Buying for someone who has everything is hard because the usual answers are already on their shelves. The gifts that land are the ones they would never buy for themselves: something used up and enjoyed, something living, or one beautiful object that is clearly not from a high street shop. Here are twelve ideas from £3.50 to £76.80, with the reasoning behind each. Prices were correct when we published this guide, and each product page always shows the current price.
The short answer
Give something they will use up, something living, or something one of a kind. Crystal wax melts with real gemstone chips (£3.50 each) and candle sand (£12) get used and enjoyed; a glass terrarium (from £7.75) becomes a home for a plant; and a hand-blown glass piece on wood (from about £15) varies from one to the next, so theirs is genuinely their own.
1. Something they will use up
People who have everything rarely have too much of something consumable, and a gift that gets used never ends up in a cupboard.
Crystal wax melts, £3.50 each
Each 50g snap bar of crystal wax melt is set with real gemstone chips that appear as the wax melts, so there is a small keepsake left at the end. Three bars are £9.45 with the automatic 10% off. For a bold scent, try Obsidian Shield (Dragon's Blood); for something warm, Tigereye Strength (vanilla sandalwood).
Fragranced candle sand, £12
A 300g pouch of candle sand with four wicks turns a bowl they already own into a candle. It is the kind of thing almost nobody buys for themselves. It needs a stable, heat-resistant bowl at least 10cm across with at least 5cm of sand; see what to burn candle sand in.
A wax burner they will actually like, £6.95
If their burner is a fussy one, a smooth ceramic pebble wax burner in speckled off-white or matt black is a quiet upgrade.
2. Something living
A plant changes from week to week, so it never feels like clutter. Our terrariums are glass homes for an air plant, moss or a small succulent; plants are not included, so add one from a garden centre.
A geometric terrarium, from £12
The small diamond (£12), cube on corner (£16.95) and large pentagon (£19.95) all have clear glass panels in brass-finish frames and look like small sculptures with an air plant inside.
A terrarium on tung wood, from £7.75
The mini (£7.75), small (£10) and medium (£12) open glass globes on light tung wood suit a windowsill or desk. Our guide to the best plants for a terrarium will help you choose what goes in.
A statement terrarium, £45
The extra large ball top terrarium, about 23 x 23cm on dark tung wood with a wooden ball stopper, holds a whole moss landscape.
3. Something one of a kind
Each of our molten glass pieces is hand-blown and set on a piece of wood, so the glass and grain differ from one to the next. That makes them a good answer for the person who has seen everything in the shops.
A trinket dish, from about £15
The artfully misshapen bowl (£14.50) and the mini blue bowl (£18) are small enough for a bedside table or desk, for rings, keys or nothing at all.
A bud vase, £12
The small flower vase on wood holds one stem upright and looks finished even when empty.
A hanging vase, £48
The hanging vase on wood brings a single stem or a trailing cutting up to eye level, which few people already have.
A sculptural vase, £52
The V-shaped vase, about 24.5cm tall, is set in an upright block of wood and works as a sculpture with or without a branch.
A bowl in a carved wooden hand, £48
The molten glass bowl in a carved wooden hand is a conversation piece for a hallway or bookshelf.
A centrepiece, £76.80
For a significant gift, the extra large molten glass piece on a double stand, about 75cm long, makes a long, low centrepiece for a dining table or sideboard. Our Christmas table centrepiece ideas show it dressed for the season.
How to choose for someone who has everything
- Look at what they use, not what they own. A candle lover will always use more fragrance; a plant lover always has room for one more small plant.
- Choose one good thing over several small ones. A single piece they will keep beats a bundle of novelties.
- Avoid duplicates. Hand-blown and living gifts are the least likely to be something they already have.
- Add an experience. A terrarium plus an air plant and a care note is a small project, not just an object.
Ordering
We dispatch within 1 to 2 working days, and UK delivery is a flat £4.99, usually arriving 3 to 5 working days after dispatch. In December, order early to be safe.
Common questions
What do you buy someone who has everything?
Something consumable they enjoy, such as wax melts or candle sand, something living, such as a terrarium for an air plant, or a single one-of-a-kind piece, such as a hand-blown glass vase on wood.
What is a good cheap gift for someone who has everything?
A crystal wax melt bar at £3.50, or three for £9.45. They get used up, so they never add to the clutter, and the gemstone chips inside are a small keepsake.
Are experiences better than things for someone who has everything?
Often, yes, and a small project can be both: a glass terrarium with an air plant and a care note is something to set up and look after, not just another object.
Browse every gift, or see our guides to gifts for plant lovers and gifts for candle lovers. Shopping for someone in particular? Try Christmas gifts for her, for him or for nan. For a fifth wedding anniversary, see our wood anniversary gifts.
