Thrift shopping for last minute Christmas gifts
Dec 24, 2025, 7:00 AM
A gift that was given to KSL investigative reporter Daniella Rivera in 2024 that meant a lot to her — it’s an image she recently received of her late grandmother’s painting. Rivera's friend printed the painting out and put in a vintage, second-hand frame for her. (Daniella Rivera, KSL)
(Daniella Rivera, KSL)
SALT LAKE CITY — It’s Christmas Eve: Magic is in the air with songs of cheer, lights are strung up and the tree is standing tall. The only thing that’s missing are the presents. Maybe thrift shopping is the answer?
KSL investigative reporter Daniella Rivera joined Inside Sources hosts Greg Skordas and Holly Richardson a few days before Christmas to share some ideas on how to fill those stockings and get some presents under the tree.
Rivera said she decided to challenge herself back in September to thrift for Christmas gifts this year after scrolling on social media and seeing ad after ad, making her feel like she needed to buy everything she saw.
“Everything feels so mass-produced and it feels like we’re in this period of overconsumption,” Rivera said. “So I decided to do something a little different this year.”
Thrift shopping ideas
People can thrift shop in many ways. Rivera said for Utah in particular, there are many options for thrift shoppers, like boutiques, estate sales and Deseret Industries.
“I think there’s something that I love that I think is kind of beautiful, just taking something that someone loved and cherished and giving that some new life in a new way, in a new home, with a new person,” Rivera said. “And I think it’s also sustainable.”
There are many ideas people can fall on when it comes to last-minute thrift shopping gifts for Christmas.
Rivera said in the past, she’s given one of her friend’s a set of 12 matching soy sauce dishes at an estate sale — knowing her friend loves to host dumpling nights and she didn’t have any matching dishes. Another gift she gave a different friend from a thrift store was a coffee table book.
Rivera also said it’s a good idea to throw handmade items into the mix using what she calls a “giftable hobby.”
“Do you bake bread? Gift a bread loaf. You can gift mini loaves. You can do something small,” Rivera said. “What is a favorite treat you make for your family in the holidays? Put those in small tins and give those to someone.”
Another idea Rivera talked about for last minute shopping is dishes.
“If you’re going to the Goodwill, the DI, you can find a mug for $1 to $3. People are donating all kinds of mugs!” Rivera said.
Rivera suggested picking out a mug that reminds a person of their friend and filling it with something like hot coco, marshmallows or something else and tying a ribbon on the cup.
A meaningful gift
Rivera spoke about one gift she was given last year that brought her to tears: Her friend had Rivera’s late grandmother’s painting printed out and put in a vintage, second-hand frame.
“Find a vintage photo frame and do a photo gift,” Rivera said. “We are living in such a digital world. We’re posting the photos we’re really proud of on Facebook, the moments we want to cherish are going on Instagram, but there’s something really special about holding that memory in your hand.”
Rivera suggested people print out those memories and gift them to someone using a vintage frame.
“If you have a friend who had a big milestone this year, maybe the two of you shared a special memory, get the photo printed,” Rivera said. “Put it in a thrifted frame, they’re going to love it. Something like that means a lot.”
Skordas shared how he was gifted two items this Christmas from two co-workers and those items were from a thrift store. He said it made all the difference in what he was given for Christmas.
“It meant a lot more to me because they were personal to me,” Skordas said. “They were things that these kids thought, ‘Greg would like this.'”
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