With Christmas just around the corner, you must be looking for some great Christmas gift ideas now. If you want to be like Santa and bring the perfect gifts to your loved ones this Christmas, you need to start planning ahead to buy something your recipients need and love. So how do you make the right gift selection? Here are some tips to help you decide on what to buy.

1. For adults
Clothes and jewelry are very personal gifts to receive at Christmas. They should only be given if you are very close to the receiver and you really understand the person very well. You need to know what are the colors and designs of clothing and jewelry that you will like.

For clothing, you should refrain from giving the common sweater gifts because the recipient is likely to have more than one of those gifts. Unless you’re knitting the sweater yourself for loved ones or know the old one has worn out, this isn’t an ideal gift to give out at Christmas.

When it comes to jewelry, be careful what you give because if it’s for a friend, you don’t want to give the recipient a bad impression. Some pieces of jewelry have some hidden connotations. For example, rings symbolize a marriage proposal, and a necklace indicates that you want to bind the person in a long-term romantic relationship. Additionally, these items can also be very expensive, so plan your budget and carefully consider your intentions beforehand.

There are other great Christmas gift ideas for adults that are not so personal, for example self-improvement books, home appliances such as coffee makers, boxes of chocolates, plush toys for ladies, purses, watches, pens and sunglasses, etc.

The key point to keep in mind when selecting a gift for an adult is that it should be something the recipient wants or has noticed is an item missing, but knows it is an item they will benefit from using.

2. For children
Some people feel that buying Christmas gifts for children is more difficult than for adults because they want the child’s face to light up when they see the gift. However, if you do not understand the child, for example when selecting a gift for the child of a distant relative or friend, you are more likely to run into problems.

There are some very general items you can buy, such as clothes, books and toys, but again you may be wondering what sizes of clothes to buy and what kind of books, games or toys the child will like. An easy way out of this situation is to ask parents for suggestions.

You may be surprised, but parents will be more than willing to talk about their child’s likes and dislikes. They will also expect their children to receive a variety of gifts. Therefore, you can ask parents for a wish list. If it’s a close friend, you may want to offer a price range.

With the great Christmas gift ideas above, I think you are now better prepared to start your Christmas shopping this year. Shop early to avoid the last-minute rush and crowds. It will also help you avoid forgetting a gift for someone or buying on impulse.