20 Gifts to Include for the Perfect Christmas Gift Basket

Want to encourage your on-good-terms-ex to put their passion into a new pursuit? A Christmas gift filled with creative supplies — like his handmade Canadian pine watercolour palette (which is made by an Indigenous female business) — is a beautiful, platonic way to show you care.

Beam Paints O’Keefe Watercolour Palette, $45 at Indigo.

Is your step-sister the most stylish — and more forgetful — person you know? Make her holiday merry while helping her keep safe when she’s out and about with a gift basket filled with fashion-forward safety essentials like a comfy face mask and a pretty little chain lanyard that she can attach said face mask to.

Chain Lanyard, $14 at Amazon.ca.

This has been the year that many of us decided to adopt a furry friend, which means that it’s the first Christmas and winter for many new pup parents. For your neighbour who’s also the proud new guardian of a rescue dog, build a basket of gifts they might not have thought of — like a leash that lights up for safety on those pre-dawn walks.

LED Dog Leash, $34 at Amazon.ca.

Has your roommate been binge-watching baking shows for months? Give them the tools to bake up their own sweet creations with a basket filled with fun (and functional) tools like this space-saving Roller Shaker, which works as an all-in-one rolling pin, flour shaker and pastry measure all in one. The bonus? You might even get to taste-test some of those yummy Christmas cookies.

Roller Shaker, $30 at Indigo.

If your bestie’s goal is to get strong and more active this year, give her a basket filled with tools to start building fitness into her daily routine. These one-pound resistance bangles look cool — and they add a touch of resistance to your BFF’s home workouts, walks or yoga practice.

Bala Bangles Resistance Weight Set, $65 at Indigo.

Remember when you were a kid, and your mom got you an advent calendar filled with chocolate — and how jazzed it made you feel? If you’re able, why not share that kindness with her, now that you’re all grown? Start the holiday season early for mom with a luxe gift basket filled with items for treating herself and relaxing in the days leading up to Christmas. This 12-day advent calendar is the perfect gift to set the tone, as it’s filled with wellness-themed items like essential diffuser oils, massage oil and a natural rose quartz crystal.

Auria 12 Gifts of Wellness Advent Calendar, $70 at Indigo.

Want to give your partner a pretty piece of jewelry, but know that they have nowhere to put it? Don’t let your gift get lost — pair it with this charming trio of animal-themed ring holders and win the holidays this year.

Umbra Anigram Animal Ring Holder 3-Pack, $20 at Amazon.ca

Been dating for a while, but you’re not sure how to tell them just how into them you are? A fun (and flirty) item like this candle is a playful touch to their Christmas basket: the candle burns seductive notes of pink grapefruit, white jasmine and Persian lime — and then reveals a message.

Light My Fire Hidden Message Mini Candle, $16 at Indigo.

If you’ve been admiring your co-worker’s newly bleached-to-icy-blonde-perfection locks via Zoom for a few weeks, packing them the perfect gift basket is going to be super easy. Bleached hair needs extra TLC to keep it from resembling yellow straw, so a deep-moisture mask and a purple-toned (aka brass-busting) conditioner are the perfect additions to a little basket of hair-care essentials this holiday season.

amika Mini Bust Your Brass Blonde Purple Conditioner, $16 at Sephora.

Shaking up a few fancy, festive cocktails is a fun holiday tradition for those that drink, so give your friend who just moved out into her first home a gift basket complete with a few essentials like a pretty stainless steel cocktail shaker.

OUBORUI 650ml Stainless Steel Cocktail Shaker, $39 at Amazon.ca

Have a friend who’s extra nervous about touching dirty or potentially contaminated surfaces? They might appreciate a few pretty no-touch tools in their Christmas basket, like these ergonomic keys that help you do thinks like press elevator buttons and open doors — without having to touch anything.

Copper & Zinc No-Touch Keys Set, $20 at Indigo

Did you partner just sign up for their very first creative writing class online? Celebrate all the words they’ll be taking in with special items like a notebook, beautiful pen and a gleaming monogram bookmark in a classic typeset (very poetic).

Indigo Paper Monogram Bookmark, $8 at Indigo.

If you’re making a cute Christmas basket for your sister’s new baby, why not throw in a picture book that will help start important conversations for all ages? This picture book by Ibram X. Kendi (and illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky) uses playful text and art to introduce the concept of antiracism.

Antiracist Baby Picture Book, $12 at Indigo.

Going zero-waste is a great goal, but it’s hard to give a gift basket to someone who is looking to cut down on things. The solution? A reusable storage basket filled with thoughtful items — like reusable beeswax food wraps — let you give a Christmas basket that will only cut down on waste for your friend in the future.

Abeego Beeswax Food Storage Wrap, $18 at Amazon.ca

Sending your boss some appreciation with gift basket filled with their fave coffee beans, but want it to feel a little cuter? This adorable hand-blown coffee cup ornament will earn you points with them when they see it glittering on their festive tree.

Glass To-Go Cup Ornament, $15 at Indigo.

Putting together a holiday gift basket for your cousin who just came out? Treat them to a few fun items that celebrate their announcement in a vibrant way. This sheer, tinted lip gloss is high-shine, luxe and comes in limited-edition packaging celebrating Pride 2020.

Marc Jacobs Beauty Enamored (With Pride) Hydrating Lip Gloss Stick - Limited Edition, $38 at Sephora.

Has your favourite colleague recently gone vegan? Show your support this Christmas season is with a collection of tools to make their vegan life easier, like a straining bag that lets them make their nut milk at home.

Nut Milk Bag, $13 at Amazon.ca

Miss your every-second-Sunday nail salon dates with your friend? Whip up a wow-worthy basket of salon-inspired little luxuries like this ultra-hydrating cuticle treatment oil, since you know how much they hate a ragged mani.

Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Oil Treatment, $26 at Sephora.

Teachers deal with kids’ messy, germy hands at the best of times, and even more this year. Show your kiddo’s teacher some appreciation with a Christmas basket with the finest of essentials — like this lightweight, beauty-forward mist hand sanitizer designed with hydrating oils.

Touchland Power Mist Hand Sanitizer, $18 at Indigo.

There’s no way around it: baby stuff is tiny, cute and adorable. It’s because baby things are so charming that we often forget about new moms. This Christmas, create a special self-care basket for your sister-in-law who just gave birth, and stock it up with goodies like this super-moisturizing sheet mask.

Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Sheet Mask, $16 at Sephora.