Many times we all think we have to spend money in order to give a gift. This is not true. You don’t have to spend a dime to give someone a great gift.
When you take the time to create a special gift for someone, it has more meaning, more thought. It means you actually put some effort into the gift. Although many claim that they don’t have a creative bone in their body, honestly, they don’t need to. All they need is the desire to create a gift, and the skills to follow directions. And hey, we all learned how to do so in school.
Here are some gift ideas that you can do, that are simple and fun. Each one for a different age group.
My Special Purse (for the little princess in your life)
You will need:
An old purse, old keys and key ring, empty compact cases, tube of lip gloss, pen and paper, old wallet, play money (you can make), construction paper, marker and scissors.
To create:
1) Make sure the purse is cleaned out.
2) Place old keys onto a key ring place in the purse
3) Wipe out old cosmetics from compact cases. She can pretend to put on make up. But no mess
4) Place a pen and paper in the purse, small pad is sufficient, you can create a small pad of paper out of used sheets. That way there really isn’t any waste, if you were given a pen from a shop, this works well too.
5) Get your creative juices flowing, time to create funny money. Yep, you can get silly. You can use a dollar bill to make sure the size is accurate. Then simply choose colors to represent different bills, you can even say put the little girls name at the top. For example “The island of Kaylie”. Put a denomination in each corner, something on the back of each bill, cut them out, you are finished. Place the money in the old wallet when you are finished.
6) Place the wallet into the purse, you are finished.
This gift works great for little girls that are 4 to 6 years old.
Dad’s brief case
This is another fun gift idea to create. You will need the following items: old brief case, paper, old folders, a map, play money (you can create) pen, pencil. Maybe even create some fake bills to go in there.
1) Make sure the brief case is cleaned out.
2) Place the papers and folders inside.
3) Create some play money, put inside the case oh and don’t forget the bill or two. Make one out from the company of “Mom and Dad Incorporated” Room cleaning bill. How about “Ruby’s dinner” Dinner for 3, then list the meals served.
A twist on this would be to create a spy kit of sorts for those little ones that love to pretend they are a detective or a spy. Here are the times you will need: old brief case, paper, folders, tweezers, small snack bags, rubber bands, sun glasses, ball cap, newspaper with a space cut out. Business cards (create some)
1) Clean out the brief case.
2) Place the papers into the case in designated areas.
3) The tweezers and small snack bags are for gathering evidence, give them a good home in the case.
4) Sun glasses, ball cap and news paper are for changing ones appearance in a short amount of time.
5) All good detectives need business cards, you can create some out of construction paper to give them that special touch.
For the picky teen
Given that many of our youth love music, a good thing to do is to find out what music they like to listen to, put together a cd for them to enjoy, you can create a special cover for the gel case, give a list of all the songs with the artists names and more. Make it a mixed cd they kids will love it. Makes a great birthday present.
Give a plant
There are a lot of great plants that your probably have in your home that actually create off-spring rather easily. One such plant is called a Pathos. A simple cutting from this plant will create a great new plant in a matter of a week. Simply take the cutting place in water and watch the roots grow, then transplant into a pot with soil. Other great plants are spider plants, these actually have babies that off-shoot from the main plant. You can also create plants out of sweet potatoes, potatoes, pineapples, onions, garlic and many more. You can get creative with the pots as well. They don’t always have to be actual plant pots. For example, if someone enjoys a special coffee, use a coffee can to create the pot, you can decorate it up with some ribbons and such. Or how about a tea cup or coffee cup, these work great for small plants to live in for a little while until they are ready for new homes. You can typically pick up cups at yard sales or thrift stores for as little as a quarter.
A memory quilt
This does take time and the skill to sew with a machine. You will want to contact siblings and other relatives to gather up memorable pieces of clothing. Cut out equal size squares from the clothing donated, or if you wish not to do so, you could sew the item onto squares of clothing bigger than the clothing item (great for baby clothing), make sure all squares are of equal size. Write a story about each item involved in the quilt, it could be about the first time the item was worn, etc.
The little gardener
Dig out some of your old hand tools and create a special gift for the little one that likes to play in the dirt. You can create a small pale out of an old can, donate some seeds to the cause, veggie seeds work great. Include a shovel and a small hand rake as well. This is a great way to get the kids outside and enjoy the fresh air.
Homemade bubbles and bubble wands
Talk about a ton of fun. You need the following: A bottle of some sort from water, soda, what ever, dish soap, corn syrup, water, a metal pie pan, a wire hanger, electrical tape.
1) In a bowl mix together, 2 table spoons of dish soap, 1/4 cup corn syrup, and about 1-2 cups of water. After it is mixed, place into a bottle. Create a fun label for the outside, maybe “Sally’s silly bubbles” You will want the mix to set at least 24 hours before use.
2) Take the wire hanger, pull it apart. If you have a pair of pliers and can do so. If not, that’s okay too. If you have pliers, create a round section with a nice long handle. Fold the sharp end that is the handle down, wrap with the electrical tape for a soft grip handle. If you don’t have pliers, bend the hanger portion into a round shape that will fit into the pie pan. The curved end that usually fits over the bar in your closet, can be straightened then covered in the electrical tape to create a handle.
3) Do a test run with the new bubbles. Use the new wand you created and the pie pan/dish, pour some bubbles in and let the fun begin.
If everything works out okay, you are set to go.
Let your creative juices flow and have fun when giving gifts, remember you don’t always have to spend money to give a nice gift. Keep an eye out for more gift ideas to come. Especially those for those living frugally.
