It’s finally December, the month that everyone’s been waiting for: it’s finally acceptable to listen to Michael Buble’s Christmas album on repeat! It’s the season of giving and receiving, and expectations for gifts are running high.
After Black Friday, not many people have enough money left in their already bank accounts to buy quality presents for loved ones. As college students, there doesn’t seem to be many gift options that can stay under a small budget yet still seem meaningful.
To help out those of you struggling with this dilemma right now, here’s a list of 5 easy, inexpensive, yet still meaningful gifts to give to someone you appreciate this holiday season!
1. An Advent Calendar Jar
Advent calendars are popular gift choices among friends today, but themed ones adhering to the receiver’s tastes can become costly very quickly. Instead, create a list of 25 reasons why you appreciate this person, inside jokes, or funny pictures. Put each bullet point on a piece of paper, then give it a day to be opened. After that, all you need is a mason jar to stuff all the notes into, and you’re done!
For an extra personalized touch, decorate the mason jar using sharpies and ribbons geared towards the gift recipient. Not only does this present solidify your relationship, it’s also very aesthetically pleasing.
2. Photo Wall Decoration
Have too many pictures with your friend that are too embarrassing to post on Facebook? Or simply have too many pictures of you and your friend? This gift idea can solve that problem.
Simply print out pictures that you want to use in different sizes, then cut and paste them all in any pattern onto a piece of paper to fit into a photo frame. You could also add funny things they’ve said as well as other inside jokes.
Alternatively, you could print out all the pictures and use push pins to arrange them all onto a cork board, allowing the recipient to alter the formation of the photos.
This idea is cheap, meaningful, and allows everyone who enters your friend’s room to see the gift.
3. Homemade Desserts/Hot Chocolate
For those with a sweet tooth, handmade food decorated in personal ways can never go wrong. Whether they like hot, winter-y drinks, cookies, or other desserts, there are easy recipes on the internet for you to make for your friends.
For hot chocolate, grab a mason jar and fill it up with layers of hot chocolate powder, sugar, some peppermint, and marshmallows. Decorate the jar with a ribbon or candy cane and you’re good to go. If baking is your passion, these pumpkin chocolate cookies will certainly satisfy your friend’s sweets cravings.
For those who don’t trust themselves with baking, this recipe for chocolate pretzels may be your better option.
To capture that holiday season vibe, mason jars come in handy once again. Put anything in a mason jar and decorate the jar with red and green, and it will automatically look festive and heartfelt.
4. Succulents
Succulents have been a popular trend among the youth for a while now, and a perfectly picked succulent can be just as well received as an expensive gift. Simply find a cute and festive pot for the succulent, and tie a red ribbon around it for the holiday look. Succulents aren’t just cheap gifts - they can brighten up a room and require very little attention to survive, making it the perfect gift for college students.
5. Mason Jar Care Packages
If you’re looking for a gift for a close friend or significant other, this cute homemade gift is a great choice. First, decorate a large mason jar with stickers and things that remind you of the person. Then, add in their favorite candy, food, toys, and anything that they love. For a coffee lover, add in a Starbucks gift card so they can get those peppermint mochas on a cold December day. For organized friends, throw in some cute post-it notes in their favorite colors. This gift can be easily personalized for every person, so you can gift it to multiple friends without feeling bad.