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!

I’ve entered full throttle mode on my Christmas gift shopping. On my frolics online to secure presents, I’ve come across these 10 gifts being sold on websites that I thought were absolutely phenomenal. At $5 (and sometimes less!), you get an incredible bargain deal for a really classy present that someone is sure to enjoy. Depending on how many friends and family are on your gift list this year, try to buy enough items to earn free shipping (since shipping costs are the only minor bummer about online shopping). However with careful planning, I was able to secure free shipping more than a few times. I haven’t been able to take advantage of all these cheap deals yet, so you can help me!

1. For anyone on your list who’s into retro-cool items, check out this absolutely adorable Fire department pen holder ($4.15). It will keep office writing utensils organized and has such wonderful detailing that it’s sure to brighten up any work space. It looks more like a mini sculpture than a pen holder!

2. I can’t believe this Air flow seat cushion is only $4.75. It’s great for use in the office, home or in the car. The special mesh design on the cushion is made to keep you cool and support your back.

3. If you have an acquaintance who likes unbearably cute kitchen items then this Apple cup and saucer ($3.70) is perfect. It adds color and fun to any kitchen since the cup is shaped like a big red apple. And at that price, honestly you cannot find a better unique cup design.

4. This Midnight Moon Oil Warmer ($3.70) is made of glazed porcelain and uses small tea lights to slowly warm your aromatic oils. Aromatherapy fans will love the special design and oil warming strategy. Even when not is use it adds a little elegance to any living room or bedroom.

5. I was so impressed with these handcrafted Peacock earrings (at only $2.35 per pair!) I bought 2 for my girlfriends and a pair for myself. The color of the handmade beads are a wonderful whirl of blues and greens that exactly match a peacock’s plumes. The earrings are big enough to make a statement but small enough to still look elegant.

6. This Glass Rose Candleholder ($4.90) reminded me of something out of “Beauty and the Beast.” It’s absolutely breath-taking and hard to believe it’s old-fashioned blown glass for that price. This gift kicks home decorating up a notch.

Read the rest of this entry »

Christmas stockings - they are a joy to see stuffed to the brim with gifts Christmas morning, but those of us who fill them know they can cost a nice bundle (especially if you have more than a couple to fill). For those of us who are looking to keep our budgets low this holiday season, consider creating homemade Christmas stocking stuffers instead. They’re  definitely a cheaper alternative and will still put a big smile on the recipient’s face.

1. Wool mittens/scarf: If you’re handy with knitting needles then now is the time to put them to work. Personalize each of these with the recipient’s favorite colors. If you’re better than average, consider adding initials or designs to your custom creation. If you don’t know how to knit, this idea could still work if you substitute another material like fleece for wool – fleece creations will only require some sewing skills.

2. Cross-stitched bookmarks: Few people think of including bookmarks as gifts, but these are actually very useful for both prolific and leisurely readers. The best thing

3. Perfume, cologne or other beauty samples: If you’re like me, then you collect all these little samples from the mall or magazines and throw them into your bathroom drawer and forget to use them. These are perfect sizes for stocking stuffers. If you don’t have a collection of samples like me, it’s never too late to make a trip to the mall and gather a bunch of these – department store reps are always giving out these samples during the holiday season.

4. Handmade charm bracelets: This is a gift any girl is sure to love! All you need is a narrow piece of pretty string and an assortment of little items like buttons, single earrings, game pieces, etc.

5. Paper dolls or paper airplanes: There are links all over the web to sites where you can print out designs for these. Simple print out on sturdier paper and then the recipient can create their own toys Christmas morning. Here are example sites for paper doll designs and paper airplane designs… just print these out and you’re done!

6. Homemade treats: Like fudge or cookies. The best part is you can make these in bulk and divide up the treats among all the stockings you have to fill. Try to experiment with holiday flavors to give these treats an extra special Christmas kick. For example, add a couple drops of peppermint flavoring to your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and suddenly – ta da! Chocolate mint chip cookies.

7. Bag of tasty gourmet nuts: To the secret to making this gift extra special is how you dress it. Try wrapping nuts in a vibrant cellophane sheet and dressing it up with a pretty ribbon, just like how they do it at the mall. Also, try to find an easy candied nuts recipe online and make these treats extra delicious.

8. Homemade play dough: Check out this how-to for homemade play dough. Essentially it’s just baking soda and corn starch. The link even provides an all-natural version if you’d like to make a more kid-safe version.

9. Homemade bubble making solution and wands: Bend pipe cleaners into fun shapes and put the water/corn syrup/dish washing liquid solution into a colorful container

10. Chocolate-covered fortune cookies/graham crackers/pretzels

Read the rest of this entry »