The holidays can be daunting when you have to find gifts that fit your budget when you’re low on cash and short on ideas. Growing up in a frugal family never meant we didn’t have fun at Christmas, though. My mom, the master seamstress, would use fabric scraps to fashion baby doll and Barbie clothes for my sister and I. She’d sew all year and at Christmas, our dolls would get new wardrobes and were the best dressed around! How I wish we’d saved some of those precious doll clothes that were so amazing, but back then it just seemed normal. Of course, this was long-before doll fashions were readily available. If you happen to be handy with a sewing machine, it’s a great, inexpensive way to make presents!
Homemade gifts are special because they are made with love and one-of-a-kind. Very few gifts still give you warm fuzzies years later as those someone crafted just for you! I think of all the hours my mom must have spent making those tiny, little doll clothes. Much time, re-doing, and fitting must have been required and all under covert operation as I don’t ever recall seeing her make them. These memories are truly The Good Stuff in life.
So, if you’re searching through couch cushions to find extra cash this year to get presents, don’t fret about it, just try one of the ideas in my Penny Pincher's Gift Guide, below. If you’re handy with sewing, knitting, scrapbooking, woodworking, or another artistic endeavor, use your talents to make something personal and one-of-a-kind special. But, KEEP IT SIMPLE so you can finish the project and don’t end up running to the mall when Christmas comes and your grandiose ideas fail to materialize.
Penny Pincher’s Gift Guide:
A Great Read
Give a copy of a favorite book you’ve read (a new release or a classic) as a gift with a hand-written note in the front explaining why you think that person will enjoy it with your Holiday wishes. It’s personal and inexpensive. If you need help locating a book, try: Amazon Books.
Magazine subscription
Everyone has a favorite pastime or hobby and giving a subscription to a publication that feeds their frenzy will be enjoyed throughout the year. You can purchase a newsstand copy of the latest issue to wrap with a hand-written holiday note to give it a personal touch. You can browse for ideas at Amazon’s magazine section by category: Amazon Magazines.
Personalized Calendar
This is a great one if you’re stumped for what to get parents and/or in-laws. Collect some cherished family photos (the larger the better, but don’t worry if they’re not perfect quality as that can be touched up or left as is for age-old charm), then and take them to a copy store like FedEx Kinko’s where they can make a personalized calendar using your photos. Then your parents/in-laws can enjoy the memories (again) all year!
Make a gift
Homemade gifts are great IF you have the time to make them, right? Well, here are a few frugal ideas you can make in a hurry:
Hot Chocolate Cones
To put a twist on this classic winter treat, create your own hot chocolate mixes to store in clear, plastic (frosting) piping bags - the disposable kind that come several to a package. When you’re done, the package ends up looking like an ice cream cone! Put several Hot Chocolate Cones together in basket, wrap with cellophane, and tie with a festive ribbon.
--Layer cocoa in first (store-bought envelopes are the fastest and easiest).
--Add marshmallows.
--Top with chocolate chips and/or crushed peppermint candies.
--Tie the top with a ribbon, and voilà!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
Homemade cookies are the best, but who has the time to gather all the ingredients (including a trip to the store for stuff you don’t have on hand) and whip them together after a long, taxing day with the kids or at work? For the cookie-lovers on your list, make these simple mixes to store in a quart-sized Mason jar wrapped with a pretty bow and personalized holiday card.
--Layer 1 cup choclate chips on the bottom. Tap jar to level/settle the chips.
--In a bowl, combine 2 c. flour, 1/2 tsp. baking powder & 1/2 tsp. salt.
Layer the mixture on top of the chocolate.
--Add 3/4 c. chopped walnuts or pecans (skip this for the nut-less variety).
--Layer 3/4 cup of firmly packed brown sugar on top.
--Seal the jar and tie it with a ribbon and attach this simple recipe:
Preheat oven to 350°. Have ready two nonstick baking sheets. Using a mixer or wooden spoon, cream together 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) softened butter with the brown sugar in the jar. Add 2 eggs, mixing them in one at a time. Add 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and blend. Add remaining ingredients from the jar and mix just until all the flour is absorbed. Use 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie spacing an inch apart. Make until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Makes 24 cookies.
Want More Homemade Gift Recipes?
Check out the Betty Crocker website for more ideas at: Betty Crocker Gift Giving.
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