By Moshe Levis, founder of HerDay
A Christmas wish list template for your husband should fit on one page and answer every question he'd otherwise have to guess: your sizes, your favorites, what you'd rather not get, a few ideas sorted by type, links, where to buy, and when he needs it by.
Copy the template below into a note or an email, fill it in once, and send it to him. Below it: how to fill in each part, two illustrative examples, and common mistakes.
(If you're still working out how to bring it up, start with how to tell your husband what you want for Christmas. This post is the list itself.)
Quick answer: what goes on a wish list he can use
Sizes, so nothing has to be exchanged.
Favorites: colors, scents, treats, the little things he can add on.
A "no thanks" list, said kindly, so he can skip the guesses.
Ideas by type, not by price: small things, everyday upgrades, the one you won't buy yourself, an experience, and time.
Links and where to buy for anything specific.
A by-when date, so shipping isn't a surprise.
The template (copy and paste)
Select everything in the box, copy it into your notes app or an email, and fill in the blanks. Delete any line that doesn't apply.
MY WISH LIST (for you, from me)
1. Sizes
Tops: ___ | Pants/jeans: ___ | Dress: ___
Shoes: ___ | Ring: ___ | Pajamas/robe: ___
Fit notes (e.g. "size up in sweaters"): ___2. Favorites
Colors I wear most: ___
Colors I never wear: ___
Scents I like / scents I skip: ___
Favorite treat or snack: ___
My coffee or tea order: ___
Flowers I like: ___
Authors, shows or music I'm into right now: ___3. Ideas by type (pick from any row)
Small things (refills, stocking-size): ___
Everyday upgrade (something I use daily, just better): ___
The one I won't buy myself: ___
An experience (something to do, alone or together): ___
Time (a chore handled, an afternoon off): ___4. Links and where to buy
Item: ___ | Link: ___ | Size/color/version: ___
Item: ___ | Link: ___ | Size/color/version: ___
Stores or makers I like: ___5. No thanks (kindly)
Please skip: ___
I already have plenty of: ___6. Surprise zone
Happy to be surprised with: ___
Please check with me first on: ___7. By when
I'd like it by: ___ (Christmas is Friday, December 25)
Anything that ships: order early, store cutoffs vary.
How to fill it in
Give it about fifteen minutes. A few tips per section:
Sizes
Check the tags on the clothes you actually wear. If sizes run differently for you, say so in the fit notes. This section saves the most returns.
Favorites
This is for the small extras and the stocking. "Colors I never wear" is as useful as the colors you do.
Ideas by type
Sorting by type instead of price gives him room. He can choose what fits your household budget without having to ask, and you're not putting a number on anything. Try to put at least one idea in three of the five rows. The "time" row is easy to forget, and it's often the one that's hardest to buy.
Links and where to buy
Where the exact version matters (a book edition, a refill, a shade), paste the link and put the size or color right next to it. For everything else, a store or maker name is enough.
No thanks
Keep it short and kind: "Please skip candles, I have a drawer full" is clear and easy to hear. This list helps him as much as you, because it rules things out.
Surprise zone and by-when
If you like surprises, say where they're welcome. If you'd rather choose something yourself (shoes, a coat, jewelry), say so here. For the date, Christmas 2026 is Friday, December 25. If anything is being mailed within the lower 48 states, USPS lists recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before December 25: Thursday, December 17 for USPS Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail, Friday, December 18 for Priority Mail, and Saturday, December 19 for Priority Mail Express (USPS 2026 holiday shipping deadlines). Online stores set their own cutoffs, which can be earlier.
Examples (illustrative)
These two are made up to show the shape. Yours should sound like you.
Illustrative example 1: the always-cold reader.
Sizes: tops M, size up in sweaters. Favorites: deep green, never orange; unscented everything; dark chocolate with sea salt. Small things: refills of the unscented hand cream I use. Everyday upgrade: a reading pillow with arms, mine is flat. The one I won't buy myself: a long wool-blend coat, navy or charcoal (link below; please check the size chart). Experience: tickets to a winter choir concert. Time: one Sunday morning a month to sleep in. No thanks: mugs, novelty socks. By when: December 23.
Illustrative example 2: the weekend gardener.
Sizes: gloves S, shoes 8. Favorites: sage and cream, citrus scents, sunflowers. Small things: seed packets for tomatoes and basil. Everyday upgrade: a sturdy watering can that doesn't leak. The one I won't buy myself: a raised garden bed kit (link below). Experience: a guided walk at a botanical garden in the spring. Time: you take over the leaf raking this year. No thanks: decorative signs, more pots. Surprise zone: anything for the garden is welcome. By when: Christmas Eve.
Common mistakes that make a list hard to use
Too vague. "Something cozy" leaves him guessing. "A soft robe, knee length, gray or cream, size M" doesn't.
Too long. Twenty items reads like a catalog. Aim for one to three ideas per type.
Only big wishes. If every item is the one you won't buy yourself, there's no room for him to choose. Mix the types.
No sizes or versions. The right sweater in the wrong size is still a trip to the store.
Sending it too late. A list that arrives after the shipping cutoffs limits what he can get. Early December or before gives him room.
Scattered across five places. One note or one email. If you update it, tell him it changed.
Questions about wish lists
Isn't a wish list less romantic?
It doesn't have to be. He still chooses which item, how to wrap it and what to write in the card, and the surprise zone leaves room for the unexpected.
Should I put prices on my wish list?
You don't need to. Sorting ideas by type (small thing, upgrade, bigger wish, experience, time) lets him match the list to whatever budget you two have, without numbers on the page. If you've already agreed on a budget together, it's fine to mention it.
When should I send my wish list to my husband?
Early enough that shipping isn't a worry. With Christmas on Friday, December 25, and the USPS lower-48 recommended send-by dates starting December 17, sending your list by early December gives him time to order, compare and wrap.
Can I use this template for birthdays or anniversaries?
Yes. Change the by-when date and keep the rest. It's worth keeping the sizes and favorites sections up to date all year so the next list takes five minutes.
More ideas you can add to the "ideas by type" rows are in our guide to Christmas gifts for your wife, which is written for husbands. You're welcome to send it along with your list.
Send this to him
If he'd like ideas for you beyond the list, HerDay's free Monday email goes to him, not to you: one gift idea, one date idea and one small gesture, each with a source link and a reason it fits you. Nothing is bought or booked for him; he decides what to do with it.
He can get one gift, one date and one small gesture for you, free every Monday at wifeperks.com.
Sources (checked November 2, 2026): Christmas Day 2026 date: U.S. Office of Personnel Management federal holidays. Recommended holiday send-by dates for the contiguous U.S.: USPS 2026 Holiday Shipping Deadlines.
