4 Ways AI Can Assist With Last-Minute Christmas Preparations

The final weeks of the year tend to arrive all at once. Calendars fill up, workloads go off the charts, and suddenly the long-awaited rituals of festive preparation lose their excitement and feel rushed. If Christmas Eve is already around the corner and you’ve found yourself unprepared, consider delegating some of the heavy lifting to AI.

Generative AI can offer significant support with creativity and planning, reducing overwhelm, minimizing decision fatigue, accelerating assignments, and freeing up time for what matters most: spending the holidays present, joyful, and connected with people you care about.

Below are four practical ways AI can help you make fast progress and get holiday-ready even at the last minute.

Design a Personalized Greeting Card or Creative Surprise

AI image and video generators make it easy to create personalized, creative postcards and holiday greetings in very little time. Instead of choosing a generic store-bought card, you can design a custom visual or even a short videoclip that both expresses your authentic vibe and resonates with the recipient’s.

Many AI tools are available as mobile apps, allowing you to create on the go. The holiday rush often includes pockets of downtime, like waiting in line at the grocery store or sipping a festive latte, which you can use purposefully.

You can even create a stylized greeting card from your own photographs, delivering a more personal message infused with warmth and sentiment, or, alternatively, a playful, humorous twist that brings an immediate smile. Popular apps like ARTA will help you curate your creative directions, offering numerous options for artistic styles and aesthetics, from festive glam to dreamlike fantasy to nostalgic vintage.

AI can also assist with the written message. While it’s worth refining the final wording on your own to maintain a personal touch, AI can generate a decent first draft or offer several tone variations so you don’t have to start from a blank page.

If you want to take things a step further, music-generation tools like Suno can help you create a holiday jingle, an ambient soundtrack, or even a full song to accompany your digital Christmas greeting, elevating the festive atmosphere for your friends and family.

Research Digital Subscriptions for Gift Ideas

Digital subscriptions and gift cards can make excellent last-minute presents, as they still show thoughtfulness and care. They can reflect genuine attention to someone’s interests rather than coming across as rushed or generic, especially when they promote wellness, learning, or everyday enjoyment. The key is to combine practicality with personal relevance, turning a simple gift into a meaningful upgrade to someone’s lifestyle or routine.

AI chatbots can help you narrow down options by analyzing a person’s values, interests, habits, and even budget constraints. For example, you might prompt AI with something like: “Based on these traits—age, gender, character features, interests, and daily habits—suggest digital subscriptions that would make a thoughtful Christmas gift, and explain why each one is a good fit.”

AI can summarize reviews, compare pricing, weigh pros and cons, and highlight the most appealing options, saving you hours of research.

Use Virtual Try-On for Fashion and Beauty Decisions

Putting together the perfect holiday look is one of the most exciting yet time-consuming parts of festive preparation. AI-powered virtual try-on tools can significantly reduce the effort involved by helping you avoid endless running from store to store and trial-and-error experiments.

Many retailers now offer virtual fitting features that allow you to preview how clothing items may look on you before buying. It also makes it easier to shortlist your top options before heading to a physical store.

If you don’t have a specific brand or a preliminary outfit idea in mind, AI apps like OnStyle can suggest custom clothing ensembles, find your color matches, and advise on the accessories based on your personal style, the occasion, and the impression you want to make. You can then shop with a visual reference or ask AI to help locate similar items online.

The same applies to beauty decisions. Virtual makeup try-on tools like YouCam allow you to test complete looks or individual products, such as lipstick shades or eyeshadow palettes, with highly realistic results. Hairstyle simulations are also widely available, helping you decide on styling or whether a last-minute haircut is worth it.

Generate Christmas Menu Ideas and Grocery Lists

AI can help you put up a Christmas dinner plan tailored to your preferences and constraints. You can request menu suggestions based on cuisine, dietary needs, possible allergies, and the number of guests. For example, you may ask an AI chatbot: “Suggest a Christmas dinner menu for six people, including one vegetarian option, no nuts, and dishes that can be partially prepared in advance.”

Once the menu is set, AI can generate a complete grocery list and organize it for efficient shopping, reducing the stress of last-minute store runs. You can also ask it to flag commonly forgotten items, such as pantry staples, garnishes, or hosting essentials, so you don’t end up making repeat trips.

AI can even help you plan the cooking process itself. Preparing a big holiday meal often involves multiple dishes, tight timing, and parallel tasks, which can quickly become overwhelming, especially if you are debuting in a chef role. Ask AI to break everything down into a clear, manageable workflow, so multiple dishes come together smoothly. For example: “I am cooking Christmas dinner today. Here is the full list of dishes. Create a step-by-step cooking timeline so everything is ready at the same time and turns out well. Also, highlight any common mistakes I should avoid.”

If you have some extra time or feel inspired to experiment, you can ask AI for fresh ideas on food presentation and table settings, styled specifically for a Christmas atmosphere.