With the current economic climate I thought we might be able to give each other ideas about low cost presents.
Things to make,
Things you can buy that mean something etc etc

Last year I went to the local sweet shop and found all the old sweets. I bought about £15 worth of them and reused some gift bags.
In eac I put a small selection of the sweets and a note to say :- Can you remeber these???
Things like cough candy twist - Cola cubes etc etc etc
The people I gave them to loved them

So anyone any ideas
Lea

Gift vouchers for your time My parent's garden is enormous and now they are getting on in years and not quite so robust as they have been so, for my dad's birthday I gave  him a voucher which "entitled the bearer to 2 hours gardening per week for a year". My dad loved the extra help and I get to enjoy extra time with my parents.

My mum got one for " a thorough spring clean" and she loved hers as well - I was able to do all those cleaning jobs that she is no longer able to do on a regular basis - that was a real "expensive" present as I loathe doing housework

I have also given vouchers for help with decorating, ironing etc and these have gone down well with the recipients.

I made the vouchers and put them in small boxes so there was a gift to undo on the day and everyone loved their gifts

That's a good idea - I can give my daughter and son-in-law a couple of evenings out while I babysit!  I haven't done so in the evening since the baby was born - and they haven't asked.  I do look after the children in the daytime and have my granddaughter for the odd night. 

I'm planning on making a batch of shortbread & maybe some handmade chocs to put in little organza bags as gifts.  I've also been trawling cheaper shops such as Primark for ideas, they have some lovely accessories at the moment dead cheap, keep an eye out for shopping events a debenhams etc they normally have a big 25% off everything sale mid November.  Works also have sone good books on offer, especially childrens books, plenty of Dora.  Someone else mentioned this on a previous post but boots's 3 for 2 offer is really good for kids pressies!

I like the idea of -
Homemade Chocolates / biscuits in a box with tissue
Photo gifts - bonus print do some good ones like calenders, mousemats etc
A lottery ticket

I love the idea from Harley about the personal time vouchers - fab. 

I'm definately having a chat with the family this year about presents, seems to get more and more each year and I think now is a great time to put some thought rather than the cash in!

They are all great thanks
Keep them coming
Lea

> Photo gifts - bonus print do some good ones like calenders, mousemats etc
>

Check out Vistaprint as you can do a calendar for free, all you need to pay for is the postage and they have some other freebies too!

just found this site for funny, cheap stocking fillers

http://www.mummymartinstoybox.co.uk/r-page13sp2.php

and of course the wonderous ebay...

i also like if i am doing internet ordering to find things for a few people from one site to cut down on delivery charges- e.g. must make £15 free postage from Amazon!!

and i've made a christmas cake for my best friends mum this year

>must make £15 free postage from Amazon

Amazon have cut the limit for free postage to £5 just recently, so that's that excuse out the window ... !

M.

Last year for my MIL and hubbys gran and a couple of other people I bought some really cheap plain cream cushions (Sainsburys basics for £3 each I think).  I then got my children to draw/paint some pictures etc onto t-shirt transfer paper and then ironed them onto the cushion covers on one side and a photo of the children on the other.  The children then glued/sewed on sequins,glitter and anything else that we found lying around (ribbon etc).  Those who received the cushions loved them so I am doing them again this year for other people.

Tesco have got some of their toys for half price at the moment - ends 2 November if I remember correctly.

bum! i already spent that to get free delivery... ah well its fine as the books i bought were presents people had requested

what a lovely idea!

Start by buying gifts for your kids and forgetting everyone else. I used to do an insane amount of shopping for friends and every member of my family. We're of an age now where we kind of having everything we really need or want. For Christmas I tend to get together with friends for cookie baking over a nice eggnog or just have them over for nibbles. We don't do gifts- company and laughs surrounded by festive decorations and music is enough. I think most people would be relieved if everyone agreed 'not this year'.

I think making your own cards goes along way
We usually make our cards with our dogs on the front all dressed up in christmassy gear and give some home made choccies too

Virgin Vie are doing 3 for 2 on these shower gel/ bath things. You have 3 presents for £12. Great for teachers/work colleagues.

Over the years I have really cut down on who I buy pressies for. I did talk to the people first lol I didnt just stop buying them. But it was getting to the stage I was buying for people I hadnt seen in years or hardly knew some I didnt even like but it was the done thing. I suggested nicely that we stopped and everyone was ok about it. I think a big relief all round. A good friend many years ago quite bluntly said I can just about buy for my own kids without worrying about other peoples so it was a good icebreak to say ok lets not start it. and all my friends kinda followed suit. Helps if you mix in the same crowd.

I dont live close to my family so postage always has to come in to it so again me and my sister decided that we would just send the kids money and not buy for each other. I know it sounds sad and impersonal but her kids have everything they need and money is always welcome.

At work there are 3 of us in the same unit so we do a secret santa style thing with a agreed price.

How about taking a photo of a friends dog or whatever else they enjoy, getting it enlarged and putting it into a frame for xmas?
You can pick up cheap frames from the likes of Ikea and then can stain or paint to whatever colour you like.

Thats me done for a few pressies me thinks.

Not quite presents but a good idea, get a load of small pressies from Hawkins Bazzar like pencil sharpeners, balls, stupid kiddies stuff and wrap them up all about £1. Then in one put £5 as well.

At the dinner table or at a party put them on the table (about 15/20 little bits) you need two packs of cards shuffled. Keep one, deal out the other to your guests until they have all gone. Take your pack and pick the top card the owner of that card picks a pressie, and chucks down there card, turn oer the next and keep going until your pack is finishes. When all the pressies have gone the next card takes a pressie off someone elses pile this goes on until all the cards are gone. Then they keep their pressies. Its funny if you think you know where the £5 is so you nick that one ect... We always have a laugh and they get stupid things like magic fish, itching powder etc...

Presents wise i like the sweeties ones and the gardening ect.... pictures in frames are good for Grandparents when the kids go off to Uni ect so they can see what they look like now.

Oh Oh my Mum got the kids to make coasters one year with some nice tiles and a bit of cork on the back I still have two by my bed from about 20 years ago!!! Could do it with a laminated pic of kids/dogs? My prize is a ceramic elephant shaped like a sosauge dog made by Sam aged 5. If it were live its tummy would be on the ground but I love it. Every time he comes home (he's 21 now) he laughs to see I still have it.

Whistler, we play this game to.  It's such fun.  I always end up with no presents cos I make such a fuss about getting mine taken off me that everyone goes for mine first.  I've actually had to resort to hiding them before. 

yes thats what happens and eveyone thinks you know where the £5 is we do this one at our works do the blokes love it.

This year I think Iam doing gift cards- its easier and hopefully don't spend an arm n a leg lol