Recession x-mas gift ideas

[wendywii]

HI Everybody, since we're now in a recession a few ideas for x-mas on a budget will be posted here. any ideas welcome.... ;o)

[wendywii]

well, here we go...
a cute idea for stocking fillers.

you'll need:
a pack or two raisins or peanuts ( i use the chocolate covered ones for a better effect) Lidl and aldi sells packs for +- €1
a small bag
some ribbon
a piece of card if you're handwritting the verse
or a printer if you're going to print the verse:

Here's the verse:
'Heard you were a little naughty
so here's the scoop,
You're gettin a bit of snowman/reindeer poop!

Place raisins / peanuts in bag, tie on the ribbon. Punch hole in card with verse and attach to bag. BRILLIANT!!

[wendywii]

here another:

same as above. instead of the raisins / peanuts, fill bag with hot chocolate powder. Add a few marsmallows. Print or write the instructions for the hot chocolate on card with heading "SNOWMAN SOUP" and attach. You can also place the ingredients in a cup and add a candycane or even in a tub. Yummy!!

[krismcd03]

Dig out some old photos and stick them in a new album (2euro shop). It won't cost much but will mean a lot to the reciever, especially if you decorate it or write little quotes in it

[wendywii]

i used to sell these at cratf fairs and they are always best seller!
We all have a few candles lying around the house. I use to go to to carboot sales and pick up cheap cups and saucers (usually those english rose imitations) . If you're gonna chop a candle with a burned wick, make sure you cut the black wick off and remove any dust / black bits on the candle. Now break candle into little pieces. Tie the wick onto a chopstick or pencil and rest on the cup with the rest of the wick hanging down in the cup. Melt candle in a small old pot ( low temperature so the wax dont burn). Fill cup with wax. If the porcelain you're using is very thin, you might want to leave a teapoon sitting in the cup while you pour wax into it, just remove straight after. When set, cut wick to desired length. You can buy cheap candles from the pound shop. You can add a few drops of essential oil just before you pour wax into cup. If you want to color the wax, you can melt a small wax-crayon with the candle. PLEASE be careful as hot wax will give a nasty burn if spilled.

[wendywii]

have a few wine bottles spare? maybe a beer or cider bottle with metal cap? Well, why not rinse and fill with bubble bath? If you can remove the label, you can cut a strip of handmade paper, feather the edges and wrap around the bottle. Handwrite "Bath bubbly / Bath brew / Bath wine".
If anybody wants instructions on how to feather the edge on handmade paper, let me know and i'll post instructions...

[wendywii]

BRILLIANT krismcd03! I have mum in laws present now sorted!! ;o)

[wendywii]

heres another idea i posted on another thread:
if you can pull the labels off tubs, you can make your own little gift tub. Fill with bath goodies etc. It will make a lovely gift. Or maybe if you have friend who can take a joke, you can use the vanish tubs (i dont know if you can remove the label, its printed onto the plastic isn't it?) with some household cleaning goodies, maybe a pair of gloves, a dishcloth, a little scrubbing brush, a little sample bottle of handlotion.... a gift voucher for grocery shop such as dunnes or tesco? Large glass jars can work too. Cut a circle of fabric or nice wrapping paper and place over lid. Tie with ribbon or elastic band

[pauladublin08]

buy a basket and fill it with cans of stuff... or fruits,olives,they all can be bought cheap, and a bottle of wine in the middle.wrap a nice bow on handle and voila! the husband/mom/dads present sorted! :)

theres also the option of a breakfast basket... of course with brekkie items.. :)early in the morning to surprise someone

[pauladublin08]

another cheapie idea is you make a video, get a santa hat, and say what u love about your husband/boyfriend, what you think about him, all the love dovey stuff... burn on a CD... now you can get a picture of you two and print circle CD shape and glue it on yours.
Get any old cd box, remove all the papers and covers and print a colage of you 2 pictures thru the years....

its a nice romantic way of saying that you love that person....

Ps, i did it before, made my man cry! :) it works

[unapam]

I love these ideas...I am going to try some of them out over the weekend. Thanks! :-)

[Elnr83]

These ideas are brill!!

Keep em coming!

[HappyHunter]

Here's my idea for Christmas in a recession - the best gift you can give anyone is TIME.

Gifts are a lovely way of showing love & friendship - but at some stage whatever is given or received breaks, gets worn out, is eaten, is packaged in material that needs to be got rid of or is something that just sits in a corner, unused, or in a cupboard unseen and forgotten.

Spending time with the people you would normally buy some little gift for will give them something which costs nothing but so few people can "afford" because they are always rushing around. Time is something no one can buy, time is priceless.

Weather permitting spend a day going for a walk in a park or a forest area.

Invite people to your home for an afternoon or evening.

Visit elderly family and friends, do something for them that they really need done but are unable to do it themselves.

Whatever way you decide to spend time - the memory lasts forever.

[unapam]

Here's my idea for Christmas in a recession - the best gift you can give anyone is TIME.

Gifts are a lovely way of showing love & friendship - but at some stage whatever is given or received breaks, gets worn out, is eaten, is packaged in material that needs to be got rid of or is something that just sits in a corner, unused, or in a cupboard unseen and forgotten.

Spending time with the people you would normally buy some little gift for will give them something which costs nothing but so few people can "afford" because they are always rushing around. Time is something no one can buy, time is priceless.

Weather permitting spend a day going for a walk in a park or a forest area.

Invite people to your home for an afternoon or evening.

Visit elderly family and friends, do something for them that they really need done but are unable to do it themselves.

Whatever way you decide to spend time - the memory lasts forever.

Well said Happyhunter....you hit the nail on the head!

[wendywii]

Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.

- Theophrastus (372 BC - 287 BC), from Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers

re: Happyhunter - this is one of my most fav. quotes

[wendywii]

just had another little idea
Those cheap breadmixes you get in the shop? Why not fill a large coffee jar with it , decorate lid with a bit of scrap fabric, write /print instructions on card, attach and decorate with ribbon....

[wendywii]

Hi everybody
check out www.alenkasprintables.com. Click on the free printables tab - some lovely ideas (teabag envelopes, candywrappers, cocoa envelopes etc.) Lovely!!

[unapam]

This is easy to make and always brings a smile!

Download a picture of John Wayne or any cowboy, type in the following text..."John Wayne toilet roll...It's rough...it's tough...and it wont take S**t from anyone!"
Print it out and attach to the cheapest toilet roll you can find!

[wendywii]

My hubby loves John Wayne. I can just imaagine his face getting the toilet roll for Christmas!! Brilliant!!!

[jumbo_ing_around]

Here's my idea for Christmas in a recession - the best gift you can give anyone is TIME.

Gifts are a lovely way of showing love & friendship - but at some stage whatever is given or received breaks, gets worn out, is eaten, is packaged in material that needs to be got rid of or is something that just sits in a corner, unused, or in a cupboard unseen and forgotten.

Spending time with the people you would normally buy some little gift for will give them something which costs nothing but so few people can "afford" because they are always rushing around. Time is something no one can buy, time is priceless.

Weather permitting spend a day going for a walk in a park or a forest area.

Invite people to your home for an afternoon or evening.

Visit elderly family and friends, do something for them that they really need done but are unable to do it themselves.

Whatever way you decide to spend time - the memory lasts forever.

I had to comment.... to expand on this idea you can make up a little book of vouchers on your pc complete with images etc if desired. The vouchers in the above example would read something like:

This voucher entitles the bearer to drag me out for an afternoon walk in xyz area one sunny day.

or

This voucher entitles the bearer to dinner for two any Saturday evening in January at chez moi. Booking required.

You get the idea. Shopping trips... Housework for a day... Ironing etc etc

[jumbo_ing_around]

Baby sitting!!!

[Elnr83]

'special' vouchers for the one you love he he!

[magiceight]

I've done those 'vouchers' a few times as gifts, they're a great laugh :)

[paprika]

Home made foody gifts are great. Bake nice biscuits and wrap them up really nicely.
Or make some jam or jelly and put into a nice jar (maybe someone has some on JT?), put a piece of fabric over the lid and tie with a festive ribbon. Of course goes with a handmade card!
Or if you have only a plain jar you can jazz it up with some glass paint.

Or you can knit or sew something. Once I knitted a scarf for my then boyfriend. It turned out very thick and heavy at the end (it was my first ever knitting!!), so he can wear it only when he goes to the Arctic, but he liked the idea of handmade gifts.

My mum made me once a cross stitched picture and my dad framed it. It was thye best gift I ever got from them!

You can make chutneys as well.

Flavoured olive oil in nice bottles.

You can make boardgames at home from cardboard, coloured paper, corks and bits and pieces. They make a lovely present.

[rccrchickie]

You will find some very nice sounding confectionary recipes here.

http://www.greatbritishkitchen.co.uk/recipebook/index.php?option=com_rapidrecipe&page=viewcategory&category_id=170&Itemid=2

[bluecurlygirl]

I posted another thread under "Green Christmas Presents" - it's kinda like this thread so worth visiting before you post here to avoid duplication. It's a link to Susan Branch's website which brings you to a cookie jar covered in names of biscuits/buns/brownies etc. Just click on the name of the confection & the recipe comes up.

http://susanbranch.cmail2.com/l/568901/34te1ii/y

Recipe for a happy christmas:
Fill a house with equal parts of love, hope and peace.
Add the joy of children & the strength of older people
Season with the music of laughter and mistletoe kisses
Warm before a crackling fire and serve with tidings of comfort and joy!

(Nicked from the susan branch website!)

[paprika]

Baby sitting!!!

I WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!

[paprika]

http://www.meska.hu/?p=search&tech=&price_from=&price_to=&colors=&keyword=Kar%E1csonyi%2C%20adventi%20apr%F3s%E1gok&lcid=0

I usually get some ideas from this site. The stuff is handmade and for sale, but most of them are simple enough to make them at home at a minimum cost.

[magiceight]

I WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!

LMAO @ paprika :P When my son and my nephew were younger, my sister and I used to trade babysitting as if it were currency... We'd often give each other 'presents' of a night off! So funny :)

[paprika]

Oh, it's a pity I don't have siblings and my sis-in-law is a few thousand miles far... :(

Remembering other gift: a friend of mine painted a plain wooden box and decoupaged some lovely patterns on it and purchased some loose flavoured black tea by weight (my favourite flavour: Irish Cream!!!!!!!) put it in and it was lovely. We got it actually for our wedding and after we drank the tea my husband kept his pipe tobacco in the box.

[paprika]

Made of cardboard and painted.

[paprika]

With the serviette technique you can make impressive gifts and they are cheap too.

[palminnie1]

making origami pouches - put seeds collected in autumn from your garden as gifts.
I love the john wayne toilet paper,
the reindeer poop
the vouchers
and also the quote,
using ALL now for the family!
HA :)
P

[eddieconnors]

Hi,
We are supporting a lovely venture in co clare, which has an open farm for farm forest and river trails, hands on training to understand renewables and sustainable living. Children Parties, visitor centre, and training courses and also a huge indoor eco craft area with crafts like bird feeders from plastic bottles to spend hours at! Support this great amenity for Co Clare and beyond by having a look at www.imecofarm.com Thanks