I Need Some Help

[vecollins]

I have got to come up with some inexpensive Christmas gifts this year to make or something since my dh has moved out and is doing his own thing with his "girlfriend tramp" (sorry bout the tramp thing, it just came out).....but anyway do ya'll have any ideas to help me out, i need to get started now to be able to have it ready by then, maybe spending a few dollars here and there until then........
any suggestions would be appreciated greatly....thanks, vickie
or you can email me at vecollins@hotmail.com

[heaven]

vicky who are they for? the gifts, my dd's are getting baskets of bath stuff, that i am making, bath salts, soaps, new towels, toothbrushes ect.

[homesteadmamma]

Here is a very simple Christmas gift and doesn't cost hardly a thing. I'm thinking for adults here.

- An encouragement jar. Find a jar with a lid. Find some plain paper or you can use pretty paper if you like. Find some cute quotes, Bible scriptures (if you want), a couple of cute jokes and print them on a small piece of paper, one for each quote. Roll them paper around a pencil and pull the pencil out very gently. You now have rolled "scrolls". Place them into the jar carefully and put the top on. Find some pretty material (you can use an old dress, blouse etc. picked up at goodwill for practically nothing) and cut a circle out, large enough to put on top. Tie with pretty ribbon (again you find ribbon anywhere for next to nothing) and you have a pretty encouragement jar. They are huge hits.

- A gift of time - again this doesn't cost a thing. Write out on a card something you will do for someone. Maybe a family you know has kids - give them the gift of time in babysitting while they go out. You may want to give a senior a gift of time by mowing their lawn for them, or painting a wall. It isn't hard to give a gift of time to anyone and again, it doesn't cost anything.

- A gift of time to kids - again doesn't cost anything but maybe you can take them mall shopping, or for a bus ride. Again, think of something that child hasn't been able to do and then have some fun doing it.

- If its for kids, McDonald's coupons always go over big. You can get them in different amounts and I usually purchase them in $5.00 and I've never been disappointed when I've seen the kids that get them. They have their own little coupon book and can get what they want.

- Smaller kids - coloring books and crayons always go over big. Again you can pick up big coloring books at Walmart for reasonable prices and all they need is a small box of crayons.

- Homemade baking goes over big for anyone on your list. Cookies, bread, muffins always are a hit for those who don't bake.

- There are also many different mixes you can make. Just look here at "mixes in a jar". You can pretty up the jar again with a circle of material tied with a ribbon.

HTH

[vecollins]

The gifts would be for my mother, mother-in-law, father-in-law, stepfather, something unique for my 18 year old son and 17 year old daughter, my 2 nieces (12 and 14) and my 2 nephews (17 and 18)...........we have several small children in the family that i always just pick up a few toys at the dollar store for (they are between 1 and 7 years old) and easy to please.....thanks for all ya'lls help...vickie

[Jerseygirl]

Maybe a movie night would be a nice idea. I have bought a big dollar store bowl, filled it with coupon bought microwave popcorn, those 3/$1 Walgreens chocolate bars and a blockbuster gift certificate for a movie rental, or even pick up a reasonably priced video= Nice gift for $6-$15.
You can make cd's on your computer, if you can burn cd's. Dh's friend recently made him a cd of songs they listened to growing up and scanned a bunch of photos and turned it into the cd cover. It couldn't have cost him more than $2 to do, but it was really nice.

[Mom23boys]

You all came up with great ideas!! I thought the encouragement jar is a great idea!!

[Jenlee]

What about making some candies for the adults and putting it in tins from a Dollar store? I made candy for 35 of dh's employees last year and it cost me about $75 for everything, tins and ingredients.

Some of my easiest recipes are in a Holiday Baking thread here somewhere. They don't require unusual ingredients and alot are the same.

[vecollins]

thanks for all the suggestions ----i'll have to start visiting the dollar store with my change every week and picking up small items to make things with....any more ideas would be appreciated also..vickie

[debbiepete]

Hey Vickie. you have teenage duaghters right? I buy inexpensive baskets and fill them with bath items, makeup, pens, penscils, inexpensive note pads. Both my girls love them. I just watch for the .10 items at Walgreens and Dollar stores those work wonders.