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Last-minute gifts on Amazon: Order by these dates to get delivery for Christmas

Take advantage of the free delivery while you still can.

Leah Stodart

on December 18, 2018

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Last-minute gifts on Amazon: Order by these dates to get delivery for Christmas

Credit: mashable photo composite

If you have managed to put off holiday shopping thus far, congrats — you're not totally screwed.

Amazon has extended their "free delivery by Christmas Eve" promo until Dec. 18, meaning you still have some time left to squeeze in last-minute gifts. We're guessing you're in one of these pickles:

You're a world champion procrastinator
You forgot to get a gift for the office gift exchange
Someone who you didn't get a gift for got you a gift, so now you need to get them one so you don't look like an asshole
You actually did order stuff on time, but it's not what you expected and you need a plan B

These are what we like to refer to as "oh, shit" gifts. Luckily, Amazon gets it. As long as your item is shipped by Amazon, delivery is guaranteed free with no minimum as long as you place your order by midnight on Dec. 18 — even if you're not a Prime member.

Really in a bind? Here's Amazon's full shipping schedule for Christmas:

Wednesday, Dec. 19: Last day for standard shipping, free for Prime members on qualifying orders.

Saturday, Dec. 22: Last day for Prime free two-day shipping (no minimum purchase)

Sunday, Dec. 23: Last day for Prime free one-day shipping (in select areas)

Monday, Dec. 24: Last day for free same-day delivery (in select areas)

Whether you're buying for a specific person, looking for a gag gift, or need something that any given person would actually like, we've got you covered with some of the best stocking stuffers on Amazon. Prices vary in case you're on a purchase limit, and there's something for people of all ages.

Still need more time? If you don't mind paying for shipping, the last day to get one-day shipping is Dec. 23, and the last day to get same-day shipping is Dec. 24, as long as you order by 9:30 a.m. local time.

Credit: AMAZON

The Echo Dot

Best For Someone With A Smart Home

Hands-free help is the best help. Even if they don't have smart home stuff (but it's a bonus if they do), the Echo Dot and Alexa can still bring a ton of voice-command convenience. Use the Echo Dot to play music, keep schedules organized, set timers, check the weather, and more. (The newest model isn't back in stock until the 19th, but the 2nd generation is in stock and $10 cheaper.)

$19.99 AMAZON

Credit: FUNKO

A Funko Pop

Best For The Pop Culture Fanatic

Gifting to a geek? Funko Pops are where it's at. Shop adorable action figures from Marvel, Disney, or Star Wars, TV shows like Stranger Things and RuPaul's Drag Race, and literally anything else from the world of pop culture. They're fun toys for kids and great desk decor for adults. Note: if it's for a random gift exchange, just include a gift receipt so they can exchange it for one they like better. 

$5.99 AMAZON

Credit: HOST

Self-chilling glasses

Best For The Wine Connoiseur

Any experienced drinker knows the pain that is waiting for their favorite bottle to chill, and adding ice just waters alcohol content down. These self-chilling wine glasses house freezable inserts that keep drinks cold for up to 30 minutes and have built-in coasters on the bottom. Pint beer glasses, whiskey glasses, margarita glasses, and martini glasses are also available.

$21.98 AMAZON

Credit: MIND GLOWING

A realistic moon lamp

Best For The Eclectic Person

We'd bet they don't have one of these yet: A perfect combo of unique and functional, this 3D-printed moon lamp glows 16 different colors from a realistic lunar white to blue or purple, changing colors with a tap of the hand or the included remote control. Whether you've got an adult or kid gift exchange on your hands, it's a stellar gift.

$32.95 AMAZON

Credit: GOOGLE

The Google Cardboard

Best For The Gamer

Virtual reality stuff is hot right now, but let's be real — you're not about to drop $300 on a headset for a randomized gift exchange. You'll still have the coolest gift in the circle with the Google Cardboard: a literal cardboard headset that requires nothing more than a smartphone and some 360-degree VR apps to keep them entertained for hours. 

$15 AMAZON

Credit: TP-LINK

A smart plug

Best For Someone Constantly On The Go

Don't be one of those people who just throws in a gift card. If you're drawing a blank, a smart plug from TP-Link is the ultimate universal gift. They don't have to have a true smart home to use this (though they are Alexa and Google Home compatible) as they allow control over outlets via the Kasa smartphone app.

$16.99 AMAZON

Credit: YIHONG

Reusable straws

Best For Someone Going Green

Everyone knows that drinking with a straw automatically ups your fancy cred, but everyone (hopefully) knows that plastic straws are a big no-no. Not only do reusable metal straws make a great gift that they'll get a ton of use out of, but it's also a gift that you can feel good about. (There are even four bendy ones in this pack, because everyone knows those are superior.)

$8.99 AMAZON

A mini Sriracha keychain

Best For The Foodie

Make sure the person on your list is never without flavor with this mini Sriracha keychain. Sure, it's extra, but they'll be thankful to have one in their bag when their restaurant food tastes like cardboard. The actual Sriracha isn't included, but you can easily find that at the grocery store.

$14.23 AMAZON

Credit: FUJIFILM

The Fujifilm Instax Mini 9

Best For The Creative Person

Whether you're gifting to an artsy hipster or a mom who just has to document everything, an instant camera is a thoughtful, fun gift that can go with them everywhere. The Fujifilm Instax Mini has singlehandedly made Polaroid-style cameras cool again, with the newest model featuring a new selfie mirror, faster shutter speeds, and a macro lens.

$69 AMAZON

Credit: FITMAKER

A sunrise alarm clock

Best For Non-morning People

You don't have to know the person to know that they probably hate waking up in the morning as much as you do. This sunrise alarm clock can make the worst part of the day more bearable, mimicking a natural, gradual sunrise for a more peaceful wake-up. It can also aid in falling asleep with cool-toned sleepy nights and nature sounds.

$38.99 AMAZON

A plug-in odor eliminator

Best For Someone With Pets

No matter how clean someone claims their house is, random smells from pets, musty basements, dirty laundry, and more are inevitable. This wall-mount odor eliminator from Hamilton Beach contains a TrueAir Odor Eliminator and carbon trap filters to keep smelly areas like closets, litter boxes, or trash cans smelling fresh while doubling as a night light and white noise machine.

$19.98 AMAZON

Credit: CHOPSABERS

Light saber chopsticks

Best For The Star Wars Nerd

The gift that answers the age old question: Why use regular chopsticks when you can use light sabers? For Star Wars fans who double as lo mein aficionados, this pair of Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker (slash Rey, whichever trilogy you prefer) chopstick sabers actually light up. May the takeout be with you.

$17.17 AMAZON

Credit: DIVOOM

The Divoom Aurabox speaker

Best For The Person Who Has Everything

It's technically an alarm clock, but that's an understatement: The Divoom Aurabox a Bluetooth speaker, a microphone for phone calls, a temperature monitor, a sleep aid, and more, with pixel art that can be customized via the phone app to display the time, social media notifications, or even play a Tetris-style game.

$39.90 AMAZON

Credit: QUALIY

Salt and pepper shakers

Best For The Outdoorsy Person

But not just any set: This set of winter/summer salt and pepper shakers uses salt to act as snow around the pine tree and pepper to act as sand around the cactus, proving once and for all that inanimate objects can be adorable.

$42.99 AMAZON

Credit: AMAZON

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

Best For The Binge Watcher

Not everyone has made the jump to a fancy smart TV. Give the gift of 4K streaming and the laziest possible movie marathons with the newest Fire TV Stick. Plugging this guy into the side of the TV gets all their apps in one place and makes switching apps hands-free with the help of the Alexa voice remote. (Even if they already have a Fire Stick, it's probably the old model.)

$34.99 AMAZON

Credit: VINTAR

A motion-sensing toilet light

Best For Easily-amused People

Having to use the bathroom in the middle of the night and either 1. blinding yourself or 2. stubbing a toe is a universal problem — unless the toilet glows. This color-changing toilet light gives the perfect amount of light to do your business without needing bright ceiling lights. It's also motion sensing, turning on when you enter and off when you're done so you can get back to bed ASAP.

$12.99 AMAZON

A Prank Pack

Best For Someone With A Sense Of Humor

Whether the gift itself is also a prank or something legit, putting it in a gift box from Prank Pack guarantees some hilarious "WTF" faces — let's just hope they're not too scared to actually open it. Options include this ear wax candle kit, pet VR goggles, bacon scented dryer sheets, and more.

$7.99 AMAZON

Leah Stodart

Senior Shopping Reporter

Leah Stodart is a Philadelphia-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable where she covers and tests essential home tech like vacuums and TVs, plus eco-friendly hacks. Her ever-evolving experience in these categories comes in clutch when making recommendations on how to spend your money during shopping holidays like Black Friday, which Leah has been covering for Mashable since 2017.