Cheap Crimbo presents-All ideas Welcome!

[dropinthe]

Thought I'd start a thread where we can all share our ideas for great,inexpensive Christmas presents in the "Take a Break" stylee....no washing up bottles allowed though!

I bought some great little tin boxes that are like little suitcases in one of those big "CO OP" Superstores-99p each-they had 2 designs-one with cows and sheep on and ones with farmyard animals.I also bought in there, some Christmas tree marshmallows and filled the boxes with them-total cost for 4 little suitcases that can be used for storing little toys after faces stuffed?-£5.94!!

Anymore ideas please?

What,no grey matter around today??

Home made biscuits

Nice keyrings

Miniature bottles of good perfume (saw some in one of the cut price chemists the other day for £2 99 each)Thought they'd be great for teenage nieces.

You make the biccies?

Well yes!

I used to have a massive Lavender bush in my garden but dh said it was getting in the way and pulled it all out. Have tried in vain to revive a small bushett of it in a pot but it is having none of it. Was going to do something lavendery with it!!

Sorry! Am not a real cook! Any good recipes?

lavender biscuits would be nice

Didn't know it was edible?

you could add a few lavender flowers to normal butter biscuits perhaps... I think I saw a Nigel Slater for lavender bisuits in the ibserver or the guardian once.....

I do cook but am not good at sweet things.however even I can rustle up shortbread o chocolate truffles. Don't have a special recipe-any would do

Have started to collect little things for DS's stocking - novelty sweets etc from checkouts like popping candy/sugar foam etc. Also any of the cheap kids magazines from the newsagents - he doesn't read them yet, but likes the pictures and then we cut them up for gluing and sticking.

How about cheap picture frames decorated up with a nice photo in? Love getting stuff like that,as it shows someone has made an effort!

Got my thinking hat on!

Me too-it takes me back to my childhood when I would adore making things for people-especially cards.

I'm making hampers with cakes and bickies from work, i work in a gluten free bakery so can get under weight cakes for free. Put them with a bottle of wine, the perfect gift.

Where do you buy the hampers from? Are they expensive or do you use boxes?

Ive made jewellery & irish linen pictures that have fabric hearts on them for my sisters. Scrapbook filled with piccies of my Ds's for grandmother and one scarpbooked page thats in a deep recessed frame for her too.
All the children in the village get a small santa stocking that I have made and filled with Reindeer Food for christmas eve.
Just made a start on my christmas tags for the pressies and the christmas cards will be finished this weekend.

There is a charity shop near me that sells wicker baskets (like you get smellys in at xmas but a bit bigger) they only cost £1 or so, fill them with shreded paper (from my paper shreder) then add a few cakes and a small bottle of wine from tescos and you have a nice gift costing only £3-£4 ish to put together.

You have just reminded me that I too have a paper shredder that can be used for that purpose!

Only comes out when I've got some grooty old Bank Statements to dispose of!

See-"CHAT"- eat your heart out!!!

Also love the hamper ideas-am now going to keep an eye-am an avid charity shop goer-am in them a couple of times a week as just can't keep away in case I miss the bargain of the week!

A couple of ideas,
Craft kits- buy a small toolbox from wilcos, woolworths and fill it with bits from poundland, elc etc. This will be cheaper if you can make more than one.
Also, I think cookies in a jar is an excellent idea, especially for children to make too.

A couple of years ago my stepdaughter and I made little cookies wrapped up in sellophane tied with nice ribbon to give to childminder, grannies etc. I've seen some pretty snowflake biscuit cutters on the cox&cox website, but am without oven at the moment, so no Christmas baking for me this year.

Agree pound shops can be fabtastic for unusual finds-there is a great one in Camberwell that sells really unusual gift bags,unlike any you would find in Clintons and at a quarter of the price.

Which cut price chemist moondog?

Umm,it's Supasave or Drugsaver or something.One of the pile 'em high and sell 'em cheap ones.
They had L'air du temps, Je Reviens,stuff like that.

(Sorry,only been walking past it for about 10years!)

Anyone got any pickle recipes or is it too late to pickle onions in time??

I like the cookies in a jar idea, Pootle... but I also like the organised woman mentioned further down the
page !!