Remember to frequent local craft and art fairs.

Support your local artists.

Contact your local senior centers, many of them have arts and craft shows.

Local farmers markets have a large variety of goodies for sale.

Indoor flea markets.

:rrose:

I always try to support local crafters...so i give things like home made soaps, beaded jewelry, bird feeders or bird seed/suets, plants, etc.

My daughter a few years ago went and got HUGE coffee mugs and painted Mr Teah and Mrs Chris on them. Very cute!

She also started a tradition of gifting rubber chickens. Omg when I pulled the first one out of my stocking that year, I damn near died with joy! I couldnt put it down!

She also started a fun pen collection for me..fluffy pink flamingo pens, dildo pens, pens with flowers on them, pens that strobed light, etc.

small photo albums are going to be priceless someday. We rely on our computers and phones to store photos and when we have a collapse or lose them because of divorce or whatever, we lose all our recorded memories. To put together a simple small $2 photo album based on some event, or a year, or a friend, would be priceless..

Wish I could post pictures ...but you sparked a memory of beautiful bird feeders and baths made from coffee/tea mugs and plates or saucers. They used a tile drill to put holes thru middle of mug and 2 plates...then put a small threaded rod thru each, plate on bottom , mug in middle and the other plate on top like an umbrella ...on the threaded rod they used lock nuts to hold each in place....it was pretty cool with the "umbrella" ... some even used a small piece of copper plumbing pipe to cover the threaded rod. ...

I love giving soaps and hand creams to my mom and friends. One of my favorite fragrances is from two years ago. It is by L'Occitane en Provence and is called Delices des Fruits. It is their Citron & Clementine fragrance.

It cost $2.50 for each soap at our company's outlet store and I bought several of them and put them in drawers throughout my house.

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My mom will be getting this soap for Christmas, since she loves anything with Jasmine in it. It is made by Pre de Provence and it cost less than $5 at the Off 5th, Saks 5th Ave Store near my job.

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Fun office or stocking gifts.

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Olive oil candles are easy and inexpensive to make. They are also very safe to burn, because the oil will douse the flame if it comes into contact with it if the candle gets knocked over. I use jars, or vases...even unique looking glasses will work. I like to use the pint canning jars too because they are heavy and they reflect well. You can frost the jar or make it glittery, whatever you desire. I use a wick stand just because it is easier to light and for adjusting the wick, these can be made with a wire coat hanger or bought. I generally just buy mine from Lehmans when they are on sale and are doing a free shipping deal. This way they cost about $2.50 each for the larger ones that fit in the pint canning jars. Once it is decorated and you have the wick set up, just add olive oil and a few drops of essential oil if you want it scented.

Here is a pic of the stands that I use.

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Here is another type of oil candle that I thought was simple, yet spectacular. I found this one on Pinterest. Slide the wick into the tube and place in your container. Add oil and give it a few minutes for the oil to travel up the wick before lighting.

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I spent more than $5 for each present, but I am so excited about this idea!

We get cookies and other treats from friends and neighbors every year, and we enjoy the hell out of them, but I wanted to reciprocate this year.

I ordered eight vases from Crate and Barrel, $2.50 each plus $4.95 for shipping;

I bought eight bags of clear glass beads from the Dollar Tree;

I ordered 50 stems of live bamboo from Amazon, about $60; and

I ordered one dozen tiny glass pickles from Amazon, $12.95.

Pete helped me set seven stalks of bamboo in each vase, held in place with about one bag of clear glass beads.

We will decorate each vase with one tiny glass pickle tied on with a sparkly red pipe cleaner.

We ended up with seven pretty unique gifts for our friends and neighbors for about $115!

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BUMP BUMP BUMP:smileyXmasTree:



They say it's the thought that counts..lets share here:present:

Christmas Cheer
 

I make my gifts, crocheted pot holders, about 2.50 each. (cotton yarn)

French Press cozy, fabric scraps and leftover insulation (high tech) free

handpainted terracotta pots, under 2 bucks, paint myself, already have paint.

beaded key chains, have huge supply of various beads, free

Xmas Angels, buy used Barbie at yard sales, under a dollar usually, clean and make fancy ball gown, fix hair, use costume jewelry from yard sales, almost free, lol, beads, sequins, whatever I have around at the time

TV dinners, homemade Nana meals for busy peeps, always a hit

jar of cookie mixes, receiver just adds eggs and sometimes butter, another big hit for peeps who can not follow recipe or bake, no brainer.

popcorn spice mixes, I make hot, spicy and a sweet mix to put on hot buttered popcorn, great for singles or peeps with kids.

Dog kookies, cat treats, find recipes online. great for pet owners.

Need more ideas? gimme a holler!