What are your ideas for unique Christmas gifts. Something that is either handmade or reused or consumable.
- rockytopp
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The ladies where my daughter worked exchanged gifts at Christmas but had a rule that it could not be just something purchased in a store. It had to be something that they made, or could be a purchased item only if it was embellished in some way by the giver.For example, dish towels with embroidery work added, a shirt with a design painted or appliqued on. Just thought I would throw out a couple ideas.
- rockytopp
To add to the list of inexpensive, thoughtful gifts, here's some things under $10 to give at the holidays:
1. A $5 gift certificate to the local video rental store, the local coffee shop, or the local discount movie chain.
2. A delicious cake or quick bread mix (bought on sale with a coupon, or one of your own homemade mixes, along with directions), as well with a spatula or mixing spoon, and a loaf pan from the dollar store or variety store to go with it.
3. Dish towels! Dish cloths! Most people always seem to need these (well, I certainly do).
4. A collection of your own tried-and-true, favorite recipes, printed out on the computer, and put into pastic page protectors and a small 3 ring binder. It doesn't have to be a lot of recipes -- just your best ones!
5. One small Christmas ornament with some personal significance for the receiver. For instance, embellish a storebought ornament -- someone once painted a little cat figurine to look like my cat!
6. A cold-weather skin care kit consisting of a lip balm, a small purse-pak of tissues, and a small tube of hand cream, perhaps enclosed in a small zippered pouch.
7. A small first-aid kit you make up yourself for the car, office or home. Include at least band-aids, directions for how to proceed in certain emergencies such as a heart attack (find info online), a roll of gauze, a small scissors, a small tube of antibiotic ointment, etc.
8. An emergency kit for the car that you make up and package in small sturdy box. This COULD include: a SEND HELP sign, a road flare, a bottle of water, some granola bars (or candy or energy food), a small flashight, batteries, a blanket, matches & a candle in a small aluminum can, rock salt, kitty litter, etc., all depending on where your recipient lives and the weather there.
9. Gift certificates to walk or wash the recipient's dogs, or to care for their pets when they are away. Maybe include a small framed photo of the recipient's pet with your certicate.
10. Gift certificates to take the recipient out for coffee and a nice chat!
Whatever you give, give it in the spirit of the season, with love and cheerfulness. Happy Holidays!
Ness co-list mom of WasteNothing
This year I just started to get into candle making. So I bought xmas baskets, cello wrap, and paper filling at the $ store. I made 4 votive candles in cinnamon scent for each basket. (could be bought) Wrapped them in cello wrap w/ cinnamon sticks with raffia. They look very festive. And I had fun being creative.
Editor's Note:
I've been going back through the Christmas tips of the past. Here's good one that was submitted in 1999 that goes well with our brainstorm.
I just thought of a "tradition" that our family is going to let 'grow' as our family grows: A package with "love and happiness" for under the Christmas tree. Each year one of us (children with help of a parent when they are small) will put together a package with things (made or bought) that help to feel love and happiness.
I imagine that as the children grow, adults change, events in years are different, this "package" will be different every time.
This way I hope we will be able to focus on what is bringing us happiness and how important love is. More than expensive gifts and short lived thrills.
Karin Zimmerman - Rotterdam, The Netherlands
For those of us who will be wrapping and opening gifts, we may want to consider "downgrading" the packaging and wrapping of the things we purchase in the coming year. Instead of wasting what amounts to tons of Christmas wrap why not use seasonal or non seasonal dish clothes, aprons, tablecloths or towels to wrap some items? You could use place mats that have been rolled up and tied as a beautiful gift alone or with some kind of neat kitchen gizmo tucked inside. Use your imagination, and save a little space in the landfills.
I don't know how "unique" this is, but I like to give Christmas Baskets filled with baked goods and Dollar Tree items. I get the baskets at yard sales, second hand stores, etc. Haven't painted any yet as mine have all been in good condition. It's a thought though. I've also included 'snowman poop' (little marshmallows) with a 'note' that says...We've heard you've been 'bad', so here's the scoop...All you're getting this year is snowman poop! Of course, there are variations to this. There are hundreds of possibilities for these baskets. Lots of fun to create and the look from the receiver really warms your heart. My 'adult' kids usually get these.
Peace and blessings for the holiday season.
Mary M
I'm making "Church journals" for a family at church.
I've taken composition books I bought at the dollar store, covered them with paper in their favorite colors, used stickers of things they are interested in, and other matching paper to decorate them, and plan to attach a pen.
They are personal because I used their intrests and wrote their names on then in fancy writing.
Fairly inexpensive, and quite personal.
Edited because I forgot to add that I put their "birth verse" on their journal.
I found the birth verses at mybirthverse.com
Candy Colors
Place colorful candy sticks in small glass vases for a yummy centerpiece. Hang candy canes on outdoor wreaths, trees and garlands, and dip citrus-moistened rims of wine and martini glasses into crushed candy.
FOUND THIS IDEA ON SIMPLE LIVING.COM
Last Christmas being really low on cash I made CD case calendars using family pictures. So it was time intensive and love intensive without being pricey. I bought the empty jewel cases at a dozen for 5 dollars I think.
Now every month of the year my family gets to put up a new calendar page and family picture. I found using plain office paper and leaving 2 months on the same page, then folding it in half was a lot more effective for keeping all the pages actually inside the case itself.
I had so much fun doing it that once I had done all the family and friends one I changed the pictures to non family pics and included bright happy sayings and then gave some away to total strangers.
Good online software here to create what you have in mind.
bighugelabs.com/
There are always home made hot chocolate mixes or tea mixes thatyou can mix and put in dollar store jars and decorate with dollar store ribbon and maybe pics or stickers. Have I said dollar store yet?....lol
Last year, I gave each of my three children (28, 27 and 21) a bottle of wine from one of the cellars in the town where I grew up and one kg of biscuits (cookies, for you!) bought from a SAVF (Suid-Afrikaanse Vroue Federasie) job creation project in Johannesburg, RSA. These gifts were very well accepted and appreciated.
I am considering giving heirlooms as Christmas and birthday presents. The reason being that, if I do not give it now, the children may feel later (on my death!!) that they have houses full of furniture and no room for these generations-old items. Receiving it as a present from me, will, hopefully!, also make them appreciate these items even more.
I love to give gifts at Christmas. I have 3 sisters and they all make good money but work long hours ecspecially around the holidays. This year I plan to make up jar gifts of cookie mixes, coffees, teas and other cute and creative items. I am going to put them in holiday bags with blank Christmas tags for regifting. I have written a poem that explains my regifting gift. They will love having gifts from the heart and their sisters kitchen to pass on as needed.
My 3 brothers & sister and all there children are not able to spend Christmas together so our big holiday gathering is at Easter. We have a lots of games we play with trophies awarded. Our games are planned with age range of 3 years to 81, loads of fun. We started drawing names a few years ago, once again all names in the hat. All gifts must be handmade, we are always delighted with the love & thought put in the gifts. So our Christmas is spent with our own families.
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