Wanting creative, inexpensive Christmas gift ideas.

[Robin'sBrood]

Quote:
Oh, that is a good idea! There is a thread on here where MissPrissy (I think) made some gorgeous eggs... we could do ornament eggs for the extended family! Thanks!

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Quote:
YES! Great idea!

 

[debilorrah]

Do you have adults in your life that EXPECT things? If not, then I would stick with figuring stuff out for the kids. You can always come up with something..... I have great banana bread recipe that CANNOT be screwed up if you want it. PM me.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Nope, no adults that expect anything. I just like to give a little something to my aunts and uncle that I see on Christmas Eve. DH's relatives are getting nice cards, since they live out of state. The cousins' kids always get something small... this year it will just be smaller.

 

[horsejody]

This year the adults in my family are getting things like homemade vanilla extract, homemade fudge, chocolate covered pretzels, cookies, egg ornaments and throw pillows that I am making.

The chocolate covered pretzels are really cheap and easy. Most people love them.

 

[StupidBird]

My wish list for from the handy people includes:
- a nice little row of hooks on a board thing, painted white, to hang by the back door for garden/chicken coats, and a box with bottom same paint for the garden / chicken boots. and a little tray for odds n ends. All for right there on the back porch by the door.
- bird houses. Always could use more. Bat house too.
- tote system for the riding mower: trash bucket, reacher/grabber, pruners, phone and drink holder.
- new ridiculous large sun hat for gardening
- candied nuts (without soy, milk, gluten...)
- somebody to clean, sharpen, polish the wood, oil the metal, tighten and tune all my gardening tools and equipment.

well, hint, hint...maybe someone else wants these kinds of things. I'm doing foodie baskets with home made jams, salsa; coffee, cookies, nuts, fruit. Trying to find "healthy" goodies. I might do some embroidery, but of what? I enjoy finding practical things.

 

[fordmommy]

This is what I do. I take a nice cheap basket, add, tissue paper, a few jars of my homemade jelly, little bottles of bodywash and lotion, homemade soap, homemade cookies and candy, little homemade envelopes that I put in powder cappacinno mix-3 tsp each. And whatever else I can think of. And each family gets one. Such as: my SIL and FIL lived together and they get one. In this one I put in a box of cake mix because my FIL LOVES cake and loves to make it by the box and extra candy, he has a sweet tooth. And my MIL and her DH get one. And my parents get one, and here I add something extra like coffee and hot cocoa.

Everyone loves their gifts. You just stick in the basket little things that the person likes. Maybe a little orniment with their name or for a family, the last name. You get the picture.

And it's cheap. I usually get the baskets from rumage sales or goodwill.

 

[michickenwrangler]

I always do food. Everyone in my family has more money than I, so it's hard to buy them something they can't buy themselves. Real Michigan maple syrup is a favorite (or from the state of your choice), elk jerky for my brother who lives in SF Bay area now, pumpkin cupcakes, Michigan cherry wine. A lot of my family has dogs and they are happy to receive stuff for their dogs like treats or a custom leash

 

[gritsar]

I do three things - candy (fudge, peanut brittle and haystacks), homemade bath salts in a jar and potpourri in a jar. These are super easy to make.
Get quart mason jars, potpourri, 15 -25 count strand of white christmas lights (hard to find, but usually family dollar/dollar general has them). Also, small coaster sized doillies (sp?) (also available at family dollar).
Alternately add the lights and the potpourri to the jar, so that the lights are spaced out thru the potpourri.
Once the jar is filled, cover with the doillie using a thin strand of ribbon to secure it and tie the ribbon in a bow.
When the lights are lit they emit just enough heat to warm the potpourri and scent the room.
We have one here in the house that I made for DH's mom about 6 years ago. When the scent wears out I just replace the potpourri with fresh.
If you'd like the recipe for homemade bath salts, PM me and I'll dig it up out of my files.

 

[acdoc]

ok thats enuf of the candy talk.. I want some potato candy