Cheap Christmas Gifts

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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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

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