I'm looking for some cute Christmas gift ideas for my friends. They are teens and I'm broke. Any cheap things that are still cute and meaningful would really help. Maybe even homemade?
hole_puncher from AL
Gift certificate for a couple of movie rentals, bag of chips and a bottle of their favorite pop. (12/05/2005)
By Peg
What about buying a purse/bag that is made out of cloth at the craft store and painting maybe their favorite group name on it? Or really anything you could think of. :) (12/05/2005)
By Donna
My suggestion, as I have teens on very tight budgets too, are some of the following:
1. Check out a local Dollar Store, not Family Dollar, the ones where everything is $1. My daughter has gotten scrapbook paper, flip-flop notebook journal, duct tape for those who make things with duct tape, they have decorations that you could embellish, etc...just take some time to browse.
2. Frame, or make a frame to go around a picture of you and your friend. Or make a card that frames a favorite picture.
3. Write a poem about your memories together, print it on a pretty scrapbook paper. You can give it alone or framed.
4. Go to Salvation Army or other thrift stores on one of their "specials" days and browse. You might find something that you could clean up, fix up, create from, etc for pennies. Here our Salvation Army has a 50% off everything day, or a 25 cent clothing day. Call ahead and ask about their specials. Usually they are weekly.
Blessings to you as you decide what would be perfect for each of your friends. Laura in NH (12/05/2005)
By Laura
How about "do not disturb" door hangers which you can buy from craft aisles. You can decorate each one in a different style (depending on the recipient) with paint, stickers, etc. Make each one individual and in a style which relates to each friend. (12/05/2005)
By jojo
If your Mom has any leftover tins that you get every year filled with popcorn, they can be decorated with fabric or wallpaper to match your friends' bedroom decor and used as a trashcan. It's just the perfect size! You can also xerox photos and decoupage them on there. (12/06/2005)
By suzi homemaker
Make a scrap-book of all the pictures you and your friends have taken from over the years. They will really appreciate how much work you put in and it will seem that you really cherish your friendship. If your friend isn't into homemade things and you still don't know what to get them, talk to them, and ask them questions, without making it obvious that you are looking for ideas for Christmas. You will end up with tons of ideas. (12/07/2006)
I suggest making a gift basket filled with some of your friend's favorite things. Some examples are:
1. Lotions (your friend's favorite scents)
2. Make-up (lip gloss, eyeshadow, blush, etc.)
3. Nail stuff (nail polish, nail files, hand lotions, etc.)
The possibilities are endless! Plus, you don't have to spend a ton of money on your friend's gift. Go to your local dollar store. You can usually find great things for low prices! (You can most likely buy the basket there too!) If you don't want to put your items in a basket, you can put them in a cute gift bag, or, if possible, wrap them. Remember, keep in mind what your friend likes. No friend likes to get a gift they know they'll probably never use. (12/14/2006)
By Amanda
I'm going to bake cookies, give snowflake ornaments, and make cards. If you want to make cards that look store bought, and you have younger siblings, get the Disney Pixar card making set.
You can also get Vaseline, lipstick, glitter, confetti, scented oils/extracts, and a baby food jar to make body gel/lip gloss. (If making lip gloss, leave confetti out.) Mix Vaseline, glitter, oils/extracts, and confetti in baby food jar. Cut off a VERY THIN layer of lipstick for color. Stir in with gloss/gel. Finished! (10/13/2007)
By Tight Budget
What I did last year for a couple of my close friends was took tons of pictures from over the past couple of years and made a collage for each of them. I spelled out their names scattered over the page and then found a cheap, but nice frame for them. They loved them and they all have them hanging in their rooms! (11/24/2007)
By Sammy
Since I was crunching on money this year for money, I went to the dollar store and made my friends a little "Day at the Spa" kit. It included a little basket that held a manicure set, body butter, a loofah, candle, headband, and some foot scrub. It's a cute idea for $7. (12/16/2007)
By Mell
There was once this Chicken Noodle Soup book about Christmas and there was this teen that literally had $3 and she went out and bought these REALLY cheap gifts that meant a lot to the recipients; like a bunch of sticks tied with a ribbon saying "friends stick together" or a candle because they were the "brightest light in my life" or something like that. Even the cheapest gifts can have the most thought and meaning.
You just have to really think what your friends and family mean to you and you will have gifts like that! Good luck! Remember that your friends (if you are REALLY close) will still love you no matter what you give them for Christmas: it's the thought that counts! (11/14/2008)
By Liza
I made a a box filled with a bunch of memories that I experienced with my friends. You can just decorate the outside cute and then fill it with favorite sayings, inside jokes, and pictures. I even added some candy and some friendship sayings.This is a nice gift for your closer friends that anyone would appreciate. Good luck to anyone having troubles this Christmas! GO 2008! (12/02/2008)
By Maddie
If you don't want to spend a lot of money. Just get a cute tote bag or some cute bag that they can use later on and just stuff it with things like makeup, candy, quotes, jewelry, or Christmas ideas. (: (12/05/2008)
By danielle.
If somehow you can get your friends or siblings out of their room for a period of time you can rearrange their room. I made over my sisters' rooms for Christmas last year and they absolutely loved it! They had no idea! (12/06/2008)
By Cassandra
You could make a CD with all of their favorite music on it. They would love that. (12/06/2008)
By miah
Last year for one of my best friends I made a fabric bulletin board. It's really easy. I just used some zebra striped fabric for the background, cute blue ribbons, and lime green and yellow tacks with pics from when we were little and now, and then I put her initials at the top and some cute sayings going around the frame which I had painted hot pink. She absolutely loved it! (12/17/2008)
By snalkjdnad
One of my friends gave me a candle that smells really good, and she hot glued rhinestones on it in the shape of a cross. You could do any shape your friend likes, or that you think is cute. Try to make the color of the candle match their bedroom, and the scent match their personality. This is a great idea and it meant a lot to me. (12/22/2008)
By Post By Cocoa
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