Low Cost Gift Ideas for Christmas

Thanksgiving is just two weeks away and I know you are already making your Christmas list and checking it twice. Today I am sharing some low cost gift ideas for Christmas. I would love for you to add your ideas in the comments too.

Low Cost Gift Ideas for Christmas
If Christmas shopping has you worried, maybe there are some ways to show love and give from the heart without breaking the bank. There are many who are unemployed and underemployed. Low-cost gift ideas can help.

Begin by thinking of things you enjoy doing and are good at. Do you work on cars? Do you cut hair? Do you sew, crochet or knit? Do you enjoy cooking or baking?

Giving a gift from the heart is a wonderful way to give at Christmas time.

Here are Some Low-Cost Gift Ideas:

For the Crafty:

• Homemade items like shawls, scarves, or mittens. There are free patterns available online at places like Ravelry or Lion Brand.
• Gifts in a jar can include ideas for soups or cookie mixes. These are great for teacher or co-worker gifts.
• Create a scrapbook with memories for a college student heading back to school. Photos of family members. Coupons for coffee.
• Create a picture book for young children with magazine cut-outs of bright shapes, cars, people, toys, etc.
• Repurpose something fun and personalize it: there are many ideas on Pinterest or Etsy
• Try these mittens made from old sweaters with instructions on YouTube. Budget 101 has some great resources.

For the Handy or Mechanically Inclined:

• Make a birdhouse
• Clean out gutters, mow the lawn, shovel snow, weed whack trim, rake leaves
• Provide a single mom or widow a free oil change or wash their windows

Miscellaneous Ideas:

• A movie gift bag with DVD, popcorn, and candy (include tissues for a tear-jerker): Walmart has $5 and $7 DVD bins with lots of movies to choose from.
• Photo of someone you miss at Christmas (my mom gave me a framed photo of my dad & I)
• Gently used books and a handmade bookmark
• Coffee mug filled with candy
• A coupon booklet with things to do for the person throughout the year: Include acts of kindness like mowing the lawn; shoveling the walk; Sharing a hug; Changing the Oil; Taxi service to the store, Offer Childcare, etc.
• Postage stamps and a box of greeting cards
• Journal and a cool pen
• Create a home movie to send to a distant relative
• Videotape yourself while reading a storybook and send it to your grandchild
• Gather vintage clothing from your closet or the goodwill store for a dress-up box
• Re-gift items you were not able to use from last Christmas (yes, this is approved of)
• Root cuttings from your houseplants to share
• Pretty dishes from a thrift store

For The Cook:

• Bake a batch of favorite cookies
• Freeze single-serving meals from your family dinners and gift someone who lives alone
• Create a collection of tried and true recipes to share

I hope this has jump-started your creative thinking. Gifts don’t have to cost a ton. Often the most precious are those given from the heart. The trick is being prepared and thinking ahead.

Please share your low cost gift ideas with us in the comments,
Jeanne

Jeanne Doyon’s ministry, Pausing to See God Clearly, encourages us to draw nearer to the Lover of our soul. She connects the truths in Scripture to the ordinary events of life and shares her reflections on her blog, The Stream’s Edge, and speaks at women’s retreats and events. Jeanne enjoys photography, tea, time with friends, and creating with beads. She and her husband John live in Connecticut; they have three grown children and a daughter-in-law, all who live too far away.

Contact her at jeanne.doyon@gmail.com and visit www.JeanneDoyon.com to find out more about her ministry. You can also find and follow Jeanne on social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Pinterest.

This article originally appeared on JeanneDoyon.com, used with permission.

Publication date: November 20, 2015

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Kerkez