Last-Minute Holiday Gifts

Posted by Judith Zwolak Dec 20, 2007

As your calendar creeps toward December 25 and your Christmas list remains lengthy, take the easy way out with some creative last minute gift ideas.

Easy

Need presents for the kids’ teachers, the babysitter, or a coworker? Mix up some salt dough and cut out homemade ornaments for the Christmas tree. An easy salt dough recipe can make a dozen or so one-of-a-kind ornaments (bake in a 100-degree oven to hasten the drying time). Be sure to poke a hanging hole through the ornament before you bake it. Use Christmas cookie cutters for seasonal shapes. Paint with tempera or acrylic paints and spray with a clear sealant. This is a wonderful project for kids and a cheap, easy, and cherished last-minute gift.

Easier

Print a photo on your own printer or at a local photo lab and slide it in a fashionable frame for a nearly instant gift with a personal touch. Or customize the frame to match your photo with paint, glued-on puzzle pieces or plastic toys, or glitter.

Easiest

Email gift certificates are a staple in my family. My father nearly always receives a Cabela’s hunting and fishing store gift certificate from each person in the family. Dad’s happy because he can shop for what he needs for his hobby and the rest of us don’t have to ponder what to buy an avid hunter and angler who seems to already possess every doo-dad and gadget imaginable. The email certificate usually arrives the next day, making Christmas Eve shopping as easy as typing on your keyboard.