The holidays are just around the corner, which means peppermint-flavored everything and stressing about what to get your loved ones. And if someone on your list is a book lover, it can get tricky: you know they love books, but what book to get them? Or picking a book, but questioning if they have already read it. (Answer: they probably have.)

I compiled a list of gift ideas for your book-loving friends and family members that’s more than just a new book or a Barnes & Noble gift card. The focus of this list is not buying new, so everything listed can be handmade or thrifted.

There is a lot of overconsumption and pressure to buy in the Bookstagram and BookTok sphere. But it is important to remember that there are so many cute book-related gifts that you can either make or buy secondhand. Here is a list of some of the best gifts you can thrift or make for the bookworm in your life.

Homemade bookmarks

Search up “DIY bookmarks” on Pinterest and you will be bombarded with an endless scroll of adorable bookmarks you can make with materials you already have. The possibilities are endless; it’s just a matter of picking out your material.

You can hand sew a pocket triangle that can fit on the corner of a book page, embroidered with their initial. Or pull out your toolbox to create flattened spoon bookmarks with thrifted silver spoons. A watercolor or hand-drawn bookmark on thick cardstock can be treasured forever. Bookmarks are the perfect stocking stuffer that the recipient can use every day.

Crochet or knitted book bag

If you know how to crochet, sew, or knit, then you probably already know how highly desired your skills are. Share your skills with a handmade tote bag, perfect for lugging books to and from the library. Just make sure to reinforce the straps to withstand the weight of all those pages.

Book stamp

While you can buy personalized book embossers, you can easily make a stamp that they will love just as much. Pinterest has hundreds of tutorials on how to make your own stamps with large erasers and a little skill. If stamps are too complex, you can design and print out personalized stickers using your printer and special sticker paper.

Whether a stamp or sticker, your friend will appreciate marking each of their books with their own signature.

Annotated copy of your favorite book

The idea of being gifted an annotated copy of a book that someone has read and loved and wants to share with me feels so intimate and personal. And if you are a bookworm yourself, this is the perfect way to connect with someone. While reading, fill the book with annotations: underlines of favorite quotations, doodles, silly remarks, and your thoughts and musings on each page. Then, you can gift this embellished copy, where they can enjoy not only the words of the author but your comments as well.

Treats for reading

You can never go wrong with gifting a sweet treat, especially if it is homemade. Cookies, brownies, dipped fruit, peppermint bark, and anything easy to share and grab with one hand will be the perfect fuel for a bookworm’s late-night reading session.

Bag of used books

For my 12th birthday, my mom gifted me a huge bag of used books, which is still one of the best gifts I have ever gotten. I can still remember the absolute joy of reaching down and grabbing book after book from inside the bag, each one a surprise. You can give this joy of surprise to your friends with this cheap alternative to raiding a Barnes & Noble.

I recommend heading to your local library for the cheapest book deals. Most libraries have their own bookstores, where they sell donated books for cheap. My local library sells books for a dollar or less, meaning I can stock up on second-hand books without going (too) broke.

The purpose of this is to get books they might not know about or would have never read, so don’t be worried about if they haven’t read something from this author. You might just introduce them to a new favorite book or author they would have never discovered.

If you want to make this idea even more advanced, try making an advent calendar. Thrift 12 or 24 books, wrap each one up, and number each for a bookish surprise each day of December.