There are lots of great gifts that can be purchased or made by hand for under $20, gifts that are both thoughtful and inexpensive at the same time. Put them in a pretty basket, decorative jar and wrap them up and tie a pretty ribbon around it and you'll truly have a beautiful gift for someone special--without breaking the bank!
I know you've probably heard it before but it's really true that you don't have to spend a lot of money to find that perfect gift for someone. Just be sure to put some time and thought into it and your gift will be well received...
1) Themed Gift Baskets: Baskets can be bought throughout the year at dollar stores and craft stores. They come in all different colors, you can even spray paint them if you want too. Decorative jar gifts and many other items can then be added to the baskets. You could use other containers as well such as flower pots, decorative bowls/boxes, cooking pots, jars, storage containers, or baking dishes. You can use anything that will hold the goodies. Here are a few of my favorite theme basket ideas:
Tea Lover - tea mug, variety of teas, tea pot, tea basket ...
Sports Lover (example golf) - tees, balls, towels, gift certificates ...
Italian - pasta, olives, sausage roll, cheese, wine ...
Fruit & Nuts - buy local fruits & nuts and arrange with candies ...
Coffee Lover - coffee beans, coffee liquor, cappacino mix, coffee cups ...
Bath/Body & Relaxation - homemade lotions & gels, perfume, salts, soaps, candles, & a journal ...
2) Restaurant.com Gift Certificate: Buy restaurant gift certificates from restaurant.com. You can get really awesome deals! There are 100’s of participating restaurants to choose from. Visit restaurant.com here. Just print and send! A great deal!
3) Gourmet Gift Mixes: These are easy to make and inexpensive. Just about anything can be made 'in a decorative jar'. For instance: Milk Bath in a Jar, Hot Spiced Wine Mix in a Jar, Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Jar, French Vanilla Cocoa Mix in a Jar, Cinnamon-Oat Pancakes in a Jar, Infused Liquor, etc. The ingredients can be altered to make low-fat, low-salt, or sugar free mixes.
I’ve included a recipe for Chocolate Chunk Hot Cocoa Mix below:
Makes: 1 gift (4 cups all)
Total Time: 10 minutes
What you need: 2 cups of unsweetened cocoa powder, ¾ cup of sugar; 8 ounces of chopped semisweet chocolate.
What To Do:
In a bowl, combine the cocoa, sugar, and chocolate. Store in an airtight container or decorative jar. Keep at room temperature for up to 4 months.
Include these instructions with your gift:
In a small saucepan, whisk, ¼ cup cocoa mix with ¾ cup of milk. Bring to bare simmer.
Serves 1
4) Photo/Scrapbook album: Include photos of the person that you are giving this to as a gift. Include journal entries on each page which makes the gift a lot more personable.
I hope you will be inspired by these 5 inexpensive holiday gift ideas. After all, it's not the amount of money you spend for a gift that matters the most, but that you cared enough to give something.
