Clutter free Xmas gifts

[bessie26]

My DP have been decluttering all year ready to move into a smaller house next year, my ILs house is rammed with 'stuff' and the GGPs have everything already, so I really don't want to give any of them 'stuff' that will clutter up their homes this year. (I'm hoping this will stop them buying us crap trinkety things too!)

I've been reading these clutter free gift ideas - has anyone else got any good ones?

I'm going to start work on some photo calendars for the GP & GGP tonight - that's presents from the DC sorted

Another photo calendar for the gps here!
Bottle of nice wine for best mate and DH.
Food Giftbags for brothers: bottle of beer, chocs, etc.
Hamper (in recyclable cardboard box) for parents - jams, chutnies.
One clutter present for dd - but just one, and it will replace the jumperoo that she's almost outgrown.

Thing is, ILs and my family will buy us and dd masses of clutter, grrrr.

Hi bessie Clutter free gifts are a great idea.

I haven't read the link yet but when I buy for the dcs teachers I always think they must get loads of trinkets and try to give them something they can enjoy but use up. Can you imagine 30 gifts every year on top of your family and friends?

In the past we have given flowers, hand soap pumps (posher than normal ones), hand creams, vouchers etc.

Scented candles would also be used and then gone.

In the past I have given my parents and my dbrother garden plants as they don't then live in the house.

Vouchers for a meal out, the cinema, pampering etc don't create clutter.

Tickets for the theatre are also clutter free.

Luxury food and drink you wouldn't buy yourself is also popular. A lot of people make up mini hampers of home made goodies.

The difficulty with clutter free gifts is being original.

Your idea of photo calendars is a great one and I am going to copy you once again--. I have also seen a fab calendar where on each month of the year the picture was personalised with the families names. I will look for a link.

I avoid ornaments generally unless I know someone collects a specific type and clearly then doesn't mind them cluttering the place up.

this sort of thing

I did hampers. All the stuff was edible apart from the basket.

I feel sorry for teachers. In every charity shop on earth you will find (along with several copies of the Da Vinci Code) at least half a dozen "World's Best Teacher" mugs.

I get my parents a session for an amazingly thorough clean and organise from a friend of mine who is a cleaning genius. They love it.

And last year I gave mum a day of my time to stick stuff on eBay for her. She was never, ever, ever going to get round to doing it herself, and it was all stuff in that awkward $50-$300 bracket - too expensive to send to the charity shop but not worth consigning to an auction house.

we're doing a photo calendar for ILs too!

apart from that, for ILs I think we are going to organise a lunch out/weekend away at some point as the one thing they really want is to spend more time with their one and only grandchild (they live 500miles away). I thought I'd make bookings and then find some way of wrapping up print-outs of dates/leaflet of hotel/restaurant nicely.

for my parents it's very easy, as they hate clutter and stuff too, so I only get useful and edible presents - peppercorns, honey, wine that kind of thing. some fancy foods can become clutter too as you never get a chance to use it.

I also try and think of voucher/subscription type presents a lot. For Londoners memberships of e.g. Tate Modern, Curzon cinemas, RA etc. are good presents - we've had these several times and really appreciated them. Magazine subscriptions create short term clutter but easily recyclable. Did a lovefilm subscription recently for a birthday present. Vouchers for spa/pamper-y type things good aswell

BUT - when it comes to receiving gifts rather than giving, I think it's optimistic to think others will get the hint and not get you clutter-y gifts (I have tried this approach and it doesn't work!!).

I am working up to doing this too - I am really worried about offending ILs ideas about presents - but I think you (and I) probably need to ask ILs/GPs etc. not to send clutter. Downsizing is perfect opportunity, as doesn't need to seem picky or demanding, you can just say something like, "we've put a lot of effort into getting rid of as much as possible to fit into our house recently and although we really appreciate the thought you put into gifts we're worried we just won't have the space for them so we'd really appreciate it if you could get us something small/edible/non-tangible". Or give suggestions for things you would like.

I have loads of clutter free ideas for DCs as mine get so much at Christmas from family and friends, I know we are going to receive loads of toys etc and there is only so much room you can find.

So, for DCs, I am asking for wall art (canvases, wall stickers, height chart etc), new duvet cover/pillowcase, one of those things that you can hand on the back of their bedroom door which has 20 or so pockets for photographs (DCs will love to be able to see photos of themseves with all their family and friends), hooks for dressing gowns for their bedrooms etc.

The best clutter free suggestions for adults I think are memberships to galleries/RHS/that kind of thing, magazine subscription, I think Hotel Chocolat do a thing where you can buy a box of chocolates to be delivered to someone every month for a year, that kind of thing.

Mackrel - I have been dropping heavier & heavier hints ever since we had the DC, but you're right I am just going to have to say it very clearly! I have an amazon wish list (the DC have one too), and every year I point people at them, but I still get more gardening books, which although I like, we just don't have the space for!

Truprint & other places do little bound photo books (& are often on special offer), perhaps you could put together a little booklet with pics of the DC & places you could go?

the BEST EVER present I got the GPs wasn't exactly clutter free, but was quite small. It was a photo book of DD1s first year - the grandma's both cried when they saw it (& probably every time they got it out to proudly show their friends/postman/random person walking down the street!) - I will be doing one of DD2 for xmas next year!

carrots getting people's names on the calendar is cute, this is the kind of thing I was talking about, with pics of the DC on each page - I just noticed you can also add pics to specific dates (birthdays etc)

bessie I am in the throes of trying to make a photo calendar for dh. I think they are great.

My friend has the name one and her dcs love it A LOT which is why I mentioned it. It is great for a family gift rather than lots of little gifts.

I got what I hope is a great clutter free gift from Cineworld today when we were at the cinema. You can get a little gift box with 2 adult 3d film tickets voucher, a voucher for a food drink combo of some sort and some chocolate for £20 which saves over £10 I think. I thought it was like a whole night out in a gift. Hopefully the person we give it to will enjoy it.

You can also get experiences if you are able to spend a bit more eg hot air balloon, skid pan, rally driving, spa days etc.

Depending where people live, bird tables, sun dials, boot scrapers etc at least go outside the house.

A day of ebay is a fab idea - it not only doesn't add clutter but it also reduces clutter and makes the recipient some money too

Meant to say, The Gadget Show just reviewed photo books, so you can look up the website to find out the best ones.

Hello
Think this is an inspired thread but that it may be better placed in the Christmas topic.
Will pop it over there in a sec
In spirit of Good Housekeeping and all

HappyasEyeAm - could you possibly link to the thing for the back of the door or point me in the direction of one? That sounds ideal as one of DSDs presents for Christmas.

We often try to get clutter free presents for people, particularly parent/in-laws etc. I give DM my time to look after her dog when I have struggled to afford presents.

I have just spent a small fortune on photo calendars. Be wary, I used Vista print and they added lots of hidden costs at the end. They know that it has taken you so long to do the thing that you will be so scunnered that you will just continue anyway. Grrr!

If they look as good as they do on screen then they will be great fun though. I got one for dh, dparents, dmil, dsil and one for me incase dh takes his to work.

there's a Christmas topic?!

It's my favourite topic bessie housekeeping and ebay aside of course

I had a clutter free idea for a small gift for a child. these They look great fun!