Every year around this time, I always find myself in a stressful situation as I try to discern the best gifts for my friends and family without having to sell one of my kidneys. As I’m sure many of you do, I absolutely love love love giving gifts. I really love picking the gifts out, wrapping them, and anticipating the reaction of the intended recipient. I myself am frequently overwhelmed upon receiving a gift and realizing how much time and effort someone put in, simply to make me smile and feel loved. It makes me want to return the favor tenfold, but that is a feat quite difficult to achieve on a college student’s budget! So, over the past few years, I’ve developed a few ideas for gifts that can be meaningful and relatively inexpensive.
A framed picture
Personal and thoughtful, a picture of one of your favorite memories with someone makes a really sweet gift. My dad is notoriously difficult to buy gifts for, but he could always use new pictures for his office, so a few times now I’ve simply ordered prints of pictures of the two of us and picked out a nice frame to put it in.
A handmade nativity scene
No matter how old you are, your mom will probably appreciate a nativity scene handmade by you. This one really is as difficult as you make it, but it has the potential to engage some skills you already possess. Have a knack for painting? Paint a beautiful nighttime scene onto a simple wooden plank as well as some wooden figurines. Perhaps clothe your wooden figurines in fabric and buy some cheap hay at the craft store with which you can fill the manger and the rest of the stable. You can even create your people entirely out of yarn and pipe cleaners, as depicted above. Get as creative as you want, or keep it simple; the recipient of this gift will love it nonetheless.
A dinner date
This one is for the person that’s impossible to shop for because either they have everything or they are more about experiences than possessions. Sound familiar? I know I have a few people in my life like this (*cough cough* Dad). For these people, it may be a good idea to offer your time in the form of a future experience or a service. For instance, why not make certificate good for a night of dinner and a movie? If you’re short on cash, you could make the dinner yourself. Simple and sweet, this kind of gift lets the other person know that you’d like to spend time with them, which really is the greatest gift of all, as it is the gift of the most invaluable of all currencies--that which cannot be replaced--time.
Fleece tied blanket
This is a favorite go-to of mine. Make it with fleece and extra big because no one ever lamented having a blanket that was too big. They are warm and will be loved and cherished for years to come.
Homemade granola
Homemade granola is pretty easy to make and you can make it in a giant batch to distribute in several mason jars with a bow. I did this last year and many of my college friends appreciated the yummy snack.
A monogrammed mug and coupon good for one coffee date
This is for the lover of hot drinks! A monogrammed mug can be a simple DIY gift (for which it can be as easy as buying a plain white mug, drawing on it with a sharpie, and baking it in the oven to set the color), and pairing it with a handmade card asking this person to a coffee date (on you) makes a sweet gift.
A mixtape
For the music lover (which is just about everyone) a mixtape can speak volumes (pun intended). To get ideas for songs, listen to a pandora station they like and look for similar artists. If you’re more pressed for time, check out musicroamer.com-- input an artist that you know they like and it will give you a web of similar artists and iTunes snippets of their songs. Add your own personal touch by including songs that you like, especially songs that bridge your two distinct tastes. Once the CD is all finished, write a note in sharpie on the CD itself; or, if you’re feeling fancy, type out the playlist and put it into a plastic CD case as a sort of album insert.
A cool old book paired with a new journal
This is another favorite of mine. You can find amazing old books at secondhand bookstores for relatively cheap! This is perfect if you are looking for a gift for someone who loves literature, history, or simply old books. Write a little note on the inner cover if you like, or you could pair the book with a journal in which you wrote a letter over the first few pages.
The clock is ticking! If you haven’t already bought gifts for your loved ones, hopefully this list gave you some ideas of sweet gifts for which you don’t have to break the bank; you might not even have to leave your home. Happy gift-giving and a merry Christmas!
