Best Frugal Christmas Ideas

When you make your own crafts, the little touches are crucial in making them look professional rather than amateur. When I made a meat rub mix for a gift basket last year, I made a computer generated tag for it with instructions for using it. The recipient thought I had bought it somewhere. I will make labels for jars or tags for bagged mixes. I buy shrink wrap for my baskets, even though it's expensive (I use 40% off coupons at the craft store). The little details matter. People are delighted to receive my gifts and surprised to learn that I made many of the items.

Best Last Minute Gift

Gift Certificates or IOUs make great last minute ideas for when you just don't have any time or creativity left. This year, I am giving my daughter and niece the gift of my sewing skills. Each will get a computer-generated certificate for 1 outfit of their own choosing, sewn by me. They will get to come to the fabric store with me and pick out their own pattern and material. In the future, I am thinking of giving sewing lesson certificates so they can learn to sew too.

A gift sure to delight parents is a restaurant gift certificate given with a babysitting certificate. If you are handy around the house, give a gift of your skills to help with a loved one's household repairs. Kids love to get certificates entitling them to a day with no chores, a night to stay up late, or special time alone with mom and/or dad. Make up a booklet of these (I use the computer and tie them up with ribbon) for a free but fun gift.

I hope these ideas will help make your Christmas more frugal and fun! This will be my family's second all-cash Christmas, and we usually spend $800-1000 (we have a large family). If we can do it, you can do it too! Feel free to post your ideas on the message board.

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