Take the stress out of gifting with Pinterest

Millions of Pinners around the world come to Pinterest to find inspiration for the perfect gift - whether it’s for friends, family, or even themselves! People are also increasingly searching for gifts for their communities - searches for “teacher Christmas gift ideas” are up +1890% and coworker “Christmas gift ideas” are up +244%. So many gifts, so little time!

Choosing and purchasing a thoughtful gift can be a time-consuming experience, but thanks to some Pinterest pro-tips, you can skip the panic, procrastination and gift cards this year. Below you’ll find tips and tricks for using Pinterest as a one-stop-shop to shop for gifts you can be sure your loved ones will treasure - and help you keep calm and carry on in the process. 

Use a Group Board as a wishlist

While surprises are fun, sometimes the best way to give a good gift - or get one! - is just to ask. Group Boards are a great way for your family, group of friends, or office crew to collect and share the items you really need and want. You can even create sections for each person, and ask them for their feedback on gift ideas with the new reactions feature. 

To create a group board, simply: create your own board and invite your friends: 

1. Go to your profile and make a new board or click into an existing one

2. Click “Invite”

3. Search by first and last name, username, or email address

4. Click “Invite” next to the friends you want to add as collaborators

5. Your friends will get an email or notification about your invite. To send an invitation off Pinterest, click “Copy link.” Your friends can accept or decline the invite after clicking the link.

Spare your to-do list and shop right on Pinterest 

It’s easier than ever to go from inspiration to checking off your “nice” list with shopping directly on Pinterest. With shoppable Product Pins, you’ll see a current price tag and link to check out on the retailer’s site. You can spot items to buy when you're looking through your home feed or searching for specific things on Pinterest. If you want to shop something inspired by the ideas you've already saved, go to any of your boards about style, home decor, beauty, or DIY, and check out the "More ideas" tab.

To search for shoppable Product Pins:

1. From your home feed, click into the search bar and enter a product

2. Click the “All Pins” filter next to the search bar

3. Select “Product Pins”

As you browse may also see Shop the Look Pins as you browse Pinterest, which have white dots that call out different parts of the look and let you shop directly.

You can also pinch to zoom in on any item you see on a Pin to get shoppable and related results.

Get recommendations for gifts they’ll love

Another great way to find a gift your friend will love is to go straight to the source - their own Pinterest boards. Scrolling through your friends’ Pins can be a great way to find a gift you know will match their style. And if you want to see different, related ideas, click on a Pin that catches your eye and you’ll see collections of other recommended Pins below, full of similar items you can browse and buy. 

If you’re still looking for that special something that will knock their socks off, check out Pinterest’s collections of trending gifts for inspiration. Since Pinners come to Pinterest to plan, we can see what’s going to be popular ahead of big moments like the start of summer, back to school, and of course, the holidays. This year, we’ve rounded up some of the top trending gifts to give based on what Pinterest shoppers are searching for, saving and buying in our first ever Holiday Shopping Report. 

There’s something for everyone on your list, from the wellness aficionado to the mini-scientists to the eco-conscious. And the best part is you’ll find 100 gift ideas all under $100! 

Here’s a preview of a few of the top trending categories and gifts to inspire your next present:

• Sustainability: Searches for sustainable gifts increased by 118% this year. Check out reusable silicone straws and reusable cloth napkins for the eco-conscious on your list.  

• The At-Home Chef: Searches for “cooking recipes videos” are up 622%, so make sure the chef in your life is equipped to tackle their latest dish with a sous vide cooking stick or white marble mortar and pestle.

• Wellness: Searches for “wellness gifts” are up 54%, so help your friends take care with gifts like a mindfulness card set, assorted teas, or a hippie gift box!

If you want to shop small, we’ve got you covered - the Pinterest Shop is a new profile where you can discover 17 hand-curated small businesses and shop hundreds of their unique products via shoppable Product Pins.

Find the perfect surprise gift with Lens

Ever see something out in the wild that would be the perfect gift, but don’t know how to describe it or track it down? Don’t blow the surprise - use Pinterest’s camera search tool, Lens, instead! Pinterest can now identify more than 2.5 billion objects across home and fashion Pins, so there’s a good chance Lens will be able to help you find what you’re looking for. It’s as easy as taking a picture.  

To use Lens, simply 

1. Tap the camera in the Pinterest search bar

2. Snap a photo of something IRL, or upload a photo from your camera roll 

3. Pinterest will automatically tell you what it is and where to find something just like it

Or you can use Lens to search within a Pin you want to know more about and get recommendations for related content. 

Keep track of gift ideas with a secret Board 

If you want to start collecting gift inspiration without leaving any clues, a secret board is a great way to keep your plans a surprise. 

To create a secret board

1. From your profile, click “Boards”

2. Click  on the board you want to make secret

3. Select "Keep this board secret"

4. Click “Save”

If you want to share a secret board to brainstorm on a group gift, you can also invite friends to collaborate. And if you want to keep using your board for something else after the big reveal, you can always make it public. 

Happy holidays from Pinterest!