Yule spree

Carol O’Callaghan looks at affordable festive gifts that even friends who are not necessarily house proud will welcome

Seven shopping days to Christmas: does it fill you with horror?

If it does, then it’s likely you’ll rush to the shops, and without the luxury of time for afternoons of traipsing around the stores, gift-buying won’t come cheap, as battling with the ever-growing crowds will force you into making impulse purchases, just to get the process over with as quickly as possible.

At a time when money is short for lots of people, why not simply ask friends and family what they want, instead of buying a load of old toot they’ll send to the charity shop as soon as Christmas is over. But if you enjoy the element of surprise, buy them something for their home so at least it’s likely to be practical and useful, and to get some satisfaction from the process, see how far you can get with an under €25 budget. It’s amazing the fantastic things you can pick up quickly and affordably rather than throwing the credit card at costly items just to get the job done.

Although it’s a bit late for internet shopping, do use this valuable research facility to check what’s in the shops. Many websites allow you to shop not only by category, but by price range too. Another option is to pick up store catalogues, after which you can compile your list of gifts recipients and intended purchases, and plan your route from one end of the main street to the other. Also, make sure you have a reward planned once the shopping is complete: the thought of a creamy latté and cupcake, perhaps, or a late afternoon glass of wine will make you move faster and get the job done more quickly. And don’t forget to don a comfortable pair of shoes, and a coat with a hood. If it’s raining you’ll want both hands free for lugging bags and not want to deal with an unwieldy umbrella.

Even friends who are not necessarily house proud will welcome something practical, especially if it is of particular value during the Christmas season. Consider a pair of lovely china mugs, as contemporary or traditional in shape and pattern as you wish for you and a friend to share a leisurely pot of tea together. Or for a domestic goddess of your acquaintance, opt for a cake stand as a way of making Christmas and Madeira cakes look special when the table is set for tea.

Cloth napkins mean more laundry but they’re lovely on Christmas day or other special occasions and make a lovely gift rolled together and tied with a ribbon. Do consider the recipient’s interior colour scheme and remember that while blue may be your favourite colour, your present is destined for the re-gifting box if the recipient is a fan of reds and burgundies.

A very successful gift, if you lack inspiration, is the home interiors lucky bag. Get a small gift bag and fill it with three or four useful items including fancy paper napkins, a candle, a tea-towel and an unusual Christmas decoration. Just a quick swoop on your favourite home interiors store will provide the lot.

- We’ll be back after the festive season on January 7, with details of all the new colour trends for 2012.