As Thanksgiving descends quickly upon us, many of our thoughts will turn to Christmas gift giving. Christmas is often the most stressful times of the year for those who live on one income, and at times it can cause great dissension in families. (I can vividly still recall one Christmas family celebration that we were not invited to after I made the radical request for family “name drawing”.)
Christmas is a beautiful time for celebrating faith, family and friends and it is such a blessing to be able to keep the right focus. Our family has given creative, inexpensive gifts for the past several years. We have been blessed, not only by being true to our budget (and celebrating Christmas without debt!) but also by being able to work together to create family gifts. They have always been well received and enjoyed.
Creative Christmas Gifts:
-Create a Family Cookbook.
This was one of our absolute favorite family projects! Without telling various family members why, we solicited individual family favorite recipes from grandparents, Aunts and Uncles and cousins we celebrate the holidays with. Our children then typed the recipes and used clip art to decorate the pages. We printed off the necessary copies and purchased 3 ring binders/page protectors for each family represented. Although there are various other ways to create the cookbook, we found that the using a 3 ring binder allowed the family to add more recipes as they found others they liked. We then decorated the covers with a family picture (copied onto plain paper) and named the cookbook. This family gift cost less than $10 per family and was greatly LOVED!
--Cookies/Brownies in a Jar
This has recently become a very popular gift (and I never fainted the first time I saw a “cookie in a jar” gift at the local craft store for $10!) They are relatively easy to make and are inexpensive. Christmas Cookies –Gifts in a Jar has several great recipes! and you can find specific recipes/helps at Family Crafts . If you are familiar with this concept (or have made Cookies in A Jar previously) check out this website for other gift jar ideas.
--Potpourri Candles
This is simple enough for even a young child to do and makes a perfect gift for them to give.
Supplies: 1 8oz canning jar, one clear wide mouth votive candle holder, small bag potpourri and one small votive candle. Fill canning jar approx. ½ full with potpourri (Cinnamon is amazing this time of year), place small candle holder inside jar lid, place candle in votive candle holder. Enjoy!
--Family photos
In this era of digital cameras it is very easy and cost effective to give family photos for gifts. In order to have quality photos, first you will want to search out the perfect background. The perfect background is the one that represents your family the best. This can be a white sheet tacked to a wall, with your family standing elegantly in their special Christmas attire or it can be taken outdoors with nature providing the perfect background. If you plan to include ALL family members and cannot afford to purchase a tripod, you can ask a friend to take the photos for you.
Once the photos are completed, you can edit them (crop, remove red eye and even improve colors) with the picture software included in most computers when purchased. Be sure to practice on a variety of photos, you will become more comfortable and your photos will look their absolute best!
After the photos are edited, check with a variety of stores with photo printing capabilities. Wal-Mart offers this; however, we frequently find the best prices at Walgreens (check online for coupon codes!) Last year, we printed Christmas photos for the family—including 8x10’s, 5x7’s and a variety of poses in wallet sizes for cards for less than $30. Once you have had your photos processed, you can purchase a nice wood frame for a couple dollars. These make PERFECT gifts for family members, especially grandparents!
--Make your own coupons!
Utilizing your word processing program on your computer, you can create coupons for everyone on your shopping list! Some suggestions we have used successfully include: Free Babysitting; Dad can give Mom a coupon for one afternoon of Quiet Time; One Clean Room coupon—give your kids one coupon for you to clean their rooms. Be creative! Each family situation has special situations and will be blessed by receiving this thoughtful gift.
Happy Creating! There are other great ideas available for Christmas gift giving. Doing some online research may find you other creative options. May your Christmas season be joyous!
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