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Creative, Inexpensive, Christmas Present Ideas
Hey ladies,
I know it is still a little ways away, but I am trying to get started on figuring out what I am getting my relatives for Christmas. As the economy is still horrible my husband and I are on a tight budget this year. I am wondering if any of you have creative ideas that are relatively inexpensive for gifts. I have plenty of time to make things, but little money to spend. Any and all ideas are welcome! These are some that I have thought of:
1. Calendar with wedding photos (since I got married in July) and with people's birthdays and important family dates on them,
2. Recipe book with our favorite recipies with little samples to go along with it.
3. Memory jar for our parents and grandparents this would be asking friends and families to e-mail or mail a kind memory they have of the person. Then putting them in a jar so the person could pull one out each day.
Thanks in advance for all your help! ~Mrs. Hart
Re: Creative, Inexpensive, Christmas Present Ideas
If you knit or crochet..you could make scarves for some people. I was hoping to do that one year, but I never learned how. I love the recipe book idea.
I actually had my MIL make my mom and sisters quilos (I think I've mentioned this on this board before). I found patterns that reminded me of them. Mom- Gators (she loves the football team), Older sis- ballerinas (she owned a dance studio before moving away), twin sis- cow print (she loves cows), and younger sis- school pattern (she's a teacher). So, if you have a sewing machine, you could do something like that.
There are a ton of ideas here:
http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/user/default.aspx?UserName=CraftsFAQ&m=1&PublicView=1#holidaygifts
I am doing mostly made gifts, and foods to gift this year. DH is out of a job and Christmas will be slim.
I really like the receipe book idea.
I recently made my boyfriend a New Orleans Saints fleece blanket. And he has asked me to make a Dallas Cowboys one for his son. I think Im gonna do these for a few different people. They are super easy and fairly inexpensive. Just 2 pieces of fleece (however big ya want the blanket to be) cut 6in strips all the way down each side and tie em together.
I really like the cookbook idea. I haven't had the time, but maybe this year, I'd like to make a cookbook of all my favorite receipies my family makes, and whatever other contributing recipies my aunts/cousins/grandma want to make and have it done up on My Publisher/Shutterfly/some program, haven't decided which yet to give as gifts. Maybe even do one for DH's side of the family too. My Publisher is doing 50% off right now, so I'm hoping to get my but in gear, cause the deals usually start disappearing close to the holidays.
The Nifty Foodie
Life/Craft Blog
Seriously, I could have bought all of Christmas today, in one store. We have a Kirklands and they have tons of nice things very inexpensive.
BUT, I also just read on another board about decluttering, and the poster said most of the clutter items were things given to them by others, things they really never wanted anyway.
I shop garage sales and more often than not I'll find pretty glass or pretty Christmas items. These work great for Christmas as well as my emergency gift box.
I love the recipe book idea too.
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I have been working on some glass etching for many Christmas gifts this year. ?I made a cute cookie jar etched with some snowflakes and then used a fun Christmas ribbon around the top. ?I plan on baking some holiday cookies and putting it in there. ?I made the in laws a set of nice glasses with their last initial on them. ?I'll also make a set of coasters for them. ?They have two grand daughters and a grand son already and with our little girl on the way, I will make a set of four coasters with a pic of each of the grand kids on one. ?My best friend LOVES wine and I have a cheap set of cobalt blue wine glasses that I got that I will etch a fun pattern on and probably make her a set of coasters as well. ?Very inexpensive, not too time consuming, and stuff I would be happy to get.??
I've started making baked items for Christmas. I go to Kohls or somewhere like that and get inexpensive decorative plate (but they're usually really cute and around $5-10 depending on Kohl's cash and sales). Then I put a bunch of baked goods like decorated sugar cookies that look really pretty and taste good, but are cheap when you do a bunch of them and give them to a bunch of people.
Last year we did homemade sugar cookies, caramel corn, chocolate covered bacon (gag gift for dad), rice krispies, gingerbread, and then arranged them on the decorative plate with nice wrapping and a bow.
Another thing we did once was make homemade Christmas ornaments.
You could get mason jars and make cookies in a jar- providing all of the ingredients except the wet ones like butter or eggs, then tying a ribbon around the outside with a cute hand-made tag with the recipe on it.
I've also made inexpensive wreaths- the dollar tree has lots of great fake flowers (you would pay $4-ish at Michaels) and ribbon.
Homemade vanilla and/or vanilla sugar is really easy to make but it looks nice and makes a nice gift. You could also play around with some spice recipes to make your own dipping sauce. World Market carries mini bottles of oil & you could inexpensively package the spices.
-I gave everyone recipe books last year - I waited until photo albums were half off at Michael's, and bought some cute single page ones in a variety of colors - then made recipe cards to match - they all kinda fit personalities- I also left some blank for them to fill in
I LOVE the idea of the memory jar. My grandmother is in her 90's and doesn't need anything, but I know that she would LOVE this - so excited, thank you!