Cheap Christmas Gifts

Christmas is finally here! Hopefully all your gifts and presents are wrapped and ready to go!

The Christmas Elf wishes you peace, joy and happiness for the upcoming year. Have a happy holiday and a wonderful New Year!

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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Budget is high on everyone’s Christmas priority list this year. Previously I shared 7 unique and inexpensive gift ideas for him this season. I decided it was only fair to create a similar list for men to give them  special gift ideas for their ladies. Check out my list below of easy-to-make and cheap presents for her that she’ll be sure to love. Plus she’ll be so impressed with your creative side!

For daring gentlemen (or anyone else who wants to try their hand), here are 7 lovely and inexpensive gift ideas for your girlfriend this Christmas:

1. Make bath salts: Sound intimidating? Don’t worry – it’s incredibly easy. Simply purchase small sea salts or Epsom salts at any craft store or Target. Also pick out a pretty shade of food coloring for the salts and a nice-smelling perfume or essential oil. Vanilla is very soothing and sweet while floral scents are a bit more romantic. Pick out a nice jar or satchel. Mix the amount of salt you would like to include with a few drops of food coloring until you get a nice color she’ll like. Then add drops of the oil in and mix. (Be careful! Don’t douse the mixture in oil – it will be far too strong!) Ta-da! Done. Letting the salts sit in the jar for a week before will enhance the smell.

2. Make all-natural potpourri: “All-natural” is a popular word nowadays! Give your girl the smell of autumn and Christmas in her home – few can resist the smell of alluring spices in the air. This Autumn Aroma article provides good recipes on how to make your own potpourri to present as a gift. My personal favorite is the “Apple Spice” version they provide. It smells so good you’ll have to fight the temptation to eat it

3. Decorate a jewelry holder or keepsake box: Find a simple one for cheap at Goodwill or some other discount store. Purchase some bright paint, gemstones, pretty fabric, etc. to decorate this box with. Let your creative side loose! (But maybe consult friends or the net for good design ideas or combination colors… if you’re worried.) Finally once you’re finished with your creation, put a picture of the two of you in the box and present her with this treasure. Also note that you should decorate this box according to your girl’s style – if she’s into decals, darker colors or more classic looks, don’t feel obligated to go with pink and butterflies.

Dressing up a plant is similar to this, but on a smaller scale

4. Dress up a potted plant: I bet you’re thinking what this even means. Go out and buy a pretty-looking orchid or some other potted plant with a long sturdy stem. Then, make a trip to Michaels and pick up some malleable wire or thicker string and fake crystals/other gems. You’re going to have to drill small holes in each of these. “String” the crystals on the wire and wrap aesthetically around the plant stem. It’s like giving the plant a luxurious make-over and definitely spices up a nice traditional gift.

5. Make her custom lip gloss: THIS IS SO EASY. Buy a jar of petroleum jelly like Vaseline. Melt at 30-second intervals in a bowl in the microwave. Take out at the end of each interval and stir, making sure it’s not burning or doing something funky. When it’s a fluid texture, either add powdered fruit juice mix or coca mix. Experiment with the portions and it doesn’t need to be exact depending on how strong a flavor you want. (And depending on the recipient’s preferences, choose either chocolate or some other fruit flavor for lip gloss.) Once the powder is mixed in, microwave for 30 more seconds and give it the final mixing to make sure everything is combined. Place in small jar and let it cool and harden. Every time she uses it, she’ll think of you!

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The holiday season is approaching which means that it’s once again the time of year where we focus on shopping and picking gifts for our friends and loved ones. In our extensive gift-giving lists, there are bound to be one or two items that call for presents on the cheaper end of the spectrum.

These are usually gifts for your company’s white elephant exchange or for a casual friend. We’ve all received gifts of this caliber: You can tell they’re cheap, they’re not very useful and kind of tacky sometimes. For these gifts we’re looking for the cheapest item we can find that says, “Hey, I tried.” If you’re lucky you’ll find a present that the recipient will look at for 5 seconds before putting it away, never-to-be-seen again.

Don’t look cheap and give a gift that will make your recipient smile (for real). Here are some alternative cool ideas for inexpensive gift exchanges. Try them out, all for $10 or less:

1. Holiday serving bowl or platter – Kitchen supplies are always going to be useful no matter what the season. Usually people won’t invest in specialty holiday serving dishes since they’re mainly used one season a year, but when that time comes you can be sure these come in handy. Ross or Target has plenty of these items under $10.

2. Fancy chocolate bars tied with a nice ribbon – Anything edible is sure to be used… particularly if it’s something as delicious as chocolate. Take it up a notch and find some really unique flavors or chocolate that is really good quality. You don’t need that many – maybe 2 or 3. Tie with a nice ribbon and you have a really elegant gift.

3. Gourmet jam, mustard spread, or maple syrup – Going along with the food theme, all these items are pantry necessities. A good gourmet spread is sure to be enjoyed by the family for a long time after the holidays are over. Maple syrup is one of those items that everyone has, but usually is just picked up at the local grocery store. The difference between the grocery store high fructose version and real maple syrup is staggering.

4. Movie theater gift certificate – There’s a stigma against buying gift certificates or gift cards for people but trust me, anyone will appreciate these. Considering the prices of movie tickets nowadays even one free movie ticket is sure to receive a lot of gratitude.

5. Jigsaw puzzle – These are fun and addictive, which are killer combos for a gift. If you choose a nice design, then they can be laminated upon completion and hung up on the wall as décor.

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