Quick and Frugal Stocking Stuffers

It's that time of year, when frugalistas everywhere start sorting through their odds and ends, looking for inspiration for stocking stuffers and other small gifts. That includes me, so one thing I sort through is my more or less random bookmarks.

Here are a few of my favorite ideas for quick hand made gifts that don't cost much if anything.

Chinese Wave Pouch is a purse pouch with style. It's handy to carry those multiple little things that are forever getting lost in your puse. It would be cool to give with lip balm or a keychain already in it

Teacup Bookmark  If you know a reader, old or young, male or female, how about a teacup bookmark? It's quick and cute and if you're like me, it will give you ideas for a lot more bookmarks.

Coiled Magazine Page Dish with Lid is one of those things that looks much, much harder than it really is. It takes a little time, but that part is fun and you can create a one of a kind container fora  gift or as a gift!

Are You Ready for Christmas?

I know. It's only July and no, you are not ready for Christmas! Well, maybe it sounds pretty good if you're having as hot a summer as we are, but we have a few weeks to go..  17 weeks from the end of July.

Putting it that way doesn't make it sound so far away, does it? And as fast as time flies nowadays, it's really not.

I'm not trying to stress you! As a matter of fact, if you follow this advice, next Christmas could be the easiest one you've ever had.

Right now, while garage sales are going strong, is a good time to go looking for gifts. I don't mean to give "used gifts" but to look for collectibles, "almost antiques" and special items that those on your list would like.

If you know someone who collects penguins or angels or whatever, it's entirely possible that you could find a plate or necklace or statuette or something cool with that motif on it.

Does someone on your list love old music? Just look. One time I came across a stack of old piano sheet music. That was a real find!

Look for materials for hand made gifts, too. If you're a knitter or crocheter, yarn can sometimes be found for pennies on the dollar.

Make a list of people you will need to buy for, then brainstorm the list and add any special interests they have.

Then go garage saling and see what you can find! You could very well have your gift list well under way before school starts!

Last Minute Gifts You Don't Have to Buy

Oops... you thought you had all your shopping done for the holidays? And then... well, you got a gift from someone you had forgotten about. Or a coworker suddenly decided you were worth a plate of homemade goodies. One of the kids got invited to a Christmas party that requires a gift.

And there you are, turning your credit card over and over, contemplating yet one more shopping trip.

Don't.

There is time to create quick and frugal gifts even if it's the day before Christmas.

For kids:

Christmas Uses for Cardboard Boxes

If you shop online at all, you probably have quite a stash of cardboard boxes. Besides sending gifts to loved ones far away, they can be used to make some frugal and cool things.

Try your hand at a shadow box. You can put in an old fashioned scene, a "Nativity Scene," a mountain covered with snow or let your imagination roam. Use pictures from old Christmas cards, advertisements, catalogs or whatever strikes you as interesting.

You can use small boxes in lieu of Christmas stockings or baskets, filling them for specific individuals, or making more generic, frugal last minute gifts out of them. Cover them inside and out with wrapping paper or foil.

Fill a few with candy, cookies, notepads, etc., wrap and have them ready for those "Oh, no, I need another gift!" times. If you don't use them all, give them away to the postman, a retirement home or charity.

Frugal Gifts for Kids

Still need a few gifts for the kids? From stocking stuffers to "big" gifts, saving money while making the little ones happy is a challenge. Here are a few ideas to help:

If you have elastic thread, thread some pretty buttons or beads if you have them, for a necklace and/or bracelet for a little girl.

Boxes, boxes, boxes... all kids love boxes. To make them gift-worthy, cover them with cloth or paint. Be sure you start with something sturdy. If you can come up with some sizes that nest, so much the better. Make designs on them if you're crafty and put some homemade cookies in one.

Got wood blocks from a building project? They don't have to be painted or have numbers or letters on them for the kids to have fun with them. Do sand down the rough or splintered areas.

Art sets don't have to be fancy or from a store. Paper? How about that packing paper? Iron it and cut to size. You probably have a new pencil or two around. Pick up some dollar store crayons and plastic scissors and add a few stickers. Done.

More here:

Quick and Frugal Gifts for Kids

Frugal Food Gifts

Large tins of gourmet popcorn and small tins of special (or not so special) cookies, fancy wrapped cheese logs and pretty containers of candies seem to be popular Christmas gifts. You can really spend a ton of money on them, though! Just go to a search engine and type in "food gifts" and you'll see what I mean.
Ouch. Talk about breaking the budget! How about if we do it ourselves and make food gifts just as special, or even more special, in our own kitchens for much less?
We can present our own food gifts just as nicely as any catalog, and homemade can taste much better, too.
A homemade food gift should be dressed up to present itself as something very unique. Look at the "higher quality" food gifts and mimic their presentation. Ribbons, elegant colors and decorated boxes make you feel as if you're the recipient of something really special.
To present your own food gifts, choose a theme - wrap a loaf of homemade bread in a piece of rough linen cloth and tie with a string, or cover a wax wrapped cheese log along with homemade crackers in a silk scarf and complete the effect with gold ribbon.
Wrap a cheese food box, or empty oatmeal container or anything similar, in wrapping paper inside and out and present your food gift in that.
Wrap individual candy pieces in foil or plastic wrap and put them in a unique container - teacup, dessert bowl, wine glass, flower vase, small serving dish, cloth bag or toy truck - use your imagination to suit the recipient.
Present fancy nuts the same way.
If you're giving cookies, line the container with tissue and fold a piece over every other cookie. Put a simple gift card inside the container, too.

Almost a Half Dozen Pages to Help With a Frugal Christmas

Places to help you save money through the holiday season

39 Frugal Tips for Saving Money at Christmas

10 Tips to Save on Christmas Gifts

Frugal Christmas: Decorating


Have a Merry Frugal Christmas

Frugal Holiday Entertaining

Adult Christmas Stockings

How many of you fill Christmas stockings for your kids? Or get them from your parents? I thought so! Getting or giving a Christmas stocking filled with small gifts is a grand tradition, but it can get as expensive as larger gifts if we're not careful.

Keeping an eye open year 'round for inexpensive stocking stuffers is a good way to cut costs, but if you haven't done that? The next best things to do:

• Handmade bookmarks (crocheted, needlepoint, rubber stamped, cut from tissue boxes!)
• A small, hand made notepad. Cut blank pages and "stitch" with an old, empty needle on your sewing machine a half inch from the top to make perforated lines. Staple the pages together above the perforation.
• Small containers of home made bath salts
• Knitted or crocheted cotton wash cloth
• Handwritten poem or note
• Personal "Gift Certificate" good for whatever you can do - shovel snow, bake bread, watch the kids...
• Food! Home made is best, but packaged soup mixes or specialty pasta is good, too.
• One special cookie, wrapped and tied with a bow
• Print out stationary, recipe cards or grocery lists from the internet or your own design
• Samples of fragrances, soaps, lotions, etc.
• Special family recipe, hand written or typed.

10 Places to Find Free Holiday Craft and Gift Ideas

The holidays can make us forget that we are trying to be frugal. But the truth is that you don't have to spend a lot of money to see your loved ones smile. With some time and a few dollars, you can craft a homemade gift that will be just as nice--if not better--than anything you can buy from a store. Home made gifts are considered more thoughtful and are almost always more appreciated. The following sites will help you create a gift for everyone on your shopping list.

Disney Family Fun - This Disney site offers a wide range of last-minute gift and craft ideas for kids. Instructions are also available for homemade decorations, cards, ornaments, party supplies, recipes, and printables.

Martha Stewart - Martha Stewart's official site provides tons of craft and gift ideas for men, women, kids, babies, and pets. Other offerings include personalized gift ideas, bath and spa gifts, hostess gifts, and stocking stuffers.

Better Homes and Gardens - Better Homes and Gardens offers tons of holiday craft, gift, and recipe ideas. You can also get tips on tree decorating, card making, and more.

Family Crafts - This About.com site offers hundreds of homemade craft and gift ideas, crafting tips and tutorials, and creative recipes. Other site features include a regularly updated blog and discussion forum.

Kaboose Crafts - Kaboose Crafts provides a holiday craft gallery as well as a homemade card gallery. If you can’t find what you're looking for in the galleries, you can use the site's craft finder search engine.

The CRAFT Blog - You can find new gift ideas on CRAFT magazine's popular blog each day. Postings include pictures, videos, instructions, tips, and more.

Craftown - An online craft resource since 1999, Craftown features instructions and pictures of more than 1,000 crafts. Other site resources include a learning center, article library, forums, and a newsletter.

Dollar Store Crafts - This unique site focuses on crafts that can be made from dollar store purchases. Craft ideas are available in the $1, $5, and $10+ range.

CraftyPod - CraftyPod is both a blog and a podcast. Topics focus on craft-related tips and techniques. The site also provides videos and tutorials.

All Free Crafts - This no frills site offers more than 1,200 homemade craft, decoration, and gift ideas. Categories include holiday crafts, candle crafts, kids' crafts, jar gifts, and green crafts.

Guest post from Bailey Harris. Bailey typically writes on finance, insurance, and related topics for the Car Insurance Blog.

Christmas in July

Do you realize that from the first week in July it's only 24 weeks until Christmas? Did that startle you? It did me!

I know some of you start the day after Christmas and are already stocked up on gifts and decorations. Some of you might even be done with it, but for those of us who aren't, July is the time to start!

Christmas can be the hardest time of all for a frugal pocketbook, since most of us want to make the holiday a happy and fulfilling one, but with the stores and newspapers and magazines filled with goodies and tempting displays of gifts, it's hard for even the most experienced tightwad shopper to keep from overdoing the budget.

If you start now, there's still plenty of time to look, sort and sift, until you find that perfect and gorgeous gift. Unique, better-than-new presents and decorations are out there just waiting for you, and they're not at the mall, and you don't have to wait until Christmas to find them!

Garage sales are the number one place to look this time of the year for that elusive super holiday bargain, but second-hand stores and special sales all count. Real antiques do hide in the dusty corners of garage sale boxes and classic (and classy) items are still found in thrift stores or second-hand shops.

Some things to look for: True vintage clothing, a special hand tool, an original recording of a favorite musician, depression glass, an antique - looking ornate photo frame (put your own photo in it), costume jewelry with a special theme, or anything that will conjure up fond memories for the giftee.

Don't forget about gifts you can make from your finds. Interesting jars, bowls, or glasses, filled with dried soup mixes, special baking mixes, potpourri, bath salts, or teas (herbal or otherwise) can make a very special gift.

If you do crafts or needlework, the possibilities are nearly endless. Knitted crocheted and sewn are probably the most commonly given hand made gifts, but if you don't do those, don't let that stop you. Whatever you can do, put it to good use.

When you have the time to think and be picky about what you find or make instead of feeling under pressure to just get it done, shopping for gifts and decorations and getting ready for Christmas really can be as much fun as it should be.

(They're talking about this very thing in the Dollar Stretcher Community forums: Christmas Club.)