Culture

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Kelsea Ballerini may be most known for her vocal prowess, but the “Blindsided” singer also loves going out of her way to give personalized presents to her friends and family. For her, it really is the thought that counts, as she finds sentimentality to be the ultimate gift anyone can receive.

“I’m much more of, like, a sentimental gift person rather than a physical gift, so it makes it harder,” Ballerini tells Billboard.

One of her favorite gifts that she’s ever received was actually from fans who donated to the Feel Your Way Through Fund, which the singer created in 2022 to help support non-profits surrounding mental health.

“They all donated to that fund so I could at the end of the year, give it to the organizations that I had set up. I was like, man, I feel known that that was a gift that a group of people thought to give me, that was really beautiful,” she says.

With the holidays dashing closer, it’s time to ramp up the hunt for gift ideas for everyone on your list. Whether there’s a Ballerini fan in your life or you’re looking for inspiration on thoughtful yet customizable gifts, the 30-year-old shared what she considers to be the best personalized gifts — including for significant others.

Her gift ideas don’t just apply to Christmas, either — they’re perfect year-round whether you have a birthday coming up or want to surprise your loved one with the country star’s-approved picks.

Keep reading to shop the country singer’s personalized gift ideas.

Best Personalized Gifts, According to Kelsea Ballerini

For Ballerini, she describes her favorite types of gifts as two things: a scrapbook or socks with a pet’s face on it (though the “Love Me Like You Mean It” singer is partial to dogs).

“I love a scrapbook or the socks with your dog’s face on it,” she tells Billboard. “I’m into that kind of vibe. Like an inside joke, that kind of thing. So that’s what I always am really drawn to. That’s also what I try to give everyone — it’s very difficult though.”

If you’re searching for a thoughtful and practical gift, you can’t go wrong with coffee. The singer’s love of the beverage not only has earned her an ambassadorship with the popular brewer The Original Donut Shop, but is another present she enjoys unwrapping as, especially when her schedule’s hectic, it brings a consistency and normalcy she craves at times.

“Coffee, ever since college, has been [there] for me” Bellerini explains. “I wake up, it’s the first thing I do no matter where I am, and I think the value of having something that consistent and reliable has really mattered more to me in this last year. So, yeah, it was a perfect partnership A) because I love coffee B) because I just love what it’s meant to me as my life has changed. It’s been very consistent and simple and just something that makes me happy every morning.”

If you’re on the hunt for gifts for coffee lovers, the CMT Music Award winner especially loves The Original Donut Shop’s regular flavor.

“I am normally pretty basic, so I’ll just do The Original Donut Shop and just leave it, but if I do want more of a treat, the Twix flavor is very good. It’s caramel, chocolate and coffee all in one,” she says.

In terms of sentimental and personalized gifts she’s received, her most special is an astrology necklace from her boyfriend, Chase Stokes.

“There is this necklace that my boyfriend got me and it’s a really pretty little Virgo charm, and that to me is very sentimental. I wear it almost every day.”

You can shop a similar version below.

Another gift for your partner that the country singer swears by is a surprise trip or experience.

“There’s something so romantic about being like, ‘Block these two days, pack your bags, we’re going somewhere,’ and just having a time to create memories. Memories are presents, and I think especially with me and my boyfriend, we’re both busy all the time, so just finding chunks of time to just invest in our relationship is really beautiful. I think that’s a good gift to be like, ‘OK, I’m not going to tell you much, but we’re doing an overnight trip or like a little day trip’ — whatever it is, and just kind of planning a surprise time,” she explains.

For fans, she’s also working on a gift that’s still a work in progress: a new album. Though in its early stages, Ballerini is to focus on staying true to herself and her own personal journey.

“What I realized as Welcome Mat became successful was that the more honest I can be — like detailed honest — somehow, the more relatable the music is,” she explains. “For me, because I always wanted my music and records to feel like they were for everyone, I may have rounded the edges and left out certain details just so it felt more universal. I realized through Welcome Mat that that’s just not the case. It’s been a really beautiful challenge to write about my life now, which is vastly different than my life looked when I was making my last record, but still find that same level of vulnerability and detail. I’m in the very beginning stages of it, but I’m finding that line and it’s been a really beautiful process and it’s definitely full of love, for sure.”

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best gender neutral gifts, gifts for dog lovers and the best gifts for musicians.