I like celebrating the vacations. And I like seeing the enjoyment on my children’ and family members’ faces after they open the presents we’ve gotten them.
I additionally like to not spend cash. This may look like a quite conflicting assertion. However as I’ve discovered through the years, there are methods to provide frugal vacation presents that get monetary savings, but nonetheless convey pleasure to the giver and pleasure to the recipient as effectively.
Standard Frugal Christmas Reward Concepts

Listed here are some Christmas present concepts that wont break the financial institution however nonetheless convey some pleasure to your family members.
1. Handcrafted Fleece Blanket
We did these one yr for the grandmas within the household, and it was by far the favored present of the yr. We nonetheless see the grammies cuddling up with their fleece blankets throughout the chilly season.
Merely seize a coupon out of your favourite cloth or craft retailer, pick a fleece sample that matches your present recipient’s favourite colours or their residence coloration scheme.
2. Selfmade Candies
My aunt Brenda makes probably the most fabulous do-it-yourself candies. Some candies may be troublesome to make at residence, however do-it-yourself caramels are simpler. Both method, it’s well worth the effort and a present these in your gift-giving record will certainly get pleasure from.
3. A Themed Reward Basket
That is one thing we’ve been doing for years with Rick’s brother. As an alternative of shopping for every youngster and grownup a present, we trade themed present baskets with the household.
Some concepts for themed present baskets:
- A film evening theme with popcorn, sweet, soda and an amazing film
- A backyard theme with seeds, a backyard journal, and labeling supplies
- A golf basket with golf balls, tees
- A griller’s basket with some grilling instruments, spices and a grilling mitt
4. Service Presents
Service presents are nice for the aged, the exceedingly busy or the frugal-minded. We’ve used our presents and skills to provide quite a lot of service presents equivalent to hair slicing (I used to be a cosmetologist in a former life), home portray, landscaping and babysitting.
Merely make a listing of the talents that you’ve got and match these abilities with these in your gift-giving record who might recognize having presents within the coordinating areas.
5. Selfmade Baked Items
That is one other terrific present for these in your gift-giving record. Make a batch of do-it-yourself cookies, bars, brownies or fudge and place them in a wax paper-lined adorned tin field. The proper present for practically anybody. Bonus factors for utilizing a secret household recipe.
6. Presents of Time
Presents of time work particularly effectively for youngsters. Give the present of a day away or a sleepover with a niece or nephew. Spend the day taking part in at a park, watching a film at residence or baking cookies within the kitchen. These frugal “expertise” presents are sometimes way more invaluable than a present of cash or a brand new toy.
7. A Hand-Written Recipe E book
Buy a note-booking journal that’s cute and hand-write all your favourite recipes in it. Be sure you depart some pages clean in order that your recipient can add a few of his or her personal favourite recipes too.
You can too select the recipes you add primarily based on a theme, equivalent to a grilling theme, a overseas nation theme, or an easy-to-make recipe theme.
8. A Good E book or Film
I like getting nice books or films as vacation presents. When selecting a guide or a film (or each) that may be match, contemplate your recipient’s favourite topics, hobbies, or pastimes, or seize an up-and-coming guide or film off of the perfect sellers’ or newly launched record.
9. A Selfmade Tub Set
There are all kinds of how to make aromatic tub salts or physique rubs at residence to incorporate in a do-it-yourself tub set. One among my favourite scrubs is an easy mix of equal components of coconut oil and sugar.
Add a loofah or tub scrub, a pleasant CD with enjoyable music and put all of it in a pleasant basket and also you’re able to go.
10. Tea or Espresso Lovers Reward Set
[amazon box=B00004SPEU title=”Coffee Grinder”]
We get our 2.5 lb baggage of Colombian Supremo from Sam’s Membership for $14.98. Sometimes we’ll pair this buy with this cheap espresso grinder as a present.
In case your finances is a bit larger, you’ll be able to add in a pleasant espresso mug as effectively. You can too do that utilizing tea as an alternative of espresso. Merely change the espresso and grinder with quite a lot of teas and guide.
11. Cookie or Brownie Kits
One among my favourite presents I’ve gotten was this Sandcastle Brownie Package. You need to use a big canning jar to make a number of layered cookie or brownie recipes that look completely lovable and style even higher.
It is a nice concept for teenagers to provide to grandparents or lecturers.
12. Residence Canned Items
Probably the most well-received presents we’ve given since we moved to the farm was our home-canned Selfmade Smoky Chipotle Salsa.
We canned the salsa utilizing our backyard substances, added some spices and voila: gift-giving success!
Different canning concepts for present giving can embrace jams, pasta sauces, pickles, and soups.
13. Handmade Knitted Objects
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My mother taught my children and me to knit this yr, and we’re utilizing our new abilities to make some do-it-yourself objects equivalent to scarves, hats, and mittens for members of the family. We caught the knitting bug after studying Little Home within the Huge Woods, and we love this back-in-time exercise.
I could make a shawl utilizing a high-quality yarn for roughly $6 by placing in some effort and time. Knitting is sort of straightforward when you get the cling of it, and it’s an amazing exercise to maintain you busy throughout the chilly winter months.
14. Freezer Meals
In case you’ve acquired a recipient in your present record who’s strapped for time or not in a position to cook dinner, they could recognize you giving them some do-it-yourself meals for his or her freezer.
That method, they’ll pop them out rapidly and throw them within the oven. Soups, stews, casseroles and lasagnas all make nice meals for freezer storage.
15. Infused Olive Oils
Selfmade infused olive oils are pretty easy to make and are an amazing present for a food-loving buddy or member of the family. Simply do not forget that infused oils normally take about 4 weeks to finish (they want soaking time) and have to be saved within the fridge. For some nice concepts for do-it-yourself infused olive oils, click on right here.
16. Spice Sampler
In case you’ve acquired a present recipient who likes to cook dinner (or to eat), contemplate giving a spice sampler pack.
You’ll be able to decide up not-so-basic spices at your favourite huge field retailer, or hit a neighborhood cooking retailer to collect some pattern packets.
17. Educate a Talent
That is one other nice present concept, particularly for teenagers. In case you’ve acquired a ability, equivalent to knitting, taking part in an instrument or baking, give the present of training.
Supply to spend a while educating your ability to your present recipient. Not solely is that this present frugal when it comes to value, however the time spent along with your recipient will likely be invaluable to each of you.
18. Microwaveable Heating Pad with Rice
One of many absolute best purchases I made after I grew to become a mother for the primary time was a felt-covered microwaveable rice bag that we use as a heating pad.
It was formed like a fish and full of rice and cloves, and was a beautiful consolation to the youngsters after they had been scared or not feeling effectively. “Smelly” as he’s referred to as, nonetheless will get utilized in our household to today. For sewn rice bag directions, click on right here.
19. A Reminiscence E book
One yr we gave our mothers reminiscence books full of a lifetime of images of us children and the grandkids. They liked wanting by means of the entire cherished photograph recollections from way back.
20. A Personalised Image Body
Purchase a easy wood image body from a retailer, and you’ll add quite a lot of private touches to it to suit your gift-giving recipient’s likes and skills.
Discover some ornament concepts by clicking right here.
21. A Heartfelt Letter or Poem
For my mother’s sixtieth birthday, my siblings and I made up a personalised poem that summed up who she was as an individual and the way a lot we liked her for all she had finished for us.
That framed poem, printed on adorned paper, nonetheless hangs in her front room over a decade later.
Sit down and write the entire issues about the one you love that makes you like them, work to show it right into a poem or heartfelt letter, and body it as a Christmas present. Don’t fear an excessive amount of about your poetic abilities; merely write from the guts.
22. Financial savings Account Match Program
It is a terrific present for little ones. Supply to open up a financial savings account of their title (with their dad and mom’ assist if it’s not your youngster) after which provide to match any cash they select to earn and put into that financial savings account for the subsequent yr.
Take into account selecting an internet financial institution that pays a high-interest charge for a financial savings account.
23. Residence-Sewn Fabric Kitchen Towels
Most individuals can at all times use contemporary kitchen towels, scorching pads or fabric napkins. By studying to stitch or make this stuff from scratch, you’re including a private contact. And also you’ve acquired your self a frugal and unbelievable present that’s certain for use.
24. A Gratitude Jar
Take out a bit of paper and consider each purpose you’re grateful for the individual that you need to give the present to. Then write every of these causes on a tiny strip of paper and put it in a jar with a lid.
The purpose can be to have a minimum of 20 to 30 causes in order that jar seems full. This present will you should definitely make the individual really feel particular this Christmas.
25. Handmade Bookmark
Handmade bookmarks are tremendous straightforward to make and are a favourite present of grandparents in all places. To make one, simply reduce some cardstock in a coloration of your option to an ordinary bookmark dimension or a bit of bigger.
We normally do 6 inches in size and a couple of inches in width. Beautify as you want with markers, glitter, or photos.
Convey the bookmark to your native workplace retailer and have them laminate it. Use a gap punch to make a gap within the prime and add a fairly ribbon.
26. A Tissue Field of {Dollars}
My teen daughter acquired this one yr for her birthday and LOVED it. Merely purchase a sq. field of tissues, rigorously pull off the tab on the prime to show the tissues.
Pull out one or two tissues and put aside. Get a pile of $1 payments from the financial institution; 10, 15, 20 – no matter your finances is – tape them collectively finish to finish and roll them up neatly and tightly.
Whenever you get to the final invoice, tape a tissue to it and put the roll again contained in the tissue field.
Be certain the tissue that’s taped to the cash is protruding of the highest, and place the tab again on the highest of the tissue field.
Gently write “pull” on the nook of the tissue that’s protruding a bit. Wrap as you’d another current. When the recipient pulls out the tissue, they’ll get their actual current.
27. Roll of Cash Stocking Stuffer

It is a nice concept for teenagers – or anybody in your present record who likes cash. It’s additionally tremendous straightforward for teenagers to make.
You’ll want:
- A roll of cash – quarters or nickels will in all probability work greatest
- Some striped wrapping paper (or you should utilize white wrapping paper and ribbon)
- Some clear cellophane wrap
- Small ribbons for tying
See photos beneath for directions.
28. Handprint Board
It is a present that my hubby gave me for Christmas years in the past, and it’s nonetheless one in all my favourite presents of all time.
Merely reduce out a 1×4 or 1×6 piece of wooden (he used pine), bevel the sides (you may additionally have the ability to discover the wooden able to go at a craft retailer) and sand till easy.
Have every of your children paint one hand with a thin-ish coat of acrylic paint in complimentary colours (Rick used purple, blue, yellow and inexperienced) and place their painted hand strategically onto the board in predetermined locations.
After the paint dries, paint the board with a few coats of clear polyurethane coating to safe and defend the handprints.
You may make it sans hooks or nails for setting on a shelf or hearth mantle or add hooks or nails for hanging it on the wall or turning it right into a coat rack.
29. Selfmade Tub Salts or Spa Package
Tub and spa objects are really easy to make your self, and lots of objects may be created from issues you’ve round the home.
Listed here are some concepts of tub and spa objects you may make your self.
- Scented tub salts: simply use Epsom salt (accessible at any huge field retailer) and blend in simply a number of drops of your favourite important oils, equivalent to lavender
- Physique or hand scrub: Combine equal components of coconut oil and sugar and switch the combination to a Mason or different jar
- Physique spray: Combine 8 ounces of water, 1 tablespoon of witch hazel and twenty or so drops of your favourite important oil.
Put the objects in a fairly jar, basket or one other container, add a ribbon or two and also you’re good to go.
30. Flip a Favourite Image right into a Watercolor
Any image may be become a watercolor portrait with this cool app referred to as Waterlogue. The Waterlogue app may help you flip a favourite image into a ravishing watercolor in simply minutes.
31. Film Evening Package
Film evening kits are tremendous straightforward to make and might profit a number of individuals without delay. So it’s nice for a household present! Simply discover a cute basket or colourful steel pail that’s pretty good-sized.
We normally scour the $3, $4 and $5 film bins at Walmart. After discovering a enjoyable film that matches the recipient’s tastes, we store for just a few enjoyable extras equivalent to theater-style sweet containers, particular person packages of microwave popcorn or drink powder packages.
Add some brightly coloured tissue paper to make the pail or basket shine and wrap in clear cello paper.
32. Recipe Ring
It is a nice present concept for a teen newly out on their very own or a newlywed couple. On some 4×6 index playing cards, neatly print some favourite recipes.
Or when you’re in search of some additional creativity, print the recipes out of your pc onto coloured cardstock paper. You could possibly even select totally different colours of cardstock for various recipe classes.
Earlier than you print, ensure the recipe will repair onto the cardstock in a 3.5×4.5 format so the white on the index playing cards reveals by means of after you chop and paste the recipes onto them.
Have the playing cards laminated at an workplace store, use a gap punch to punch holes within the nook and slide every recipe onto a silver ring. For an additional particular contact, embrace a rubber spatula that has a gap within the stick and add that to the ring as effectively.
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You will need to present these we love how a lot we recognize them. Nevertheless, it you shouldn’t need to blow up your finances to take action.
With a little bit of time, effort and love, you actually can discover methods to provide heartfelt presents on a frugal finances.