Ormirian - try your local freecycle, car boot sales or charity shops for containers, baskets and boxes. Can use anything as a container - google is your friend! Look for pics/images and pinch the looks.
Eg for gardening friend, maybe some seeds you have collected/swapped, labels made from lolly sticks or pretty stones painted, some twine and handcream all presented in a small plastic or zinc tub/flowerpot? I recently got a lovely set of new white painted pots and tray for 1 pound in local fair. Old fruit boxes are lovely, as are jars, bottles, bags. I try to make the container something useable as well, if I can, rather than to be chucked away
Can also decoupage boxes to personalise. Empty shoe or boot boxes are good for this and the actual cost is not great if you recycle rather than buy the decoupage paper new. Used wrapping paper is good too. The important thing is to finish things properly so they look good rather than thrown together.
I have done handtied bouquets of flowers, tied with raffia or ribbons that look very expensive but actually cost a fraction of florist prices, using supermarket flowers. They last longer too in my experience!
I am currently looking for a set of clear glass square vases to put my orchid collection in. I will put in the orchid with some orchid compost, get some moss and top up. This costs about 30 - 40 pounds in shops for a smallish one but I will get the orchids for 5 from a local market stall and hope to get the vases for less than 5, Bag of moss shouldn't cost much if I have to buy it and will do quite a few vases. So for less than 10 and simply assembling, I should get an impressive, exotic looking gift.
Get some pretty containers and plant up with bulbs like hyacinths, daffodils, tulips etc, top with moss or glass beads (I got some from charity shop) pretty pebbles/stones/slate chips/cocoa shell/bark and that is another cheap gift which costs a lot in shops. Make a pretty label with picture of flowers and care instructions.
Can get Amaryllis bulbs etc cheaply in sales - just check that they are plump and healthy looking rather than dried up.
A collection of tried and tested recipes in a pretty box/file with some herbs/spices or real vanilla pods - there is an online shop selling real vanilla very reasonably compared to the rip off supermarket prices. I will try to find and post a link if anyone is interested.