Great Christmas Gifts Ideas on a Budget?

Jane.com and Etsy are great for gifts that are unique and inexpensive. Especially Jane.com. I've bought a ton of stuff there that's usually on sale, cute, and different from what you mind find in stores everywhere.

Just saw this last night and I would love to have one. Eddie Bauer catalog. It was a lanyard with a waterproof pouch on it that would carry a cell phone etc. Can't tell you how many times I've been to the beach, waterpark etc. that I could have used this. $5 with any purchase.

Small LED flashlights are great - everyone has a use for them.
I keep one in my purse, in the car, for power outages, etc.
Our son keeps one in his backpack.

I have had custom puzzles made before. You can use a photo that you have of their pet, children home, family heck I think even Walgreens and do them. Add some microwave popcorn and you have a family gift. I did some for my nephews. To took photos of their messy bedrooms, then made as search and find list to go along with it.

I ordered them from Jigsawpuzzle.com

I spent $40 and bought all the stuff necessary to make Christmas platters and mugs for my kid's teachers & neighbors (14 people). Bought the mugs/platters at the dollar store and goodwill, bought Sharpie oil paint pens and scrapbook stencils at Michaels (used 50% off coupons). The kids are doing the mugs for teachers, I'm doing platters for neighbors. Use the paint pens to draw on the mugs, or use the stencils to help draw initials, then bake in oven at 350 for 30 minutes and let cool overnight - dishwasher and microwave safe personalized gift!

Make your own ornaments - there are quite a few easy ones. Buy clear glass balls at the craft store and fill according to what you have and what the recipient's interests are: small shells and some sand for the beach lover, even odd buttons and hooks/eyes or snaps for the sewing maven, old game board pieces for the game lover, etc. There are easy ones (good for kids to work on too) using styrofoam balls and odd scraps of fabric. Calico works well but any cotton is fine. I made mine with a mix of calico prints in Christmas colors but you can use anything. Place a small square (maybe 1 inch square or a little more) or odd shape of fabric on the ball, and press the edges into the foam with a flat head screwdriver. Do all 4 edges. Take the next piece and lay it with one edge overlaying the crevice you made on Piece 1. Press the edge into the crevice you already made, then do the other 4 or 3 sides. Repeat until the whole ball is covered. The finished ball looks puffy and quilted but the fabric is really flat on the ball's surface. Take a piece of grosgrain or velvet ribbon, or some glittery string, or a piece of rickrack or even seam binding, make a loop, and press deep into the ball for a hanging loop. Use fabric remnants you have on hand or buy cheap cheap cheap at the fabric store - they will negotiate on the tiny bits they can't sell to any other crafter. These are really lightweight ornaments. Message me if this isn't clear enough and I will give you more details.

Make your own gift baskets with your own cookies (put in little cellophane bags tied with curling ribbon), 1 or 2 coffee samples from the local coffee roaster, some chocolate, homemade cranberry walnut bread (I use the mini loaf pans), some cute napkins with a funny saying, and maybe a coffee scoop from the dollar store. Tea lovers could use a pack of tea and a honey dipper. Do whatever you have and can find. Buy baskets at the dollar store and a big roll of clear cellophane - lay out a big sheet of cellophane, set the finished basket inside, and fold up the 2 edges, tying with a piece of curling ribbon and then adding more stands of curling ribbon if you want. The ribbon is cheap at any discount store.

Making cookies, breads, and ornaments are good for kids. Kids also like to make those pine cone bird feeders with peanut butter and birdseed. They're good for the kids' teachers, the senior citizen down the street (or in a nursing home) who has a little bird feeder hook outside the window, etc. They cost virtually nothing.

Small vendors are great sources - the little stained glass store, the local crafter at the holiday fairs, the craft cooperative, the farm stand that made great jam and preserves out of the berry harvest, etc.. Anything that's run by the actual owner is a place to ask for discounts or package deals.

Most restaurants give an extra $10 gift card when you buy $50, same with some department stores. The $10 card can be for you, or as a gift (perhaps with some baked goods) for all those people you like to remember - the paper delivery person, the letter carrier, the trash guy, the kids' teachers, etc.

Resale and thrift and consignment stores - often the goods are brand new with tags still on, not just gently used. An underutilized resource.

Movie tickets from AAA (if you're a member) are heavily discounted. We buy in the packs of 4 or 5, then split them up as needed.

Liquor stores - they often have bins of markdown wines, "oddball reds" and so on that are perfectly good but just not a line the store is going to keep carrying. Ask the wine manager for help and advice, but a nice $4 wine (marked down from $15) and 2 glasses or a wine stopper from the craft store makes a nice gift.

For petlovers - repurpose tee shirts and sweaters and sweatshirts into doggie and kitty beds - the stuffing can be all those single mate-less socks and ripped washcloths and stained tee shirts. Instructions available on line.

Handpainted flower pots if you are at all talented, or use stencils. Any pot at the thrift shop or with a chip in the paint from the regular store can be painted over (ask the stores for a discount for damaged goods). They make good counter containers for utensils too (wooden spoons, meat forks, tongs, all that stuff that doesn't fit in the drawer).

Sounds dumb, but my outdoorsy son used to collect rocks and bring them home. We washed them and he often painted them to make paperweights for Grandma and Uncle Bill.

Discount books and make your own bookmarks.

Bottom line - get out of the department stores and discount stores and into the independent stores for great ideas - lots of little things you put together yourself make very special gifts on a shoestring.

My daughter decided on a tumbler with pencils in it for her teachers - a Pinterest find.

We also made the peppermint ornaments - turned out super cute!

I agree with ornaments, or make goodies, or frame pictures. You can get inexpensive but pretty frames or frames to decorate at a thrift shop. Children can make artwork to be framed. I also look for deals all year long. Several children are getting play cooking sets I found on sale in the summer. I picked them up and put them away for Christmas. See if anyone still has Thanksgiving stuff out that is not too "themey" that you could use in current gift baskets. Michael's had little loaf trays you could fill with goodies or bake a treat in.

Who are you buying for? We made ornaments and gave each teacher a small gift card last year. Teachers also like letters and cards thanking them for their work. They seemed really appreciative of the notes we gave.

Whenever I see bath items on sale, I pick up a couple extras. I can make travel toiletry kits, dole out one lip gloss per kid, etc. I rarely keep nail polish or lip gloss or other things as "sets" and if you get a few (like from Five Below) you can easily mix and match into cute bags or baskets.