Last-minute Christmas gifts in London (that don't look last-minute)

It's the weekend before Christmas. You've done everyone except one person, and that person is the hardest one. The shops are packed, delivery dates have gone, and you're considering a voucher. Don't. Vouchers say "I forgot" in a nicer font. I've got you.

I'm Luis, and my stall in Covent Garden has saved a lot of last-minute Christmases. Here's the plan.

The last-minute rule: buy something you can carry out today

When it's late, online delivery is a gamble. Buying in person means no waiting, no tracking numbers and no "it'll arrive by the 27th". That's why market halls are the secret weapon of last-minute London shoppers.

Where: my stall at Jubilee Market Hall

• Address: Jubilee Market Hall, 1 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8BD
• When: every Saturday and Sunday
• Tube: Covent Garden (Piccadilly line), a few minutes' walk. Leicester Square and Holborn are close and often quicker.
• Map: search "Luis Alvarez Art" in Google Maps, or see my visit page.

Looking for a specific piece? WhatsApp me before you travel and I'll tell you if it's on the stall.

What to grab in five minutes flat

• Funny friend: Please Don't Do Cocaine in the Bathroom (£20). Instant laugh.
• Host of every party: This Ain't the Ritz (£20).
• Impossible person: I Just Farted, a one of a kind hand-painted antique image (£25).
• Stylish sister: a This Is Not a Louis Vuitton tote (£25).

When it needs to look like you planned it

Last-minute doesn't have to look last-minute. A hand-painted original says "I found this ages ago and saved it for you". Mine start at £55, and each one is unique.

Short on time? Order online, collect at the stall

Order on luisalvarezarts.com, choose collect from the stall at checkout, and pick it up on Saturday or Sunday. Your present is waiting and you skip the browsing. This works brilliantly if you can only get into town for half an hour.

Too late for the post? Two clever options

1. Print a picture of the gift. Order online, collect it after Christmas or have it posted, and put a photo of it in the card. It's still a real present, it just arrives fashionably late.
2. Give a commission. Write "IOU one painting in your own words" in the card and book a commission. It's the most personal gift on this list, and the deadline is January's problem.

Who's hardest to buy for, sorted

• Dad: It Is What It Is. He says it anyway.
• Mother-in-law: The Best Is Yet to Come. Kind, safe, and secretly hopeful.
• Teenager: the Random Crap Notebook. Finally, honesty.
• The person who has everything: an antique image. Nobody else has one, because only one exists.
• Your boss: Ha Ha Ha No, if you're brave enough. A tote if you're not.

Make it look wrapped, not panicked

• Ask me to wrap it. I wrap by hand on request, which saves you the Christmas Eve sellotape crisis.
• Keep prints flat. Ask for a stiff bag or card so nothing creases on the Tube.
• Write a proper card. Two honest sentences about why you chose it beat any amount of ribbon.

Make a morning of it

Covent Garden at Christmas is worth the trip: decorations in the Piazza, both market halls lit up, and good coffee in the side streets. Go early. Before 11am is calm; after 2pm the weekend before Christmas is a festival. My Christmas shopping in Covent Garden guide has the full route and timings.

Last-minute gifts by budget

Sweatshirts, T-shirts, totes and notebooks are made to order and take 7 to 10 days if posted, so for real last-minute gifts, choose prints, antique images or originals, or buy at the stall.

Last-minute gift questions