Each year millions of people wait until the last possible minute to do the bulk of their holiday shopping. Luckily, there are things you can do to make shopping for presents a breeze, even if you’re rapidly running out of time.

Cheryl Kramer, beauty editor at Redbook, often shops for gifts at the last minute and offers these tips for buying holiday presents at the eleventh hour:

• Magazines. A subscription to a favorite magazine is a quick and easy last-minute gift and something a friend can enjoy all year long. Just head to a newsstand, pick up one copy to wrap up, and include a note saying that more issues will be on the way.
• Gift baskets. Gift baskets also are great ideas and are easy to put together with items available at grocery stores or drug stores, many of which are open late on holidays. If someone on your list is a coffee lover, for instance, pick up a few bags of gourmet beans, a mug and some nice cookies or biscotti, and throw them in an attractive basket.
• Gift certificates. Gift certificates are always appreciated, and you can even buy them at a moment’s notice. Just log on to a Web site, buy a certificate from one of many stores and print out a confirmation to wrap up or send an-e-mail to the recipient.