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50 Great Gift Ideas

November 2001

1. A subscription to The Cheapskate Club.

2. Baskets are a fun way to store arts and crafts materials. Put some craft items in an attractive basket, wrap it in an appropriate fabric and give it as a gift to a crafty friend.

3. Spray glue onto a sturdy box, and cover it with a patchwork of pretty fabric shapes cut with pinking shears.

4. Shred empty egg cartons and mix with water to make paper mache. Then use empty planter pots as moulds. When they are dry, you can either paint them, or simply tie a length of ribbon around the top, pop in a seedling and give to a gardener friend.

5. Give a favourite recipe written on an index card and include two or three of the ingredients in the package, or a mixing bowl and spatula, baking tray etc.

6. Package different kinds of soup mixes and dried beans in ziplock bags and include your favourite soup recipe.

7. Use empty baby food jars to hold bathtime treats. Take three jars, put pretty decals on the front, cover the lids with fabric circles and fill with cotton balls, bath salts, bath oils etc.

8. Paint ‘honey pot on the front of a pretty jar and fill with your favourite honey. Tie a cute ribbon around the lid with a bow.

9. Make sets Christmas ornaments out of different shaped noodles, spray them with gold or silver craft paint and gold threads to hang from the tree.

10. Cover shoeboxes with wrapping paper, wallpaper fabric, contact etc. and use them as gift boxes for large or oddly shaped gifts.

11. Make a stationery set up with scissors, pens, pencils, rulers, paper clips, glue sticks, memo pads etc and use one of your covered boxes to store and give them in.

12. Cover a shoebox with old road maps and then fill it with current road maps and give to a traveler.

13. Make up a small first aid kit with Band-Aids, antiseptic cream, tweezers, small scissors, etc

14. Fill a basket with soaps, shower cap, bubble bath, bath oil and a face washer.

15. Use a larger basket and fill it with books and magazines for the bookworm in the family.

16. Make up a kitchen basket, filled with spatulas, measuring cups, oven mit and a pretty apron.

17. New grandparents may appreciate a basket filled with baby supplies - bibs, wipes, rattles, nappies etc.

18. Gardeners will appreciate a wire basket filled with packets of seeds, garden tools, gloves etc.

19. Use a plastic bucket and include some car care products for the car enthusiast in the family.

20. Make up a toy box and fill it with miniature games and puzzles, books and tapes to use in the car.

21. Popcorn balls are easy to make and very inexpensive. Children love them and they make great tree decorations.

22. A book of postage stamps and some pretty stationery.

23. Make up a picnic set just for two - 2 cups, 2 plates, etc, a small tablecloth and some plastic containers in a basket. Ideal for newly weds through to grandparents.

24. A glass dish and some nuts.

25. Share the bounty of your garden. A box of oranges from your tree, bunches of herbs from your garden, salad veggies in a crisper all make wonderful gifts.

26. Bake some banana bread and include the recipe and the icing ingredients.

27. A cereal box and packets of natural foods such as raisins, rolled oats, granola, chopped almonds, dried apricots, coconut etc.

28. Bread starters.

29. Small stuffed teddy bears, with cardboard wings and a pipe cleaner halo added. Use gold spray paint and a hot glue gun to add the embellishments.

30. Paint sets and a variety of brushes.

31. Coloured pens - children just love the new 'gel'pens and the huge range of colours they come in.

32. Puzzles.

33. Small jigsaw puzzles and a sealed container to store them in.

34. Marbles.

35. Pickup sticks.

36. Novelty clothing items such as socks, headbands, underwear etc.

37. Pretty hair accessories.

38. Music tapes.

39. A favourite book on tape -read by you.

40. Framed photos of happy events.

41. Posters.

42. Theatre tickets.

43. Day pass to an amusement park.

44. A family membership to the zoo or the museum.

45. Blown up balloons, tied in a bunch, with money inside them. Be careful if you give this gift to children, as burst balloons can be dangerous.

46. A travel kit consisting of small shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, etc.

47. A supply of craft items such as glue, glue sticks, coloured papers, fancy scissors, stickers etc.

48. Lengths of fabric and patterns for a sewer.

49. A piece of lace or a doily in an antique style frame.

50. Sachets filled with pot pourri and tied with pretty ribbons to match a bedroom décor.

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  • Home
  • Join the Club!
    • Twenty Reasons to Join the Cheapskates Club
    • Gift Memberships
  • About Us
    • Cath's Story
    • Ask Cath
    • Glossary of Cheapskating Terms
  • Forum
    • Current Forum Discussions
    • How to Use the Member Forum
  • Inspiration
    • Getting Started
    • Handmade Christmas Central >
      • Handmade Christmas 2025 is about to start
    • 31 Days of MOO Index
    • Articles
    • Back to Basics >
      • Back to Basics
      • Back to Basics Index
    • Housekeeping Routines
    • Budget Renovations
    • Saving Stories
  • SAVING REVOLUTION
    • 2025 Saving Revolution Index
    • Saving Revolution Resources
  • Recipes
    • Recipe File Index
    • Meal Plans
    • Add a Recipe
    • $300 a Month Food Challenge >
      • $300 a Month Food Challenge
      • The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
  • Newsletters
    • Newsletters 2025
  • Saving Money
    • Bill Paying System
    • Cheapskates Tip Store
    • Tip Sheets
    • Top Tip Competition
  • Contact
    • Changing Details
    • Help Files