"Frugal" Christmas Gift Ideas

[sophie81]

One year I recieved a loaf of Gourmet Bread and I just thought it was a very good idea. So the next year I went to the Dollar store purchased wire baskets and Red Kitchen Towels. Placed the kitchen towel over the bottom of the wire basket with the loaf of bread on top. Anyone else have any good ideas for cheap gifts that do not look cheap???

 

[MEM]

A popular idea that appears on these boards is the "movie night basket" -- an inexpensive basket, a gift card for a free movie rental, a box of microwave popcorn, and some "theatre-size" candy like Snowcaps. You could also do an Italian-dinner themed basket with pasta, sauce, cheese, bread, red and white check napkins. There is also the family game night basket - a classic board game or card game bought on sale along with the fixings for hot cocoa and maybe a bag of cookies.

The possibilities are limited only by your imagination!

 

[my3kids]

We made gorgeous soaps one year. We purchased the soap bases and added various colors, scents, herbs or other additives. I cooled them in loaf pans then wrapped the slices in plastic wrap. You can add a number to a basket and create a great gift. The soaps sell for about $6.00 a slice in boutiques so the collection makes a very nice gift. It was a very fun and exciting project for my children.

 

[judoha]

If you like to bake cookies, I got this idea from a Wilton yearbook a couple of years ago.

Wilton sells holiday themed cake and cookie pans every year. You can either buy them on clearance after the holidays and put them away for the following year or buy them using whatever coupons AC Moore or Michaels or whatever offers near you. I have used a green Christmas tree shaped pan and a silver star shaped cookie pan.

With some simple food coloring and sprinkles and a cookie press, you can pop out dozens of spritz cookies in a very short amount of time.

Fill up the cookie or cake pan with cookies, put some shrink wrap on it and tie it with a pretty ribbon. It takes many less cookies to fill a cookie pan than a cake pan because they are shallower!

It's very inexpensive and looks like you spent a bundle on it - they also are very appreciated by the people who receive them!

 

[we3disneygo]

Were doing soaps this year from dd11, we always try to make something to give, I have been getting the supply's at Hobby Lobby each week with a 40% off coupon. I got the huge bag of soap chips this week. I found a new book at the library with lots of nice idea's -which started the whole thing. One idea is take a bath sponge and set it in a soap mold and pour melted soap around it.....I also am giving someone a movie basket, skating coach-healthy snacks bucket....another thing ive seen is the stuff for smores in a glass canning jar with a snowman top and directions on how to make "snowman" soup. my grandma made out of an glass instant tea container a snow man, she painted white, then a face of a snowman, put a string of small christmas lights and topped it off with a childs christmas sock...very cute....she's 82!! hope these ideas help.....

 

[vanyel]

There's always the romantic basket - wine glasses (bought in a box of 4 then used for two different baskets) and crystal candle holders from TJ Max or Marshalls, a local wine (if you have one), small package of gourmet chocolates, candles for the candle holders and the basket either re-gifted, from garage sale (who would ever know?) or a dollar store.

I also did a bird watcher basket one year with a suet feeder, suet, bird Christmas ornament (s), and some other bird objects.

It's only limited by your imagination.

 

[arminnie]

Last year I bought some stockings on sale after the holidays - dirt cheap. I am filling them with homemade gifts - fudge, nuts, pumpkin bread, etc.

The other thing that I am doing for people that I want to remember with a "little" something is to send gift cards with a photo insert that also include a holiday CD. I got them from QVC - 18 for about $36.

 

[canwegosoon]

http://www.betterbudgeting.com/homemadegifts.htm
Has lots of great ideas

 

[grlpwrd]

I rotate themed gift baskets.

Some we're used over the years:

* office supplies with some cutesy stress reliever items like stress balls
* pet supplies including a toy
* movie night, but since so many folks use Netflix we didn't add GCs
* spa treatment with a book plus homemade glycerine soap and bath crystals
* cooking - jarred cooking herbs that I grew with ingredients
* Christmas themed - homemade gingerbread cookies, cocoa packets, and cookie cutters
* fruit and snack baskets for my kids' martial arts instructors - granola bars, protein bars, and fruit
* for kids - dress up or arts and crafts

Generally, I try to combine items I get cheaply using a coupon or is on clearance with something handmade.

Other ideas: burn you own CDs and find a template to label it, decoupage candy jars or other item, and sew, knit, or crochet.

There's also a list of witty gifts circulating on the net, like chocolate kisses in a whisk and your note would read "We whisk you a Merry Kiss-mas!" like at this site: http://20ishparents.com/holiday/christmas/sayingsforgifts.shtml

 

[MEM]

I saw this on the Martha Stewart show last night...

http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=stv560047&layout=martha


Its a "sugar scrub" similiar to the ones sold by Bath and Body Works for $20 a jar. The most expensive ingredient seems to be the sesame oil. Martha said she keeps it in her shower.

 

[hAm53]

last year we made homemade brownies and put them in these really cool christmas house boxes we found at the christmas tree shop (greast store ever!!!) for $1, then shrink wrapped them (2 shrink wraps for $1.29). we fit about 25 brownies in the huge box, and the total cost was something like $5. they were the biggest hit!

 

[hercamore]

I also saw the scrub made on Math'aa show yesterday that Mem mentioned.

Gonna try that myself!



herc.

 

[christinadei]

this year I got pretty christmas baskets from the dollar tree and I'm filling them with baked goods and maybe some other stuff like hot chocolate, coffee, coffee mugs, etc. I"m also making mini pumpkin loaves to go in them.

Last year I made cookies and put t hem in christmas tins that I also got from the dollar tree.

I'm also doing some movie night baskets with popcorn, movie candy, sodas and blockbuster gift cards and some family game night baskets with a game, and snacks, etc.

 

[mermaidwannabe]

These are great ideas. For great grandparents and older folks, I usually bake a banana bread and put it in a basket with some fruit, homemade cookies and nuts. They love this because they don't need anything, but they really appreciate the food.

 

[scorpad99]

I was at AC moore today and they had christmas themed bracelets that were on an piece of elastic, they had little round fancy glass votives and wrapped the christmas bracelet along the rim, enclose a votive candle and walla! Teachers gift! I got some for the teachers, also a nice gesture to bring to someone for a holiday get-together. The bracelets were a dollar and the glass votive was 22 cents. I`ll go get some nicer candles (probably yankees) but u could just get cheap ones at the dollar store for about 3/1.00........wrap up in some cello wrap , add some curly ribbon (after all presentation is most important)

 

[donnabc]

Home made soaps...turned out beautiful...got a mold, sent, color and soap block from Michaels (used several 40% off coupons of course )...very cheap and the folks at work loved them.

Home made bag holders...bought material, elastic and tread at Walmart and sewed up some of those plastic bag holders that people use in their kitchens!...got material that was on sale and generic or kitchen looking in theme.

Movie passes and a card

Home movie basket (got the baskets at Dollar tree, a box of candie on sale at one of the drug stores, one bag of microwave pop corn and a $5 gift card to Block Buster)...the teachers LOVED IT

Cookie mixes...I have a book that has nothing but recipes for cookie mixes...you layer the dry ingredients basically in a mason jar. Then you type up the directions (and the wet stuff to add) and attach it to the jar with ribbon. Get cheap christmas fabric and place it between the top that you normally seal and the rim that goes over it.

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!!
Live and learn...several years ago one of my christmas ideas did not turn out so well. So perhaps others can learn from my mistakes ...
I bought cheap wide mouth glass jars at the dollar tree, wax, wax shapes and wicks at Michaels (of course using the 40% off coupons...never pay full price there)
I had seen some candles with holiday shapes throughout the candles and thought...hummmm...that looks easy. I can do that!
Well I couldn't. The melted wax broke the glass jar sending wax all over my kitchen ...took months to get it out of all the nooks and cranies!

 

[justcruisin]

I love the idea of making soaps ... Can you give me more details? Will I find instructions at Michaels?

 

[Shanan]

I make homemade peanut brittle and give to my family and friends. During the year I buy sugar, vanilla and corn syrup when it goes on sale. I get tins at Hobby Lobby or Michaels after Christmas to put the brittle in. I also sell my brittle to people who want to give it as a "homemade" gift.

I took a great photo of all of my nephews this summer. I am going to print it 8x10 and frame it for my folks for their Christmas gift.

 

[Breakfast@Tiffany's]

For family type gifts, I always look for "snowman kit" accessories. The Dollar Store sells scarves, hats, gloves. You can find an old checker game at Goodwill to use the checkers for the eyes and mouth (or buttons would work) And craft stores usually carry fake vegetables like carrots for the nose. I put everything in a large tin or basket, along with a disposable camera to take pictures of their creation.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

Just subscribing...what great ideas! I'm using the bread in a basket idea for a gift for a neighbor's family, I hadn't thought of using a red dishtowel, that'll look nice. I like the snowman idea, really creative! I might have to see if I can use that one, too! Thanks!