The holidays don’t have to overwhelm you financially. You may be rich with generosity but in reality, filled with other obligations, counting pennies with a long, long list of people you’d love to give a gift to…here’s how to cut corners without putting a budget on your heart. All of these ideas are heavy on the warm and fuzzy side. If you can work a camcorder or a computer and copying machine, you’re good to go. The best part is that you are going to “create” something and will put part of yourself into the gift, and that truly makes it an exceptional, unforgettable gift.
Here are just a few basic ideas that may spark some other ideas of your own:
- Are you crafty – at all? Don’t worry; you don’t have to be…to give something personal and homemade that a special recipient will treasure. Make a scrapbook for someone with whom you are very close. You can make it a magazine or newspaper devoted strictly to a giftee; or cover an empty, oversized journal with images of your friend or relative. You’ll be creating a keepsake scrapbook that you can fill with photocopied pictures of the person you’re celebrating, find quotes that are motivational or hopeful in nature; consider this many-paged book to be a very extensive and comprehensive greeting card. Ask the recipient’s closest family member for those photos you won’t keep (but you’ll enlarge for maximum impact with a photocopier—black and white copies give it an immediate “keepsake” feel. You can call the book “For You” or using the giftee’s name on the cover, “All About Chloe”– include maps or colorful photos of favorite places; photos of favorite writers, musicians, or athletes; Fortune Cookie fortunes; quotes that would be meaningful to the giftee. Consider who you’re creating the scrapbook for – list their interests, occupation, places they’ve lived or traveled to, favorite foods (include secret recipes)…In fact, if someone is very interested in, say, baking…make her a cookbook with recipes selected just for her.
- If, for example, you know someone who likes Chinese food, get a carton from your local Chinese restaurant and let the packaging “do the talking:” Fold recipes and place in the carton and sprinkle some home made confetti (cut-up pieces of paper) into it.
- If you can use a basic design program, you can create something unusual for someone, such as an “ad” about them or other faux document. It can be an Oscar if you want to recycle and redress an old trophy.
- Tried but true: a book of coupons for anything offering your services, from a massage to babysitting services. You can put them in any size box and wrap it in paper from a magazine for a chic, stylish and fresh look.
- If your budget will allow the expenditure, buy a magazine subscription geared to your giftee’s interests; you can find discounted (around $12) offers for most monthly magazines. Buy a single copy and wrap it and fill out one of the subscription cards, (covering the price) and paste it onto the cover of the wrapped issue of the current issue.
- If you know a sports fan whose team did something stunning and spectacular, find a photo from a newspaper (copies are available at your library) and frame the newspaper. Again, the idea here is that you’ve given much thought about the person you’re gifting; your gift will be greatly appreciated. You’ve shown you care about what they care about.
- Create an Andy Warhol-esque quartet of photos you hand-tint with markers or colored pencils. Find inexpensive frames and enlarge photos to give it a realistic feel.
- For an overworked friend or relative, create an “office survival” kit out of a kid’s metal lunchbox. Personalize it and fill with samples of soaps, perfumes, packs of hot chocolate or a candy bar, a mini-toothbrush, etc.
- If you can use a camcorder and can transfer it onto a friend’s computer, make a mini-movie that they can access and click on to see you extolling their virtues or remembering a favorite moment you’ve shared together. You leave it on their desktop (with permission from their spouse or roommate or parent) and you title the document “Click here for holiday warmth.”
- If you can knit, start a scarf or warm throw now that winter’s arrived. Bake an apple pie; or for next year, start on a quilt – it’s lavish in a non-ostentatious way. It shows you care and took the time to create this work of wearable – or edible art.
I once found a $3.99 unpainted miniature rowboat in a crafts dept. of a large art supply store. Don’t worry – you don’t need to do anything but paint “neatly.” I painted it a deep, warm blue– including the oars –and gave it to a boyfriend who liked boats and lived on the water. Twenty years later, he’s still got the boat and the scaled down oars which were about four inches long. A note from you about how “I’ll always be there for you” coupled with this charming, homemade “boat” can fit paper clips or you can throw marbles in for a sparkling and colorful effect.
I’m sure you’re catching on here;there’s a common thread running through all of the ideas listed above: connecting to the friend or relative by recognizing what makes them tick and what makes them special – to you and the world. And the personalized nature of all these gifts automatically makes them feel important to you. Family and friends…isn’t that what the holidays are all about?
