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If you've ordered a Christmas present that won't arrive on time, this clever hack ensures they'll still have a gift to open

Jen Gushue   

If you've ordered a Christmas present that won't arrive on time, this clever hack ensures they'll still have a gift to open

IP GIFT GUIDE 433

Crystal Cox and Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

  • With just a week left until Christmas, many gifts ordered now may not arrive in time to land under the tree.
  • Instead of spending extra money on rush shipping or compromising on gift selection, print a photo of the gift that's still in transit, put it in a box, and wrap that for your gift recipient to open.
  • Still trying to figure out what to buy? We rounded up a great selection of holiday gifts that no one would mind waiting an extra few days for.

Christmas is a week away, and I'm still not finished shopping. I take great pride in my gift-giving abilities, and I'm willing to bide my time until I find the perfect gift for each person in my life. Often, this means I'm coming up against shipping deadlines, and I'll get to my cart only to be met with the dreaded words "May not arrive until after Christmas." Some may panic and pay exorbitant prices for express shipping. Others may shuffle over to Amazon to get two-day Prime shipping on a second choice gift. Not me.

Over the years, my family has come up with a way to give gifts that didn't quite make it in time to land under the tree. Instead of making the recipient wait until the gift arrives or telling them what we got them and spoiling the surprise, we print out a photo of the gift, tape it to the inside of a shirt box, and wrap the box as extravagantly as we can muster. This way, the recipient still gets to open a gift on Christmas morning, and the actual gift will land on their doorstep in a matter of days.

So this holiday season, don't compromise on gifts just to make sure you have something to give them on December 25. Make the purchase you know they'll love, just buy yourself a few more days by wrapping an IOU with a little bit of flair.

If you're still sweating over trying to find the perfect gift, check out our holiday gift guides below. Some of the items may not arrive in time for Christmas, but that doesn't matter.

If you absolutely can't bear to have a gift arrive after Christmas, check out our list of last-minute gifts that will still arrive on time.

See more gift ideas that may not arrive in time for Christmas, but so what? Now you know what to do.

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Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.



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