What to buy for teachers and other non-family members at Christmas.

Do you hear that? That rustling is the sound of early birds taking their Christmas trees out from their cardboard boxes and carefully unravelling their branches.

That scribble is the sound of friends writing Christmas cards filled with sweet messages to their friends and family. That tapping is the sound of a keyboard as the savvy among us search online for the perfect Christmas gift. After all, that’s why you’re here, isn’t it?

We all know that finding just the right gift can be hard, especially when you have a huge group of people to buy for (me, I’m talking about me). We usually know what to buy for our family, after all, they’ve probably been dropping hints since June…

But what about all the people in your life who you’d like to do something special for but don’t know where to start? Never fear because finding a present they’ll love doesn’t have to be hard and we have the best inspiration to get you started.

Here are some Christmas gift thought-starters for literally anyone you know:

1. A beauty pack of a different kind.

As a former teacher, it's safe to say your child's favourite person (after their parents, of course) has probably received just about enough scented candles and bath bombs. But we have a wonderful substitute to suggest. When it comes to beauty packs, stores have really taken things up a notch. You can get a really great value pack from some chain stories for a mere $35. Now there's value for your hard earned moolah.

2. Take things to the next level with personalisation.

You only have to take a little glance around you to realise personalisation is booming in a big way. From wallets to handbags to notebooks and phone cases, there's very few things in this world that can't be personalised. Getting an item monogrammed is a really special and unique way to show someone you've put some time and thought into their gift. This year I got myself a personalised laptop case and a personalised iPhone case. I adore both of them and I think it's a cracker gift that I'll be handing out.

3. Forget chocolates, it's all about the cheese board.

You'd struggle to find someone who isn't a fan of chocolate, but cheese? I guarantee you that a heap of the people you know are probably mad about cheese. And making a cheese board is waaay easier than you might think. Start with a chopping board (brilliant for serving cheese on) and then fill it up with all of your favourite cheeses and associated condiments.

Personally I'd go for: brie, camembert, cheddar, water crackers, breadsticks, dried apricots, quince jelly and walnuts. Arrange them nicely on your board and you can pop in a few cheese knives for good measure. Wrap in clear cellophane and finish off with a nice festive bow. And you're done! You'd be hard pressed to find someone that wouldn't have a big smile on their face after receiving that.

4. A gardening hamper they'll actually use.

We know that food hampers have been around for ages. But what about taking the concept and applying it to a hobby? There you have a gardener's dream. Start with a nice bucket (because we all know serious gardeners can never have enough buckets) and go nuts filling it up with a nice plant in bloom, currently I'm all about orchards, some different packets of seeds, a spade, a rake and gardening gloves. Again wrap it all up in cellophane and top it with a nice festive bow. And voilà, your gardening enthusiast neighbour will appreciate you forever.

5. A little helping start with the year ahead.

Last Christmas I gave my work wife a desk calendar and it's safe to say it has changed her life. She's used it all year for her events and is constantly telling me how much of a lifesaver it's been. You can always be pretty safe in assuming those of us who love some organisation will appreciate a lovely desk calendar, 2018 diary, notepad or weekly desk planner. After all, most of us could do with a helping hand for the year ahead. You can get good ones from your local newsagent - along with some wrapping paper while you're at it!

So when it comes to your kids' favourite teacher, your neighbour or even an unexpected dropper by, they're sure to go mad about one of these thoughtful gifts. And while you're at it no-one is judging you if you buy one (or two) for yourself too...

What's a gift that you would love this Christmas? 

This content was created with thanks to our brand partner Instant Scratch-Its.