Christmas gift ideas for the lady of the house

Last week I focused on the tough-to-please man - that guy in your family or your group of friends that you just cannot think what to buy for at Christmas. The home is a great place to start. Knick-knacks and decor make for lovely gifts, rather than standard booze or socks.

But what about ideas to help the men out with their shopping; the guys who are every bits as clueless about their gift-giving as they are tricky to please. Has your wife/sister/mother/grandma got you staring at an inspirational brick wall, with the Christmas clock ticking like a timebomb? There’s still time! Even online retailers are generally advertising an “Order By” date of December 21st. So what are you waiting for boys? Focus on your lady’s favourite room of the house and check out the below ideas...

Bedroom

Personalised “Things I Love About You” canvas

You already know why you love her so much, but actually writing out all the tiny details means you can make it clear why and just how much you think of your partner or even someone like your Mum. She will love this canvas and want to display it pride of place. The process of making it is fun too - simply follow the personalisation fields on the retailers website and you’ll build up your pie chart of love into a scientifically useless, but emotionally priceless gift for your beloved! findmeagift.co.uk From £19.99

Living Room

Blossom scented tealight candles

Add a floral and fragrant touch to the home with these handmade and beautifully shaped tealights with a delicate blossom scent, perfect for scattering over your surfaces for a magical, floral glow while snuggled up watching TV. Once lit these blossom tealights they give off an aroma, instantly evoking a summer’s evening, no matter the time of year. findmeagift.co.uk £5.99

Garden

Personalised enamel garden sign

Perfect for lawns, rockeries, pots and borders and a great way to add a personal touch to the green-fingered female in your life. A lovely gift for lawn-proud Mums, or to signpost award-winning veggie plots, flowerbeds or poly tunnels. The enamel stake can be pushed into soft grass or soil or looks great in an over-sized planter. The non-rust coating and UV inks mean your sign will look great for years to come. Available in two styles: traditional white on black for a crisp ‘parks and gardens’ look from the 1940s. Or go for the more ornate style in a classic French grey with ornate flourishes, reminiscent of signs found in the formal gardens of a country house or stately home. Delightful Living £35

Kitchen

Personalised carved heart cheese board

These make great keepsake gifts and mementos. Engraved with a heart and names in the style of a tree carving it evokes childhood memories and true love. This idea has been brought back to life and is now available to use and display in your home. Ethically produced, these are only made from very old wood from olive trees that have come to the end of their natural fruiting life and have already been replaced with younger more productive trees. These boards have been handcrafted by artisans to a very high standard, will last for years, and will only get better with age. Also a great idea for a couple at Christmastime too. The Rustic Dish £25

Bathroom

Bubble machine

Short of using an egg whisk, getting gazillions of bubbles in your bath for a luxurious wind-down is a difficult task...but not with this bubble bath machine. A ideal home gift and pamper gift for women, it holds her favourite bubble bath and transforms it into heaps of lovely bubbly goodness. A cheaper alternative to sending her off for a spa weekend perhaps, this is the ideal present for someone who deserves to relax in style in the comfort of her own home every day of the week. Gone are the days of foot spas - this is an all-over gift for that jacuzzi effect at home. findmeagift.co.uk £14.99

Conservatory or outside deck

Set of three hanging tealight (or airplant) bubbles

Sweet yet elegant, these fine handblown glass tealight holder bubbles for your home or garden look really pretty. Alternatively fill with airpalnts to use as a terrarium. These delicate and eye-catching gifts can be hung from a branch of a tree to light up your winter garden, from the ceiling of the conservatory or on the overhead trellis of a decking. Not only are they magically seasonal, they will look great in the summer months too, for those al fresco dinner parties she loves to throw. Choose from three designs, the clear round bubbles, the gold mercury tealight holders or the set of three noel etched tealight holders especially for Christmas. London Garden Trading £24.95