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!

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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I know boyfriends are hard to shop for. You want to give them something personal and meaningful, yet useful at the same time. Let’s be honest – you can write the sweetest holiday poem in the world for your boyfriend, but it will most likely only be enjoyed for the moment and then stashed away in a drawer for the rest of the year. This is the predicament that all girlfriends go through when the holiday season hits. Plus, it’s important to keep in mind budget as well.

For lovely ladies everywhere, here is a list of 7 unique and inexpensive (and I mean really cheap!) gift ideas for your special man this Christmas. Put in the effort and give him a surprise he won’t forget!

1. Make chocolate-covered strawberries with sweet messages: Trust me, it’s super easy and they are a personal favorite! Everyone loves chocolate-covered strawberries Pick up 1 or 2 cartons of strawberries from any grocery (depending on how many you want to make of course) as well as large bars of chocolate for melting. The chocolate bars are usually in the baking aisle, or them come in chip form, pre-packaged in boxes. Type of chocolate is up to you, but I prefer dark chocolate and white chocolate. Melt the dark chocolate in a saucepan (low heat) and cover the strawberries completely. After chilling in the fridge until the chocolate crust is hard, melt the white chocolate to do little hearts and swirl patterns on the dark crust – this extra step makes them look store-bought and gourmet! Then obtain muffin holders and write sweet messages to your boyfriend on the bottom of each cup. Place one finished strawberry in each cup and present him with the batch. He’s sure to love this sweet treat.

2. Make him a custom game bowl or hard case: Find a hard suitcase from any Goodwill or find nice, large snack bowls from Target. Clean the surfaces of these items appropriately and then decorate with stickers or decals from his favorite sports teams or music artists. For the game bowl, choose his favorite team color and decorate randomly with stickers from his favorite sports team. This will be useful as a snack dish for when he’s enjoying games on TV. For the hard case, you can decorate with stickers, decals, or logos representing anything he likes so that he can have a custom and personalized carry-on.

It has such a cool, retro look

3. Burn your own special music: A classic idea originating from the “mixed tape.” Create your own special CD compilation with all of your special songs that you share with him. It’s a meaningful gift that he can pop in and listen to whenever to remind himself of you and inspire those loving feelings.

4. Design a picture frame with a special quote:  Purchase an inexpensive wood frame from Target or IKEA – just make sure it has a thick border to decorate. Paint and customize the frame with a quote or saying that’s meaningful for the two of you. A lyric from “your song” works well for this. Pick a picture of the both of you that looks great… print, frame and it’s finished!

5. Personalize a Christmas stocking: Buy a plain Christmas stocking and decorate with trinkets for a hobby he likes. For example, if your boyfriend enjoys computer programming or computer games, you can hot glue microchips, cables, old pawn shop video games, etc. onto the stocking. This idea turns out really cute and is useful for all the Christmas holidays to come. Finish off by stuffing the stocking with his favorite candies and Christmas treats.

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