Inexpensive Holiday Gifts
part 4

One of the best gifts I've ever received was a small, orange concrete garden-ornament puppy. My brother gave this gift to me about 10 years ago. He worked at a lawn and garden center at the time and picked out the actual-size (about 12 inches high) item from the center and paid just a few dollars. The puppy has been used at different times as an indoor door stop, and an outdoor, front-porch, guest welcomer/watch-dog. He looks the same as he did 10 years ago and every time I see my puppy, I think of my brother. This gift is loyal and timeless.

Since I have enjoyed my concrete animal so much over the years, I decided to give others similar gifts. I went to a local concrete oranment outlet and bought a variety of ornanmentals for friends and relatives a garden angel, bunny rabbits, St. Francis statue (patron saint of animals), St. Mary statue, green frogs, bird bath and more. Each time , the recipient of these gifts seems to truly appreciate the unusual gift.

The best part of this type of gift is that it doesn't cost much. Most 5 inch to 12 inch concrete statues cost less than $10. Small ones are just several dollars or less and are perfect for children to place outdoors in a garden, landscaping or a wooded area (all my young nieces and nephews are getting one this year!). Children can also keep their creatures indoors as a bedroom doorstop. They will keep their statue around for years and think of YOU every time they see it - unlike a toy that gets played with for two hours and then is forgotten forever, not to mention who gave them the toy!

Adults will appreciate larger garden statues, plaques, oraments and statues. Most are very inexpensive, however larger items like bird baths can cost $20 to $30 or more (chip in with others for an impressive "big" gift for someone special). They can be used indoors, in bathrooms, among potted plant arrangements, as door stops, etc. Outdoors, use them in gardens, landscaping or porches or just out in the yard. They will last forever and will leave a lasting impression with your gift receivers!
LK

The best inexpensive gift I've been given was a poem my sister had written for me. It described how she felt about me and the fun times we had spent together. My dad even cried that day when he read the one from her.

Also, one year I gave my dad a pack of Bic Pens and wrote him a little note saying how much I loved him and that I knew he didn't care if I had given him anything at all. My family doesn't show love outwardly so he surprised me when he came up and gave me the biggest hug ever!
MRL,
West Jordan, UT

Four years ago my siblings and I decided to forgo buying gifts for each other and give the amount of money we'd normally spend on gifts to charity. OK, so it's no less expensive than our past practice, but it sure is a lot more rewarding -- and it helps keep us focused on the true meaning of Christmas!
Casey

Yesterday I made a few *free* gifts for family and friends. This is what I did.

The Power Outage Kit

1. Take an old, adult size pair of jeans. (One with holes in the knees is fine!)
   
   
2. Cut the knee of one leg straight across (just below any hole).
   
   
3. Fold over the cut edge about 2 inches, and sew across (leaving a "tunnel" large enough to place a piece of dowling through).
   
   
4. Cut one rear pocket section out (including the pants part---don't just remove the pocket!).
   
   
5. Cut one front pocket section. Trim the section near the side seam that contains the metal rivet--you don't need to break a sewing maching needle on this!
   
   
6. Place the front pocket on the pant-leg section, about 4 inches from the top. Sew in place along 3 sides (like a "U").
   
   
7. Place the rear pocket below, sew this in the same manner.
   
   
8. Take 2 pieces of strong ribbon, fabric, or elastic (about 1 inch wide). Make sure your sections are long enough so if made into a loop, you can easily place a standard size flashlight inside. These can be sewn near the top of the pant leg section, above the pocket (one on the left, and one on the right side). They will hold a couple flashlights.
   
   
9. Take a strong section of ribbon, rope, anything, and tie to the ends of your dowling that has been slipped through the "tunnel" at the top of your holder. This will allow you to hang the holder in a closet, or anywhere!
   
   

If you like, the pockets can be filled with extra batteries, candles, matches, and of course you could even place the flashlights in the loops. I made one loop smaller so I can place a 2-AA battery flashlight next to our 2-D flashlight in the holder. One pair of jeans makes 2 holders. (I like the one that ends up with the pocket containing the "change pocket"---this is the perfect size pocket for extra matches!)
Laura C

Here's an inexpensive gift idea other readers might enjoy, especially if you need to give similar gifts to a group of people (office co-workers, your kids' teachers etc). Go to the dollar store or Wal-mart and get individul coffee mugs for about $1 each. Then fill with packets of hot chocolate mix, cup-of- soup mix, and/or different flavored instant coffee packets or tea bags. Add a candy cane and tie a holiday ribbon to the handle of the mug, and you have a cute gift for about $3 each. You could also gather colored plastic wrap or tissue paper around the gift and tie with a ribbor for a more "wrapped" look. Hint General Foods Int'l Coffees makes a variety sampler-each box has 2 packets each of suisse mocha, french vanilla, hazelnut and irish cream. You can find similar variety samplers for flavored or herbal teas from Celestial Seasonings I think. Happy Holidays!
NW

Christmas was coming and the children and I decided there was no money for gifts. Living in Nicaragua for the year left little choice. But the children managed to use a butcher knife to cut off a couple pieces at the bottom of the gate which kept the dog in. Next they got several pencils, scraped off the paint, cut them into pieces, and glued them between the plywood pieces to make a holder for knives. Using a little paste shoe polish, they did a good job of staining and protecting the wood. This imaginative gift I still have after more than a quarter century.
Betty R.

You can really please your friends and relatives by giving them gift certificates for their favorite things. Figure out what things you can do for your friends or relatives and present them with a gift certificate for that service. You can also make a coupon book offering a variety of services. For someone with small children you could give a night of baby-sitting, cooking a meal, doing the laundry, take them to a movie that's not rated "G".

For the other people in your life you could give a gift certificate for a backrub, clean the house, wash the car, a romantic dinner, a homemade breakfast, raking the yard, etc. For an older relative you could give them certificates for the chores they have trouble doing alone, or a promise to spend the afternoon together. For your lover - - you figure those coupons out!

The possibilities are endless and the recipient will be able to redeem the coupon when they most need it. You can make the certificate from colored or white card stock which is available at craft stores. Use markers, colored pencils, fabric, glitter, magazine cut-outs, or whatever else you have that's handy to create a gift certificate for each service you you're giving. If you want a coupon book, simply make all your coupons the same size, then with a hand-held hole puncher, make holes on the left hand side and bind together with yarn, fabric or ribbon.
Lisa P.

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