Cheap Christmas Gifts

I heard about this idea for a children’s Christmas gift and it blew me away! Yes, it is homemade but even those who aren’t that artistically inclined can do this and have fun with making this gift!

How about creating a homemade costume box for kids this Christmas? Simply go and find or reuse a large over-sized box. Then decorate to your heart’s content. Glue on colorful fabrics, letters, designs, glitter and sparkles. Think of cartoon characters or hobbies that the kids like and press these pictures onto the box as well. After you’re done with decorating the box comes my favorite part… you get to fill it with goodies!

Raid Goodwill or other thrifty vintage stores and collect all types of clothes, accessories and other assorted items that would be perfect for costumes or dress up play. You can look for dresses, tutus, striped shirts, cargo slacks, vests, sunglasses, necklaces, hats, scarves, etc! The kookier the items the better and it doesn’t matter if they’re in perfect condition since they’ll be reserved for play time anyways. Throw all these items into the box and you have a gift that any kid is sure to adore! The best part is – this gift will provide amusement throughout the year and prove to be useful during themed parties or even other holidays like Halloween.

While you’re out, if you happen to find some good quality plain t-shirts that aren’t costume material and perhaps too plain as a gift, consider dressing them up with stencil designs and create your own homemade t-shirt print. See how adding a few simple green clovers to this plain white tee makes it super cool!

Tags: clothing, cool, homemade, jewelry, thrift store, toy

Every Christmas, it seems that toy stores tell us that there’s a new series of hottest toys available to give our little ones during the holidays. They top every kid’s “must have” list – but you have to wonder if your child really wants the toy, or if they simply want one because it seems all their friends are asking for it too? With these type of hot-ticket toys, parents can bet that the fad won’t last and there will be some other new toy to takes its place next month. Sadly with these coveted toy gifts, their playing power lasts only a couple days before kids get bored and stop playing with them in favor of their old favorites – so what toys are these that kids always turn to?

Old classics of course. I’ve put together some ideas for classic Christmas gifts for kids this season. The best thing about these classic gifts is that they tend to all be very inexpensive, especially in comparison to most toys bought in toy stores. Try choosing one of these special gift ideas for a child this Christmas – I guarantee they won’t be disappointed by these classic picks. They’ll be playing with them for years to come.

• Puzzles… not all puzzles are boring. Spice up this gift by picking a picture of your child’s favorite cartoon character or hobby. Putting the pieces of the puzzle together can be made into an activity where you get to spend time together talking with your child too. And if you’re up for the challenge, there are 3-D puzzles now available for you to complete which are very impressive looking when finished.

Disney-themed jigsaw puzzle

• Play dough… what child doesn’t like getting their hands dirty and creating something new? Play dough is a great gift that promises endless hours of entertainment that is a new playing experience every time. Choose exciting colors of dough for your kid to mold and sculpt with, as well as a few fun cookie cutter shapes.
• Crayons and coloring books… these provide creative entertainment for kids beyond plane and road trips. For younger kids, stick with the fat crayons which also come in different scents to match the color. Older kids will enjoy thinner crayons with more varieties of different color shades. This is the perfect present for developing artists.
• Bubbles… kids love bubbles. It’s just a fact that defies explanation. Make the bubble bottle even more fun by getting outrageously big wands or wands with kooky designs/shapes. The best part is this gift is practically free since it’s so simple and fast to make your own bubble solution.
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Tags: books, christmas, classic, dollar store, stocking stuffer, toy