The terrible gifts you need to avoid giving to loved ones this Christmas

According to Finder, good gift-giving takes time, effort and a bit of thought.

But how do we avoid giving bad gifts?

A Current Affair and Finder have put together a guide of what not to buy your family and friends this Christmas, so you don't get caught out giving away some of what could arguably be the worst gifts possible.

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1. Sexy garden gnome

Finder's Editor-in-chief, Angus Kidman, said it's questionable whether garden gnomes are something people need at all, which is why a sexy garden gnome has taken out the top spot for worst gifts.

"I think we can all agree that what we don't need are garden gnomes lounging around in lingerie," Kidman told A Current Affair.

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2. Single-purpose appliances

Number two on the shonky gifts list are single-purpose appliances.

"It might be a hotdog maker, it might be a sausage roll maker, it might be a coffee machine that only makes piccolos," Kidman said.

"We know what happens to these presents, they end up at the back of the kitchen cupboard."

3. Calendars

Calendars are a traditional gift, but most of us now have phones that have a calendar on them.

"We don't need a piece of paper on the wall to tell you what day is coming up," the editor-in-chief said.

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4. Cheese

"I love cheese, but I don't want to be given cheese for Christmas. It doesn't travel well; it can go off," Kidman said.

5. Oversized gifts

According to the editor-in-chief, sometimes the best things come in small packages.

"There's nothing worse than when you travel and you end up with this enormous gift that you can't fit on the plane, or in the car boot," he said.

6. Anti-ageing skincare

"You really want to avoid giving people anti-ageing, anti-wrinkle creams," Kidman said.

"We don't want to be told by our loved ones, 'hey, you're looking a bit old, you're looking a bit tired'."

7. Gym memberships

"Basically you're implying to the recipient, 'hey, you're looking a bit out of shape, you could do a bit more in this department'," the editor-in-chief said, about giving gym memberships as a gift.

8. Cleaning appliances

Cleaning products and appliances are on the don't buy list and Kidman said when being gifted things like a vacuum cleaner, it doesn't have a very seasonal feel about it.

"Nobody wants to be told, 'hey, your place is looking a bit messy'," he explained.

9. Socks

Kidman believes nobody needs more socks.

"We've got plenty of socks. If you need more socks, every supermarket sells them," he said.

10. Baby or pet gifts

According to Kidman, the most thoughtless Christmas gifts are baby or pet gifts - particularly for those who don't have either.

"If you don't have kids, you don't want to get kids' products and if you don't have a pet, you don't want to get a dog collar," he said.

"For the most part, that is one to avoid."

Gifts that end up in the bin

According to marketing expert Peter Applebaum, over two per cent of gifts given at Christmas time end up in the bin, and seven per cent are returned.

"This year it's expected we'll spend over $27 billion for Christmas presents, and that's over $1000 per person for presents, going out, entertaining," he said.

A Current Affair also took to the streets to ask Aussies what some of the worst gifts they received were.

Some of the worst gifts Aussies said they received:

• Water bottle

• A packet of straws

• Headband or belt

• Sand

• A picture book

• Socks and undies

• A pair of thongs