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If you’re the person in charge of family Christmas gifts, you know what a challenge it can be to find the perfect present for each person. Knowing what to get your mother-in-law gift will be perfect for Christmas can be especially difficult. Often, the adults around the Christmas tree have all that they need, and depending on how well you really know them, it might be tricky to know what fun little gifts they’d really want. Whatever your relationship with your mother-in-law may be — from the mom you never had to a complicated figure in your life — you’ll find the perfect gift for your mother-in-law on this comprehensive list of fun ideas.
What to get a mother-in-law for Christmas
The best mother-in-law gifts will, of course, really depend on her hobbies and interests. If she’s a painter, perhaps she has her eye on a new brush set. Or, if she works long hours on a laptop, maybe she would enjoy a new case in a fun pattern. Gifts to help her relax and unwind or give her home a refresh are easy ideas to reach for.
Here are a few more easy, go-to mother-in-law gift ideas:
A throw blanket
Gardening tools
A framed photograph of the grandkids
A set of towels
A bottle of wine or her favorite liquor
Candles that smell amazing
Pajamas, slippers, and a robe
New dishes or baking supplies
A salon or spa gift card
Jewelry
Art supplies
Personalized stationery
A puzzle
Still stumped? Here are 50 ideas to add to your shopping cart that would make lovely gifts for any mother-in-law this Christmas.
You may not know all of the ins and outs of your mother-in-law’s haircare routine, but rest-assured that she will love the luxurious feel of this green coco hair mask from Remilia Hair. Meant to reduce frizz, strengthen locks, and increase shine, this 100% vegan, cruelty-free mask smells amazing and will leave her hair silky smooth. It’s safe for color-treated hair and made with clean ingredients that hydrate and rejuvenate.
If your mother-in-law is known for baking beautiful cakes, cookies, and holiday treats, give her a gift this Christmas to help her display her creations. This Mosser Glass Cake Stand comes in seven colors including jadeite, amber, Chelsea blue, grey swirl, milk, pink, and purple. It’s also available in three sizes, and can be ordered with or without the glass dome.
It’s never a bad idea to give your mother-in-law a Christmas gift that she can eat. This holiday season, she can indulge in a gift-able hat box full of cherry cordials from Bodrato Cioccolato. Made with the highest-quality Italian chocolate with tart, but sweet Garbana cherries macerated in grappa, she will love every single bite.
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Monogrammed stationery cards made from recycled paper
Made from recycled paper, this set of classic monogram stationery cards is an eco-friendly Christmas gift that your mother-in-law with love to use. Choose from two card sizes and 5 font colors including black, blue, olive, peach, and pink, for her monogram at the top in a traditional serif font and full name on the bottom.
For her holiday parties and also for entertaining year-round, your mother-in-law could definitely use this clever cheese board. Different sections of the bamboo board swivel out to reveal various areas to hold an array of accoutrements. It also comes with a stainless steel all-purpose cheese knife, a cheese fork, and a flat cheese knife.
Sometimes my mother-in-law gets hooked on a product like Lush bath bombs when she’s shopping for the younger women in our family. When this happens, I like to go all-out and give her a sampling of products from this new-to-her brand. With lotus flower soap, sleepy body lotion, rose jam shower gel, and Buffy body butter, The Night Garden gift set from Lush is a great Christmas gift for your mother-in-law.
Whether your mother-in-law is a fan of Ree Drummond or just loves to use pretty things in her kitchen, this set of Pioneer Woman mixing bowls is a dream gift. It includes five nesting bowls in varying sizes, each with a tight-seal lid. They’re dishwasher safe and have a bright and cheery floral design.
Another kitchen-centric gift to give your mother-in-law for Christmas is this set of Portmeirion Sophie Conran measuring cups from Amazon. The set includes a 1-cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup, and 1/4 cup white porcelain cups, each labeled with print that looks hand-written. They’re also stackable and have a convenient pouring spout.
Don’t just make your mother-in-law’s day, make her whole year. If you’re looking to splurge on a gift for your mother-in-law, this cordless vacuum from Dyson should be at the top of your list. She’ll love the lightweight feel, cordless tech, laser guide light, and variety of accessories to help get every nook and cranny of her home sparking clean.
If your mother-in-law is even the least bit interested in her family of origin, an AncestryDNA kit is a truly meaningful gift to give her for Christmas. The base kit is a great starting point for anyone who has never done a deep-dive into their family history and can give your mother-in-law a lot of insight into where her family’s geographic origins and even link her to potential relatives.
Cozy, stylish, and made from high-quality recycled materials, this reversible poncho wrap from Madewell is a great gift idea for your mother-in-law for Christmas. On one side, there’s a green and brown windowpane design and the reverse side has a houndstooth checkerboard pattern in khaki. She can wear it as a wrap, scarf, cape, or poncho at home, work, or out and about.
Give your mother-in-law the gift of a new bouquet of farm-fresh flowers every month for a whole year with a subscription from The Bouqs Co. The original plan comes with a variety of 10-16 stems monthly, but you can also customize the delivery date, bouquet size, or even the recipient with every order, so there’s lots of flexibility with this gift.
Sometimes the best gifts to give your mother-in-law are the things she uses every single day, but maybe doesn’t ever really splurge on. A set of super-plush bath towels like these from Brooklinen totally fit the bill. Luxuriously-constructed from 100% Turkish cotton, each bundle comes with 2 bath towels and 2 hand towels that are extra thick for a spa-like feel.
For your mother-in-law who loves to watch the birds fly around her back yard, this handblown glass hummingbird feeder from Muse Garden is a beautiful Christmas gift that she can enjoy each and every day. It holds 32 ounces of nectar and has a unique nebula color pattern that’s created by manual glass blowing for a truly unique look.
This embroidered journal from Rifle Paper Co. has a beautiful garden pattern on a denim-colored background with 400 lined pages inside. This thoughtful keepsake journal is a timeless gift that your mother-in-law is sure to enjoy using. You could even pair it with a pretty pen to use for an added bonus gift.
When you give your mother-in-law a subscription to Storyworth, each week, she will receive prompts in her inbox to respond to. When the prompts are all complete, she’ll get back a hardcover book that includes all of her life stories. This is one gift that the entire family will be so thankful to have for years to come.
I love using wool dryer balls as an eco-friendly alternative to dryer sheets. Who turned me on to this genius laundry must-have? That would be my fabulous mother-in-law. If your mother-in-law is also a fan of eco-friendly laundry hacks, this set of wool dryer balls absolutely needs to be under her tree this year.
Not only is this a gift that can keep all of her jewelry organized when she travels, it’s a gift that looks way more luxe and expensive than it actually is — every mother-in-law’s dream gift. At just under four inches square, this plush velvet jewelry case is compact, but has plenty of room to hold rings, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces without getting tangled.
Another gift that looks expensive, but is actually a great deal is this Anne Klein watch from Amazon. It’s chic bangle design has a white and rose gold motif with a real diamond right in the top-center in the 12 o’clock spot. If your mother-in-law loves a nice piece of jewelry, but doesn’t want you to go broke getting it for her, this watch is a great option.
Your mother-in-law can stash all of her things in this durable cotton tote bag from Minted. The Botanical Cascade design has a hand-painted bloom and greenery motif with a brushed copper snap closure and soft leather strap. The name plate on the front can also be personalized with your mother-in-law’s name, initials, or monogram.
If your mother-in-law has a green thumb — or loves to cook — she absolutely needs one of these stoneware herb planters to keep in her kitchen windowsill. From Le Creuset, each 5.5-inch planter pot is perfectly-sized for small herbs with an attached tray underneath to catch excess water and keep the roots moist. It comes in six color options and is dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.
With most in-laws, even a small amount of of acknowledgement for their role in your life can go a long way. When you give your mother-in-law one of these Christmas gifts, she’ll see how much you really do care.