Creative Holiday Gift Giving
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“The best gift you could ever give someone is your time because you're giving them something that you'll never get back.” www.livehappy.com
As you prepare for the upcoming holidays and gift giving, keep in mind that some of the most special gifts are not those that are purchased with money but those crafted from your hands, your time, and your love.
Need a little creative holiday gift giving inspiration? Here are some fun and inexpensive ideas:
Handmade Gifts
- Have younger children? Create a handmade ceramic handprint tile for grandparents and other family members. Check out a local ceramics or pottery shop. Many of them have classes for parents and children. It’s the perfect gift, just because it is made from the heart by a child’s precious hands.
- Create a hand made recipe book with old family recipes. Include some endearing comments about family members along with the recipes. The book will be a family treasure for generations to come.
- Make a calendar for the upcoming year that includes your favorite family pictures from the past year. Some scrapbooking stores provide kits or you can create the calendar digitally online at Snapfish, Shutterfly, Walgreen’s, etc.
Food & Beverages
- Purchase an inexpensive (but pretty) loaf pan and bake up your favorite bread. Two gifts in one! Or make mini loaves of quick bread. Wrap them in colored cellophane and tie them off with raffia.
- Give the gift of hot soup for those cold winter nights. Simply layer all the dry ingredients in a mason jar, add a tag with the full recipe and tie it off with a bow.
- Pick up a wire whisk from the dollar store, fill it with Hershey’s Kisses, and make a handmade tag that reads, “We Whisk You a Merry Kissmas!” This is a great gift to take around to neighbors or give to your children’s teachers.
- Send a sampling of your hometown to out of town family or friends. Put together a goody basket with your local favorites like jams, salsas, breads, crafts, etc. Locally home made goodies and crafts can always be found at craft fairs during the holiday season.
Out of the Ordinary
- Take the focus off of your family gift giving and send a gift to a third world nation, a needy family, an orphan child, etc.
Some ideas:
There are so many great volunteer opportunities that your family can get involved in during the holiday season and throughout the year. The investment is minimal. The return is immeasurable.
Ideas include:
- Meals on Wheels – Deliver a meal to a needy family
- Veteran’s Administration - Volunteer for Vets
- VolunteerGuide – Volunteer at a Nursing Home
- PetFinder.com - Volunteer at an Animal Shelter
- Toys for Tots – Help the U.S. Marines bring happiness into the lives of less fortunate children in the community
The Gift of Financial Literacy
FamilyMint’s Money Management Certification Program combines a 60-page step-by-step workbook with a fun online money management application for kids. Kids that complete the 2 month program develop key money habits that will benefit them the rest of their lives.
Do you have some creative holiday gift giving ideas? FamilyMint would love to hear about them. Share them with us and we’ll pass them along to our followers on our social media. Are you following us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest? If not, simply follow the links. We look forward to seeing you there.
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