered pouch
Homemade Gift Ideas
- Ballet shoe bookmark
- A curated playlist on Spotify or another app
- Clothespin ballerina ornament
- Tickets to a musical or local theatre performance
On the Tenth Day of Christmas – Ten Lords a Leaping
When we think of lords a leaping, we think of jumping and exuberant movement. We think of people making merry and having a jolly ol’ time.
You can incorporate some of those themes into your gift, or focus on the “lord” part and go the royalty/princess route (perfect for little girls).
Gift Ideas
A gift certificate to a local trampoline park
10 lords leaping Christmas ornament
LeapFrog learning system (if you’re gifting an early learner!)
Homemade Gift Ideas
On the Eleventh Day of Christmas – Eleven Pipers Piping
Though piping typically refers to playing music on a flute, rhythm and movement isn’t the only place you can go here: you can also think of piping like a frosting pipe.
With either music, pipes, or baking as themes, there’s a lot to choose from.
Gift Ideas
Christmas kettle (piping hot…get it?)
Homemade Gift Ideas
On the Twelfth Day of Christmas – Twelve Drummers Drumming
If you really want to make a big impression, go out with a drumming bang for this last gift.
This could be anything from some cute mini finger drums to keep on their desk to a full-sized drum set for an adult or a child-sized one for your favorite little person.
Think music, rhythm, movement and holiday joy!
Gift Ideas
12 drummers ornament (penguins!)
Homemade Gift Ideas
How to Customize the 12 Days of Christmas Ideas
The idea behind 12 days of Christmas presents can easily be customized for any member of your family (or friends).
Just keep the person in mind when listening to the song and use the list of ideas below as a jumping off point!
Ideas for the Whole Family
My favorite suggestion is ornaments. Whether you make them yourself or choose a beautiful set online, it’s something the recipients can keep and cherish for years.
They make great gifts for uncles, aunts, parents, and grandparents.
Placing one on the tree for each of the 12 days can start a new tradition that will be remembered with fondness decades later.
Ideas for Secret Santa
If you’re playing Secret Santa for a family gathering or with your coworkers, it’s probably best to keep the gifts small and simple.
A good option is a 12 days of Christmas countdown calendar. Many of these are similar to advent calendars and have a little treat to open each day.
Choose one with candy, coffee, or tea for a real hit.
Ideas for Work (Employees or Coworkers)
Just like with Secret Santa, it’s probably best to keep gifts for work small. For coworkers, I like to tie each of the 12 days to a food item.
Maybe a can of sliced pears for the first day of Christmas, for example.
Put all the treats together in a cute gift basket, and just like that, you have the perfect gift!
Romantic Ideas for Husband or Wife
You can really go all out for the 12 days of Christmas if you’re buying for your spouse. Real jewelry can be bought for example, or you can stuff a gift basket with things to do together as a couple.
If you want to get really creative but funds are tight, consider a coupon booklet based on the 12 days!
Don’t want to DIY but still need to stick to a budget? Try these under $10 gifts for her and him.
Ideas For Kids and Teenagers
Christmas is more magical when you have children to buy for. Many of the gifts listed above would be great for family presents, but if you want something a bit more streamlined, consider tying picture books to the gift prompts.
This way your kids can unwrap a new book each day and make memories with you as you snuggle up and read together.
Ideas for Couples
Buying gifts for a couple can be tricky, especially if you really only know one of them.
A good way to get around this problem is by purchasing more general gifts that they can use together.
For instance, you could buy a movie for each of the 12 days and include a note with date night ideas for each movie!
Well, that wraps it up! I hope you consider hopping on the 12 Days of Christmas gift train this year.
Do you have any other ideas that go with each day’s theme? Share them in the comments below!
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