Christmas gifting is an art a select few possess. Unfortunately, not everyone is skilled or observant enough to read between well-laid lines when you offhandedly mention what you want for Christmas.

There’s also some sort of shame attached to being completely transparent and plainly asking for what you want for Christmas. Some people—especially the more conservative types—can regard it as too straightforward, a little rude, and even bratty.

If you want to help your friends and family figure out what you want for Christmas without being too direct about it, here are some tips that will help you soft-launch (read: discreetly ask for) your wishlist.

If you don’t live on social media, soft-launching relationships have been all the rage. The art of soft launching is slowly revealing your newly formed relationship by hinting at your new significant other through obscure posts online.

Another amazing thing about posting what you want online is you get to see who has already seen it. Thank god for technology (in most cases)

This principle can easily be adapted to asking for your Christmas presents. By sharing what you want through an Instagram story, Facebook post, or another platform, you can show people exactly what you want. Adding a caption like “So pretty!” or “Want!” helps you seal the deal even further.

To level up the effectiveness of this method, you can post it through your close friends’ list so you know who sees it.

Now that there’s less danger in meeting up, you can also talk about what you want for Christmas. The old-fashioned way of mentioning what you saw online (with matching visual aids) during conversation is another way of helping people decide what to get you. If a topic related to your desired present comes up, you can mention it offhand.

Window shopping is the perfect opportunity to discreetly mention what you want to the people in your life | Photo by Becca McHaffie/Unsplash

If you’re going window shopping with friends or family, this is another opportunity to show them what you want. Try something on in front of a mirror, ask them if it looks good, then put it away with a sigh and a promise of “Oh, maybe next time.”

Initiate a Secret Santa situation

Going the Secret Santa route kills two birds with one stone: aside from having your wishlist on display, you also get to see what everyone wants for Christmas. It’s a fun, simple way of connecting with the people you care about—with the added sparkle of suspense.

These days, there are websites that automate the entire process. Instead of manually writing everything down, you can just input your names, dates, and your entire wishlist online.

The gift of giving is equally as wonderful as the gift of receiving! So make sure to gift back to the people you love | Photo by The Retro Store/Unsplash

While it’s nice to have a list of your own, the true spirit of Christmas is about sharing and giving back to the people you love. Or something. Soft-launching your own list is fun, but all the pastry baskets and custom furniture in the world can’t replace spending time with the people who mean the most to you.

And keep in mind, other people are probably soft-launching their own lists too. So keep an eye out, and gift as good (or even better!) as you get.