Space saving presents

[JonSnowsWhore]

We're a family of 5 in a 2 bed flat for the time being, 11 year old girl & 4 year old boy in one room that has been split down the middle so tiny amount of space, 3 month old obviously in with us still, he'll be 7 months at xmas. We have a fairly large living room for baby's things. 11 year old wants a laptop which will take up all of her main money so just need ideas for the very cheap nik nak-y bits. 4 year old has only just had his birthday & toy boxes are already full with brand new toys, he has a new tablet, bike etc, so I'm really stuck there, baby has loads of clothes, I know people will say not to worry about the baby as he won't know any different but there's no way I'm going to listen to that, he'll have to have a few bits aswell, but by that time his baby swing will be gone so I'll have room for a little toy box to fill for him :)

So, what do you do when you've got no space left for Christmas things!!

Many people feel overrun with 'stuff'. We certainly do. A few categories:

Practical - things they need like a drinks bottle, underwear, pjs, lunch box, socks, sippy cup for baby.

'Consumable' - things that will get used within a reasonable timeframe e.g. Sweets, chocolates, bubble bath or bath bomb. These can live in the bathroom or kitchen.

Experiences - cinema, soft play, bowling tickets. You could make up 'tickets' to be used at a later date.

The way you wrap stuff can also make a mundane gift seem more magical e.g.

Cinema ticket - hidden in a box of popcorn (which can be eaten during the day).

Disguising presents - I once gave DN cash, but hidden in a pound shop Kanye west book.

Get the biggest box you can find and put on helium balloon in for the baby.

Do a pass the parcel version, where you wrap a present multiple times (they are normally surprised by this).

Add bows, sweets, small toys to wrapping (lots of ideas on Pinterest)

Love the helium balloon idea, it's just been my partners 30th & he's been mesmerised by the balloons here, excellent idea. Tickets also a great idea just not sure what for for a 4 year old. Thinking about it we do have a great little zoo with a massive park around here that he loves so hats an idea. 11 year old likes all things unicorn so yes to unicorn themed bath bombs & sweets. They've got all new lunch boxes, bottles & bags to go back to school with this week so hopefully they won't need new ones by xmas but you never know!

I've also got to make sure the family don't go buying the usual mountains of stuff for them!

The baby has been mesmerised by the balloons, not my 30 yr old partner 😄

Magazine subscriptions are good - get something monthly that's dispose
Cooking ingredients
Craft stuff that gets used up

See the 4 year old has a ridiculously short attention span so he just won't pay attention to baking or crafts but 11 yr old might like some kind of baking kit and that's a nice cheap thing that fits in with her laptop being so bloody expensive

Everyone keeps on about a jumperoo for the baby but all the ones I see are so big, anyone got any ideas if there's some kind of smaller alternative?

For your girl id buy things she can use up like bath bombs, shower gel, bobbles, make up, my niece loves all that and facemasks, unicorn blanket, cool slippers etc. I got her blanket from debenhams, cheap bath stuff in poundland, the works have unicorn stuff as does primark.

Lush do play soap or more boyish bath bombs, what about the old style snes or mini nes? Earphones or speaker, mechano?

I LOVE the idea of a cinema ticket hidden in a box of popcorn! I am so doing that! My oldest two are teens and presents are often things like cinema vouchers. but they don't look much wrapped up. I can see all kinds of possibilities ahead now - book tokens hidden in charity shop book....etc!

Yeah they are good ideas, great ideas to give family aswell seeing as I don't want them buying mountains of stuff like usual!

Character duvets, pillows, posters and mats all take up no extra space.
Clothes if they enjoy them (I have one who'd be thrilled and one who'd be disgusted at getting clothes)
Jewellery for your older girl
Watch for the younger boy
Mine love loose use of term "encyclopaedia" type books like this lego one or this flower fairies book. They have been poring over them for months where story books just get read once and added to the dust collection.

For the baby there's loads of options of small things that take up hardly any space but that are fun and stimulating for babies; rattles, squeezy toys, balls with bells or the clear ones with a floating duck inside, plastic mirrors, vibrating teethers. We used to do helium balloons too and put a little piece of cardboard on the string to weigh it down enough to float at a grabable height so you can shorten the string so it's not a strangle hazard.

Personally I'd avoid craft materials as in our house they generate massive, bulky treasures-beyond-measure that can never be thrown away.

Definitely give family a list!

You can get a fisher price space saver jumperoo that would fit in the space currently taken up by the swinging chair and can be folded :)

If you put the helium balloon in a box wrapped up it will pop up which is good fun!

Tent for 4 yr old? We have the ikea one and fold it down when not being used. Thats not my name book went down well at that age or a character one with their name in. One of the colour in cardboard houses - impressive present but disposable once it gets all coloured or danaged! Busy books - small but hours of fun for my dds. Lego - box of simple bricks and small sets eg mixels are popular with my dd who's 5.

Beanbags/snuggly blankets for watching tv in lounge.

As an alternative to jumperoo we had a door bouncer - cheaper and much smaller!

For baby how about a travel high chair, scuttlebug (will be a few months before he uses it but great ride on and folds up), Lamaze toys, personalised bibs, blanket or toy.

Some great ideas here! I'm definitely doing the popcorn one too.
I do stockings which are full of nice, but useful things like flannels, soap, pens and pencils. Basically things I would have to buy anyway. And a few sweets which will be gone very quickly!

I've literally just done their rooms up about 2 weeks ago so they have all new bed covers, cushions, rugs etc! And we had the coolest of all cool beanbags, a big shark where you sat in his open mouth, it burst & I'm still finding bean bag balls now. When I say my 4 year old is like a wild animal I mean it quite literally 😳
Unfortunately no room for decorated house or tent in his room even if thy are only temporary, and if we had them in the living room they'd just be plonked in the middle of the room. Oh to have a garden

11 year old loves clothes but if she wants nice new ones she's going to have to part with a load of her old ones because her room is full to the brim with clothes. We have far too much clutter for such a small place!

This is

Pressed too soon, this is just the kids, then I've got my partner to think about, it's just been his birthday & his family bought him a mountain of clothes, it'll be the same again for Christmas with added nik naks!

Just go careful you don't disguise presents too well. MIL put £25 of book tokens inside a new book for SILs and my presents.
We were talking about it a few months later and SIL went very quiet when I mentioned what a lovely surprise finding the tokens was. Turned out she had already read the book so gave it to a charity shop without opening the cover!!

Haha oh dear!! Yes my kids would throw something out with packaging if it wasn't right in their faces!

Dressing up outfits for the 4 year old.

Im in a similar situation, space saving gifts are hard to find for kids! and even little things have a tendency to multiply and flood the rest of our house. watching this thread for ideas!