The Best Christmas Gifts for Grandparents (what I’ve gifted to my parents and in-laws in their 70s/80s)

Gifting for grandparents is one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. There are so many fun options and and if your gift has anything to do with their grandchildren, they are happy. Over the last few years, we’ve given some pretty great gifts to Thomas’s grandparents (if I do say so myself), and so today I thought I’d share them with you! Some are grandkid related, and others are just fun for them to use or enjoy as adults.

I would love to know some of the best gifts you’ve given grandparents over the years so that I can come up with ideas for this year!

The Best Christmas Gifts for Grandparents

First, let’s start with ones that are really for grandma or grandpa and have nothing to do with their grandkid. Then, we’ll get into some specific ideas if you want something more personal! My parents are in their 70s and 80s and my in-laws are in their 70s and these ideas have worked well for them. If the grandparents you are shopping for a bit younger, you may want to check out my Gift Guide for Guys and Gift Guide for Women.

Lake Robe

I’ve given this this Cozy Robe from LAKE to both my mom and MIL over the last two years and it was a hit with both of them, especially since they both live in places with very cold winters. This robe is lined in the softest fleece you’ve ever felt, and it’s incredibly thick and cozy for the cold winter months. It has deep pockets, a feminine turn-down collar, and the waist tie is sewn onto the back so you never lose it. I wear this robe every single morning and night in the cooler months. Even if the grandmother you’re gifting to already has a robe, I bet she’d switch to this one after feeling it.

23 & Me

We gifted 23 & Me, a DNA Genetic Testing Service, to Thomas’ grandma (aka B.G., Tommy’s mom) and she absolutely loved it. It’s a great idea for anyone who is hard to shop for because they already have everything and it’s also a great idea for family members who love family history and genealogy. It’s fun to get the results back and learn a bit about your family tree.

Hypervolt

Another year, we got Thomas’s OG (what he calls Tommy’s dad), a Hypervolt massage gun. OG is a golf pro, so he really appreciated being able to use the massage gun on his sore muscles. Tommy and I also own one of these and use it daily. It’s the same brand that our massage team uses, so you know it’s good. Come to think of it, this would be a GREAT gift for my mom since she does Crossfit 4-5x a week and has a 300 day run streak or something crazy like that! (And she’s 76!!!!)

Ember Mug

We gave Tommy’s mom an Ember mug last year because she’s always misplacing her coffee, and this way it will still be warm when she finds it. I cannot live without my Ember mug; I hate room temperature coffee but sometimes mom-life dictates that you can’t drink it right away. The Ember mug solves the hot-coffee struggle since it reheats your coffee to the perfect temperature anytime it starts to cool off.

All you do is charge the mug when you aren’t using it, and then you’re drinking hot coffee all morning. If the grandparents you’re shopping for are coffee or tea drinkers, this will be a hit. They also have a temperature controlled travel mug if they take their coffee on the go.

Chappy Wrap Blanket

I was gifted a blanket from Chappy Wrap earlier this year and it’s SO cozy. I really appreciate that it’s polished and smooth, since I’ve been getting so tired with my Barefoot Dreams blankets. These come in a few different sizes and would make a wonderful gift. I have the Harborview Herringbone Navy Blanket.

Gifts for New Grandparents

Skylight

We got both sets of grandparents a Skylight frame the first Christmas after my son was born and both sets LOVE IT. These frames show a slideshow of photos without any work on their part. You can send photos to the frame yourself through their, so there’s no need to worry about teaching grandparents how to use it. They can plug the frame into any outlet in their home (set up is SO easy, I promise), and then they’ll get to see photos of their grandkids all day, everyday!

Since neither of Thomas’ grandparents live in town (and my parents live across the country in Utah), they love getting to see regularly updates. Every time I talk to my dad, he mentions something he saw on the Skylight and he feels more connected to our life, which I so appreciate living so far away.

This is a great gift to do with siblings too since anyone you grant access to can upload photos. All five of my brothers upload to my parents’ Skylight frame.

Silhouette Photo

I love a classic silhouette photo and there are a countless places to have them made. When I had them made of Thomas for the grandparents (and us!), I used Jessica Beaver Creative and had a GREAT experience. Etsy also has loads of options for custom silhouette prints. You’ll just need a good profile picture of your kiddo for them to work off of (which wasn’t the easiest with a 1 year old, when I gifted these, ha).

I got our prints professionally matted and framed before gifting but you could easily just buy a frame online for a more budget-friendly gift.

Ornament with kiddo’s face

I gift a new one of these every year to the grandparents (and buy one for ourselves too!). We used Framebridge for custom ornmanets the last three years and it was a seamless experience. (And the quality was great. They even came in a cute gift box.) I think I may get our sonogram photo framed for baby #2’s first ornament. This would also be a great pregnancy announcement!

Personalized Gifts for Grandparents

Coffee Mug

While a custom coffee mug is slightly cheesy, I know that most grandparents would still treasure it. My mother-in-law is obsessed with Thomas, so she’d think this is hilarious and also love it and use it. Let’s be real – she has probably lost her Ember mug by now, so I’ll probably get this for her this year. You can find these all over, but the easiest place to order is likely Amazon.

Silhouette Jewelry from Vana Chupp

If you’re willing to splurge a bit, a silhouette necklace from Vana Chupp would an incredibly thoughtful and lasting gift. I didn’t know about this brand until recently, but now I want one of these for myself! Vana Chupp carries a few different options (monograms, full names, diamond details), but all of them are done with a photo of your child’s silhouette, so they are truly one of a kind and SO special. You can also get these in bracelet form which may be an even better option for some grandmothers.

You can choose between three different sizes for the silhouette charm, and I think medium is my preference. If you know that this recipient already has a charm necklace or bracelet, buy the charm on its own so she can add to her existing piece, which is what I would do for my MIL.

DIY Gifts for Grandparents

Professionally Framed Kiddo’s Art

One year we had one of Thomas’ painting professionally framed and gifted that to his grandparents. I loved that the frame was beautiful and would easily be something they could actually display, but the art had so much meaning. We have one in our dining room next to high-end art and people always think it’s something we bought off EBTH, like the rest of our art, which is kind of hilarious.

Acrylic Frames for Kiddo’s Art

For a more affordable option, these magnetic acrylic frames would be perfect for swapping art in and out! They are so easy to use and look great in every home. I bought these to put in my son’s bathroom.

Handprint or footprint ornament

I bought this little ornament kit this year from Amazon to make with Thomas! It’s a simple gift that’s so sweet!

I hope this helps make shopping for some of the most important people in your life a little easier!

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