Since none of these gifts come from a department store, you won't have to fight the crowds of shoppers.  And some of the gifts don't require any shopping at all.  You can give:

Promissory notes:  Give IOUs promising to do something for the recipient in the coming months, such as raking leaves, weeding the garden, trimming the hedges, washing the car, cutting the grass, baby-sitting, baking, walking the dog, watering plants, washing windows, polishing shoes or altering clothes.

Share-a-skill gift:  Promise to teach someone a skill you've already acquired.  Some possibilities might include:  auto repair, bread making, carpentry, gourmet cookery, driving lessons, home canning, needlework, photography, picture framing, quilting, skiing, sailing, or tatting.

Magazine or newspaper subscriptions:  Send off for a subscription in the name of the person on your list.  On Christmas Day, give a rolled-up copy of the latest issue along with a card that tells when the subscription begins.

Bake or make a gift:  Give a cake, bread, cookies, or a box of candy that you have made.  You may want to include the recipe so that the recipient can continue to enjoy the gift all year.  Other gifts might be those that you make especially for the recipient such as a pillow, scarf, gloves, hat rack or birdhouse.

Money gifts:  Instead of simply writing a check, give your gift of money with a festive look.   Consider filling a see-through container or a clear-glass piggy bank with shinny half-dollar coins.  Or make a money tree by clipping individual bills to the branches.

Gifts from the post office:  Send a distant friend or relative a book of stamps, bundle of pre-stamped envelopes or post cards.  Or give a collection of decorative stamps issued by the post office.

Tickets as gifts:  Give two tickets to a special event (such as a bowl game, a concert, movie, play, lecture, a ballet, or a dinner theater.)

Gifts from the hardware store:  Put together a set of nails, screws, nuts and bolts for the lady or gentlemen do-it-yourselfer.  If you can afford a more generous gift, a set of basic tools including a hammer, screwdriver and saw could be appropriate for some one on your list.

Auto supply store:  Give a set of jumper cables along with windshield scraper, flashlight, flares and road maps for emergencies on the highway.

Fabric shops:  Make an emergency sewing kit complete with scissors, needles, safety pins and several spools of thread.

Home filing system:  For the college student, first-time employee, or newlywed prepare a file box with files appropriately labeled to set up a home filing system.

For other ideas on last minute Christmas gifts and how to set up a home filing system contact your local county Extension office.