It's that time of year, friends. No, not the happiest time of the year, but the time when everyone starts counting their change, picking up extra hours at work, and calculating how on Earth they can possibly afford to give anyone Christmas gifts. So if you're anything like me, a very very broke college student, here are some cheap but meaningful gift ideas for your brother, your best friend, your dad, your mom, even your dog.
First, as we all know, homemade gifts are not only a way to personalize an item for someone and show you really care, but also a way to save money. But whether you are super crafty or not, here are some cheap DIY and purchased gifts!
Personalized Mugs: less than $2 per mug
All you need are a few Sharpies ($5 at Walmart for four colors) and a couple of mugs from the Dollar Tree. The great thing about this gift is that it can be SUPER personalized and given to EVERYONE. Just write on the mug and bake it for 30 minutes on 350 degrees.
Personalized Ornaments: less than $2 per ornament
All you need are Sharpies and ornaments of your choosing (you can find bulbs of various colors and sizes at the Dollar Tree). If you're feeling even more crafty, you can add glitter and ribbon.
Salt Dough Ornaments
These are cheap and SUPER easy to make. After they are done baking, you can paint them however you like. You can find the recipe here.
Emergency Stress Putty
Making playdough is not only cheap, it's also fun! Give the gift of some stress relieving putty this Christmas by making playdough infused with Eucalyptus or Lavender essential oil. Or, simply make some playdough for that little kid in your life. After you're done, put it in a small container that you can find at the Dollar Tree and slap a bow on top. You can find the recipe here.
5. Picture Candles
This makes a great gift for mom or grandma, and it's super easy. All you need is some Scotch packing tape, Dollar Tree candles, and a printer. Keep in mind, if you don't have a printer, it is super cheap to print these small pictures at your local Staples or FedEx. Find instructions here.
Wall Decorations
If you're crafty, these are super easy to make. You can find frames of all shapes, sizes, and colors at the Dollar Tree. Then all you need is the paper of your choosing and a design. Simply draw or paint your design and frame it!
Personalized Wine and Glass
This does require you to be 21 or older, but its a super cute (and cheap) way to make your wine-friends happy. Simply purchase some labels (or packing tape and paper) and create your own logo for the bottle. Simply tape over or remove the current artwork. You can buy a plain wine glass at the Dollar Tree and decorate it using a Sharpie and cooking it in the oven for 30 minutes! (If you want to save even more money, opt for the $2.97 Oak Leaf wine at Walmart).
Mint Sugar Scrub
Last Christmas I got some of this as gift and let me tell you... it was a game changer. This stuff is amazing! It smooths your skin and leaves you feeling awake and refreshed. Find the recipe here.
Goodwill Glassware
Listen, I know it sounds crazy, but every Goodwill I've ever been to has had CRAZY amounts of cool wine glasses, coffee mugs, bowls, you name it. All of them are usually under $1. Last week, I bought six wine glasses with various vineyard logos on them for $3!
Goodwill Sweaters
Goodwills sells AMAZING sweaters for only $4. If your loved one doesn't mind thrifting, you can find some amazingly comfortable sweaters at Goodwill.
Redbubble Stickers
Stickers are a great way to show someone you know them because Redbubble offers stickers for literally every show, movie, band, artist, literally everything you can think of. And the best part is, if you buy 10, you get 50% off your order. So though you may end up paying more than $15, you can get 10 stickers for the price of 5!
Dollar Tree Bin
If you're in a pinch, go to the Dollar Tree and buy a collection of socks, candles, nail polish, candy, and more and just put them in a cute bin with a bow!
Don't spend the most wonderful time of the year worrying about money!
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