I haven’t been big on Christmas gifts ever since opening the largest box in my lot under the tree to find a Dress ‘N Dazzle playset, with a frilly gown and pink accessories, that as a 6-year-old tomboy made me feel devastatingly misunderstood. When you don’t know the concept of First-World problems, they can leave a mark.

My distaste for the holiday as a whole only grew after that, until a couple years ago, when I emerged from total Scrooge-dom and started allowing myself to indulge in the cheesy comfort of Hallmark Christmas movies and enjoy the simple pleasure of intermittent whiffs of pine by getting a small tree for my apartment. But it looked so bare without anything beneath it that I gave in and started buying presents. Ostensibly, they were for the household, though every night for the past 11 months, since tearing open the paper I wrapped myself, I’m the one who ends up swaddled in the oversized throw that I wouldn’t have splurged on otherwise.

The point is that gifts can serve different purposes. And while my present-buying remains solely for decoration and self-love, I’m sure others are forced to take part in gift exchanges with people they’d rather not spend money on. If you can’t handle the awkwardness of refusing to participate, consider this option: the passive-aggressive gift.

From purveyors right here in Maine, you can find plenty of locally made presents that can also help you deliver a message to someone about how they might improve themselves, like a backhanded compliment wrapped in bow. Just don’t use them to try to change your child’s personality.

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For the rich cousin whose house is always freezing cold

ChappyWrap blanket, $160 for standard 60-inch-by-80-inch size. This is the Portland-based brand of the aforementioned blanket I bought myself and have considered doing again under the guise of gifting it to someone, so I can use it at their ultra-cold house. It’s a way of saying, “I’ve noticed you’re a cheapskate who cares little for the comfort of your guests.” If you’re willing to spend this much on a coworker, it can also be used to shut down their constant complaints about the office temperature.

For the grandparent whose clothes smell like mothballs

Perry Home Naturals Maine Woods sachet gift box, $45. This collection of Oxford-made balsam fir sachets, adorned with moose and evergreen trees, is a cute and subtle way of making long hugs with your loved ones more bearable. Take note of which clothing items are most musty to inform your suggestions about where to place these throughout their house. Or just do it for them and let your gift double as a scavenger hunt.

For the out-of-state uncle with perpetually dry elbows

Marin soothing hydration cream, $34.99 for 4-ounce tube. It doesn’t get more Maine than slathering a lobster-processing byproduct all over your body as part of your morning routine. The blaze orange packaging is more utilitarian-looking than your typical gifted beauty product, but that’s what makes it perfect for the more practical person on your list — and sells it to people from away as a trade secret of our hardy manual laborers. The Portland company’s 1.75-ounce tubes and lip treatments can also make great stocking stuffers.

For the mom whose cooking could use more flavor

Skordo Cook New England spice set, $66. Is there a home cook in your life whose bland food you’re frequently forced to choke down? By gifting them a set of spices, you can flip the script and guilt them into using your Christmas present every time they make you a meal. Choose from several gift sets or build your own with the best spice combinations, all hand-blended in Brunswick, to suit their recipe repertoire, like the alehouse rub to pepper up their pork shoulder or Chinese five spice to enhance a stir fry.

For the friend who needs to chill

Pot + Pan Pumpkin Spice Latte Chocolate Bar, $48. There’s no shortage of options for edible THC-infused products in Maine, but Pot + Pan’s packaging make theirs particularly gift-worthy. Plus, the Portland company is focused on the culinary quality of its products, which include gummies, chocolate bars and bundt cakes. Pick the flavor that’s most likely to appeal to your high-strung pal, but if you don’t know their preferences, for a certain subset of the Type A crowd, pumpkin spice is a pretty sure bet.