OK, we’re coming to the pointy end and it’s feeling distinctly end-of-year. The tree is probably up and you’ve sorted most of your gifts. The seafood might even be ordered. But there’s always one gift that is far from sorted (or even several if you’re like some of us here at Oxfam Unwrapped HQ).
Good news: last minute Christmas gifts don't have to feel like last-minute Christmas gifts. We’ve got meaningful last-minute ideas for you, whether you need something that arrives before you could finish reading this, something you can grab today, or something heartfelt that costs nothing at all.
What kind of last-minute are you?
Jump to what fits:
- "I need something right now." We’re in e-card territory. Jump to instant digital Christmas gifts that will arrive before you finish your coffee
- "I can still get to a shop today." Excellent. Shoes on. See thoughtful grab-and-go local picks
- "I want something heartfelt, not purchased, and I’m also in a bit of a hurry." You have 30 minutes and possibly a pen. Find meaningful ideas that cost nothing
Instant digital Christmas gifts
Everything in this section arrives before Christmas morning. Some of it arrives in the next three minutes.
Oxfam Unwrapped Christmas e-cards
An Oxfam Unwrapped Christmas e-card takes about three minutes to send. Choose the card, write your message, select e-card delivery. Simple. You can also schedule exactly when it lands in their inbox. Order now, set it to arrive at 8 am on Christmas morning. As far as their inbox is concerned, you’ve been organised for weeks.
They get a card that'll make them laugh. You make a tax-deductible donation, and the knowledge that you can help someone lift themselves out of poverty.
These cards aren’t your typical last-minute Christmas gifts. Each Oxfam Unwrapped card represents a real donation to Oxfam and supports communities working to overcome inequality and poverty. Find out exactly how it works.
Here are this year's Christmas picks, each available as an e-card, right now:
1. Christmas Fish — from $10
"Fin love with this gift." The most budget-friendly card in the range and an easy crowd-pleaser. You can support communities along the Mekong River to protect their natural environment while also earning a living. E-card available.
2. Christmas Chicken — from $14
"Pecking a winner." This gift can support women like Chon in Lao People’s Democratic Republic who invested in chickens and ducks after receiving Oxfam's livelihood assistance — income that now pays her daughter's school fees. E-card available.
3. Christmas Animal Bundle — from $120
"Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal!" Three cards in one bundle (Cow, Chicken, Goat). Shop for multiple people on your list in moments. You can support farmers like Seetha in Sri Lanka, who transformed her family's cinnamon farm through Oxfam's training and business development program. Each card available as an e-card.
4. Colouring-in print-at-home cards — from $55 for the bundle
"Hue knew giving felt this good?" For the kids on your list, or the adults who like to zone out, too. You’ll get four designs by artist Xaviera Altena, arriving as a printable PDF within 30 minutes of purchase (if not straight away). The bundle can support women like Afsana in Bangladesh, who built a handicrafts business that now employs 10 women.
Order now, print tomorrow morning, keep little hands busy while the grown-ups sort out breakfast. Or stare meaningfully into their first coffee.
Browse more last minute Christmas gifts from Oxfam Unwrapped.
5. An experience voucher
A digital experience voucher arrives instantly by email and gives the recipient something to look forward to rather than something to find shelf space for. Think about what they like to do: a cooking class, a guided nature walk, a wellness session, tickets to something they've been wanting to see. Look for locally operated experiences; the gift supports someone's livelihood as well as their enjoyment.
6. A fairtrade coffee or tea subscription
A subscription to a fairtrade coffee roaster or specialty tea producer can be confirmed online in minutes, choosing one that sources ethically and ships locally. It's the last-minute Christmas present that keeps arriving in January, February, and March (long after the tree has come down and nobody wants to discuss how many shortbread biscuits they ate).
7. An audiobook subscription
A gift subscription to an audiobook platform of their choice is instant and useful, especially for the person who commutes, walks the dog, or does anything that leaves their hands occupied and their ears free. One personalised recommendation in the message makes it feel considered.
8. A digital gift card for somewhere they love
Do you know the person well enough to know where they love to go? Buy them a gift card from an independent local business. Their favourite restaurant, a local bookshop, a market they love — all great last minute Christmas gifts. Choose locally owned over big chains wherever possible; your money stays within your local economy.
Posted or e-card, what's still possible?
If you're considering a physical Oxfam Unwrapped card, here's what you need to know.
Always available with no cut-off:
- E-card: instant, schedulable for any date and time
- Print-at-home PDF: arrives in your inbox within 30 minutes
Delivered by post:
- Standard Australia delivery: 7–10 business days from dispatch
- Express Australia: 1–3 business days from dispatch ($7.50)
- Cards dispatched within 1–2 business days of ordering
Christmas postal cut-off: 15 December 2026
After that date, e-cards and print-at-home are your friends. They arrive exactly when you choose, and help real people work to reduce inequality and poverty.
For full delivery details, see the delivery page.
Grab-and-go local Christmas picks
Still have time to get somewhere? Good. Some of the best last-minute Christmas presents come from independent local businesses that are ready today (and your money goes directly to someone who made or curated what you're buying).
9. An ethical gourmet hamper
You don't need a pre-made hamper. A local deli, farmers' market, or independent grocer gives you everything: fairtrade coffee, local honey, small-batch jam, ethically sourced chocolate, artisan crackers. Pack it in a reusable container or a clean canvas tote. The whole thing takes 20 minutes and looks entirely deliberate. Which it is, just compressed into the morning of the 24th.
10. A local maker find
Skip the shopping centre and try an independent gift shop, weekend market, or local artisan. You'll find something original, and the person who made it gets the full benefit of your purchase. Bonus: considerably less chance of entering a shopping-centre car park you may never escape.
11. Fairtrade chocolate and sweet treats
Small, personal and always enjoyed. Usually gone before New Year. A bar of single-origin fairtrade chocolate or a bag of ethically sourced treats from a local chocolatier or health food store is the easiest ethical Christmas stocking stuffer. Look for fairtrade certification on the label.
12. A living plant from a local nursery
A plant from a local nursery, making sure it suits their space and light levels (and their well-documented preference for things that don't require much attention). It’s a gift that keeps going long after the Christmas tree comes down. Choose a native species if you can. Skip the cellophane and decorative plastic; a terracotta pot and a handwritten label is all it needs.
Meaningful last-minute gift ideas that cost nothing
Some of the best last-minute Christmas gifts cost nothing and take 30 minutes.
13. A personalised playlist
Curate a playlist for a memory, a year, a trip, or a relationship. It’s free, personal, zero waste, and works on any device. It’s also heartfelt and so memorable. They’ll think of you and feel valued every time they hit play.
14. A handwritten letter
Not a card with a line in it, but an actual letter. Be specific and honest. Talk about what they mean to you. What you noticed about them this year. What you're grateful for, in enough detail that they know you mean it. It doesn’t have to be long, just from the heart. It’ll probably be the last-minute gift that becomes the most-kept thing of the season.
15. An IOU booklet
We don’t mean a book of generic vouchers. We mean handmade, thoughtful ideas of things you can do for the recipient. Be specific. A morning where you handle breakfast, a drive somewhere they've been wanting to go, an afternoon where you watch whatever they want (without commentary), a phone call every week for a month. The specificity is the gift and it says: I've thought about what you actually need.
Ready to sort it?
Last-minute doesn't mean less consideration. Sometimes the gifts you choose quickly are the ones that show the most care and thought.
An Oxfam Unwrapped e-card scheduled for Christmas morning, a hamper thrown together from a local deli, or a letter written tonight. Think about your person and you’ll know what fits. Just act quickly on that excellent thought.
For more Christmas gift inspiration, 35 unique Christmas gift ideas has you covered. And if you're shopping for someone who has everything, this guide is for them.
