Sometimes procrastination and pitifully low bank account balances force us to make some tough decisions around Christmas time. Instead of resorting to boring giftcards of paltry amounts or picking over the scraps from some big department store in the wee hours on Christmas Eve, try these cheap, cute and last minute gift ideas. Some of these ideas cost nothing!
See if any of these ideas fits your pocketbook and your schedule!
Homemade Edible Goodies
Cost: $10-$25
Who doesn’t love a holiday treat? Sure it isn’t something the gift recipient can keep forever, but it is something made with love just for him. He’ll appreciate it. Put your grandma’s slammin’ sweet potato pie recipe to use or try out that simple chocolate chip cookie recipe you saw online. Remember, presentation is important. Add the little extras that make it look decadent. Don’t be scared! If you can read, you can cook/bake. Just pay attention.
Customized Coupon/IOU
Cost: $0
Think about free, but thoughtful things you can do for the important people in your life. Use a word processing program to create adorable little coupons that spell out exactly what you are giving them. Maybe you can offer your sister babysitting once a week while she goes on date night with her husband or you can commit to dvd nights once a month with your college bff that you’ve been meaning to reconnect with as of late. Be creative, think about what would mean the most to them.
Hair Spa Kit
Cost: $15-$45
We love our hair! Give the woman in your life a kit of hair supplies that are specifically for her hair type. No need to buy the fancy, expensive stuff, stick to drugstores, locally owned beauty stores and even street vendors. If you know how to make good homemade hair treatments, even better! Think about shampoos, oils, conditioners, combs and moisturizers. Add a little note that explains why you chose those particular products. Put everything into a gift bag (another drugstore find) and there you have it!
Favorite Little Things Gift Bag
Cost: $5-$20
If you’re really low on cash, but you have a few bucks to spare, spring for a gift bag of that person’s favorite little things. Nothing is too small as long as it is thoughtful. Possible little things for the gift bag include gum, potato chips, hair accessories or even particular type of that pen you know she likes. The point is to show that you know that person not that you spent a lot of money.
Digital Mixtape
Cost: $10-$20
Some programs like iTunes allow users to purchase individual songs, group them together and gift them to someone else. What better way to show someone how you feel than through music?
Drugstore Make-Up Gift Bag
Cost: $20-$30
Pile on the fun stuff! Grab some funky (and inexpensive) nail polish colors, some playful eyeliners, a nice lip gloss or two and whatever else she might like. Place them in a gift bag or cosmetics bag and voila! Keep in mind the recipient’s skin tone and style when selecting make up items.
Vision Board Tools
Cost: $25-$50
The carefully selected and positioned magazine clippings on a cork board are awesome reminders of goals and dreams. Give the gift of encouragement by offering a vision board tool set. Tacks, glue, magazines and a cork board are the basic tools needed to create a vision board. You can assume that the gift recipient has scissors. You might be able to use magazines you already own. Include a note that explains how to make a vision board, why you chose the magazines you chose and why you are giving her this gift.
Digital Scrapbook
Cost: $0
You have 10 million pictures of you and your gift recipient from over the years and just as many stories too. Create something you can both enjoy and laugh about by making a digital scrapbook. You can go all DIY and use a program like Powerpoint or you can use free digital scrapbook programs like Mixbook. Add music, cool designs, pictures of course, scanned images of other memorable items and don’t forget to also include captions and mini-stories that explain the pictures. A digital scrapbook is free and theoretically lasts forever! Can’t beat that.
Traditional Scrapbook
Cost: $15-$30
Not too keen on the idea of a scrapbook you can’t touch? Do it the old fashioned way! Purchase a scrapbook with acid-free paper (to protect photos) from a craft store. Add in all the pictures, ticket stubs, ribbons, cards and whatever other trinkets represent your relationship with the gift recipient. Take some time to make it cute!
A Basket Full of Kisses
Cost: $0
Love does not pay the bills, but it is a gift! If you really don’t have the time or money to buy a special person in your life a gift, don’t sweat it! That person knows you well and understands that you have good intentions. The last thing you want to do is go further into debt over non-essential items. Get your money right for 2011 so you can give how you’d like to give next holiday season.
