Holiday gift giving can be pure joy, or a tricky conundrum, especially if you’re trying to find gifts for people you don’t know that well. As our consumption has gone up, and our connections with others have gone down, holiday gift giving has become more transactional and less relational. This holiday season, we want to give you some easy, affordable, gift ideas for your neighbors that will grow your connections and create more joy and belonging in the place you call home.  

Micro-local Gifts  

This gift idea builds connections in multiple ways; you with a local business to buy a local gift, you with your neighbor, and your neighbor with that local business! That’s a triple win!  

Ideas include: 

  • a sample-size bag of locally roasted coffee 
  • a jar of honey from a local beekeeper 
  • a chai or cocoa blend from a local shop 
  • a few chocolates from a local candy store 
  • a gift card to a local merchant or coffee shop 

These gifts communicate that you care about the place where you live and think it is great. They also provide a conversation prompt: “Have you ever been to this place?” You don’t have to spend a lot on each item. Even a $5.00 gift can create a moment of connection.  

Simple Homemade Gifts (that you can make in 15 minutes or less) 

Homemade doesn’t have to be elaborate — or messy — to be meaningful. 

Try one of these: 

Homemade gifts have a special power: they show time + thought, not just spend. 

“Use this to be neighborly” Kits (invitation in a bag) 

Consider gifts that naturally lead to shared experiences. 

Ideas: 

  • Neighborhood Game Starter 
  • Small deck of cards or UNO  
    Add a note like: “Let’s plan a game night in January.” 
  • Puzzle Swap Kit 
  • A small 300–500-piece puzzle 
    Add a note like: “Want to do a puzzle swap this winter?” 
  • Cocoa + Questions Card 
  • Packets of hot cocoa for the family 
    Add printed cards with questions like: “What is your favorite winter movie?” “What is your favorite city?” or “If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?” And a note like: “Want to get together and compare answers?” 
  • Neighborhood Walk Starter 
  • Tea bag or hot cocoa packet + printed neighborhood map or local parks brochure 
    Add a note like: “Want to try one of these routes together one morning in January?” 

These gifts are effectively small scripts that help two households move from “we say ‘hello’ in the driveway” to “we hang out as humans sometimes.” 

The underlying goal is not the item itself — it’s the momentum toward a relationship. 

Share Something Personal (but not intimate)  

Connection is all about sharing the details of life with each other. Letting other people get to know us and getting to know them through small interactions. You can use holiday gift giving to lead by example and share a bit about yourself. Here are a few ideas:  

  • Your family’s favorite soup recipe + a small bag of the spices required  
  • Your go-to cookie recipe + one key ingredient (chocolate chips, spice mix) 
  • A playlist you made for winter (you can share it with a QR code link) 

Sharing these bits of yourself will feel personal and authentic and give your neighbors permission to share a bit of themselves too. This gift idea has a return on investment that is immeasurable.  

Practical Winter Helpers (care in useful form) 

Sometimes the most classically neighborly thing we can do is make life a little easier for those around us. Here are some examples of holiday gifts that do that while building connections:  

  • Hand warmers for bus stop mornings or neighborhood walks 
  • Nice tea bags for dark winter nights 
  • A small candle for soft light on gloomy days 
What turns a gift from a transaction into a tool for connection?  

It is not the packaging, the money you spend, or the creativity of the gift. It is the thoughtful gesture and an added note that opens the door for future conversation.  

That’s it.  

It might feel a bit weird or awkward to include a personal note or invitation but push yourself a little bit. Take small steps with a few neighbors that you feel ready to build a connection with. Most people are looking for connection and want to get to know their neighbors; they will be thrilled that you’ve taken the first step.  

But, not everyone will respond to your invitation for connection, and that’s okay. Your offer has opened a door. And that open door creates warm feelings in your neighborhood. Almost always, the reasons are not personal. And in time, those neighbors will be ready for a deeper connection.  

Let this year be the beginning. Don’t take on too much. Next year you will be able to add a few more people, and maybe your new friends will as well. After a few years, you’ll have made some serious strides toward building a neighborhood where people feel like they are safe and they belong. A truly hopeful neighborhood.  

To make this task a little easier for you, we’ve created some printable gift tags to go along with the ideas above. Thank you for spreading cheer AND connection in your neighborhood this holiday season.  

For more neighboring ideas in the month of December, check out this 31 Days of Neighboring Calendar!