Punkee’s Christmas Gift Guide: What To Give Your Dad Who ‘Doesn’t Want Anything’

I love buying Christmas pressies for my friends and family! It’s so fun to try and think of something special that will make them smile. But there’s one person I find incredibly hard to buy for: my dad. 

It’s already the middle of November and so far I’ve got him an ABBA pen that cost about $3. His two favourite things in the world are ABBA and Star Trek, so yes, his interests are totally random.

I decided to scroll through endless shopping websites to find a few Christmas gift ideas for the dad who says he “doesn’t want anything”, but will secretly judge you if you turn up empty-handed. Since I’ve already done the work, I figured I’d share my list in case it helps anybody stuck on struggle street.

From classy booze to high-tech products, here’s what to buy your dad this Christmas. 

Samsung’s Freestyle Portable Projector, $1,295 from Bing Lee

For those movie-loving dads out there, what’s a better gift than one that provides a home-movie experience again, and again, and again. This nifty little guy has an inbuilt 360° speaker and can project up to 100’’ of movie magic. Whether he has a blank wall in the lounge that’s screaming for some colour, or wants to hang a sheet up in the backyard, this is a pretty fun pressie.

A Whisky Advent Calendar, $349 to $999 from Liquor Loot

Children, move aside. This advent calendar is for adults, and it’s a classy way of gifting a bunch of whisky in one go. Choose from a mix of whiskies from around the world, Aussie or Japanese ones, Single Malt, or the big guy – old and rare whiskies. The website gives you a full list of what’s included, with big distilleries like Glenmorangie, Starward, Lark, Mars, Kempton and more inside. If whisky isn’t your old man’s style, they also have a gin advent calendar or a spirits advent calendar. 

Messina’s 2023 Christmas Coma Trifle, $250 from Messina

This monster of a trifle has become one of Messina’s most anticipated desserts – and for good reason. There’s layers of strawberry and marsala jelly, raspberry swiss rolls, vanilla custard gelato, chantilly cream, blood peach sorbet, raspberry meringue, passionfruit gel, chocolate garnish, and amarena cherry ganache-filled cherries. I’m drooling already. It serves 20 to 30 people, with a height of 12cm and a 22cm diameter. Wowza. Make sure it fits in your freezer!

Gozney Roccbox, was $799, now $639 from Gozney

Continuing with the food theme, this firecracker of a pressie is actually a present for your entire family. This powerful pizza oven is restaurant-grade, allowing your dad to make pizzas that look like they came directly from Naples. It runs on gas or an interchangeable wood burner, and it’s portable as well – so you can take it with you on road trips. It reaches a temperature of 500°C, and I’ve personally tasted a pizza from one of these ovens: it is worth EVERY cent. 

Natio Fuss Free Gift Set, $39.95 from Myer

If you simply want your dad to look after himself, this cute gift pack is perfect. It comes with a deodorant, face wash, firming face moisturiser and lip balm. Now all you have to do is convince him to actually use the damn thing!

Fujifilm Instax Mini40 Camera, was $179, now $152.15 from Myer

This retro-looking Instax camera will transport your dad back to his heyday when polaroids were all the rage. It’s compact, sleek and easy to use – perfect for those technologically challenged boomers. There’s a simple Selfie Mode, Automatic Exposure and it comes with a 12-month warranty. 

Gold or Silver Ring Making Class, $199 to $749, from Class Bento

Gifting an experience rather than a product is always a good idea. You can purchase different class options through Class Bento: $199 for 1x Sterling Silver ring, $349 for 2x Sterling Silver rings, $399 for 1x 9ct Gold ring, or $749 for 2x 9ct Gold rings. Whether you want to send both your parents away to create some sentimental keepsakes, or just your dad, this one is bound to be a winner.

The Aussie Man Weekender Gift Set, $69 from The Aussie Man

If your dad has any trips coming up in the near future, this handy little pack has everything he needs for his trip away. It comes in a sleek black toiletries bag, with a spiced sandalwood and honey body wash, argan oil shampoo and conditioner, plus an Aussie Man manicure kit. If he’s anything like my dad, you may need to teach him how to use the manicure kit. Godspeed.

Samsung 1TB T7 Shield Portable SSD Hard Drive, $168 from OfficeWorks

For our techy dads who need a bit of extra storage space, a hard drive is a practical option. This particular Samsung hard drive has a solid-state drive, so it’s sturdy and comes with a rubber grip so it’s less likely to get dropped. The HDD comes with a three-year warranty and can store videos, games, photos, applications and more.

UmamiPapi Chilli Oil, $15.50 from UmamiPapi

I don’t know if it’s a universal dad thing, but my dad is obsessed with chilli. Like, he’ll bring his own container of homemade chilli to a restaurant, obsessed. UmamiPapi has created some delish chilli oils, with garlic, onion, sesame, shallot, star anise and cinnamon bark. The reviews on their website are insane, and as a plus, they’re vegan!

Looking for more Christmas gift ideas? Punkee has you covered! Gifts for your Secret Santa recipient, your friend’s boyfriend you secretly hate and the eternal traveller. 

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Image credits: Myer, Bing Lee, UmamiPapi, OfficeWorks, The Aussie Man, Myer, Gozney, Messina, Liquor Loot