Inexpensive Christmas Gifts.
by Ron
Long
Christmas is a time of joy, piece, and giving. It is
also a time of being broke. Adults often think that
the idea of making Christmas gifts is only for
children who do not yet have their own money to buy
gifts. However, with a little bit of ingenuity, some
clever shopping, and a fair amount of free time, you
can make some very grown up do it yourself Christmas
gifts.
The first step is to spend an afternoon at a craft
store, and see what sticks out at you as things you
would be comfortable sitting down to work on. Some
very basic, but very nice final product ideas include:
(1) Knit caps. If you have time to pick up crocheting
or knitting, Christmas is a perfect time of year to
put that talent to good use. You can make knit caps,
mittens and scarves for men and women alike on your
holiday shopping list. With all of the different
available colors and textures in yarns today, it is
virtually limitless what you can do to personalize a
knitted gift. For some extra special fun, you can work
in some fun beads fairly easily to jazz up a more
basic design.
(2) Pick up some shadow box frames at the art store,
and make some personal home decorations. For example,
if you have someone on your list who is a big fan of
Beethoven, you can create a shadowbox picture with
some music notes in the background with a copy of a
Beethoven songbook and maybe a dollhouse piano in the
frame. Stuff like the dollhouse furniture as well as
lots of great designs for backgrounds and the like can
usually be found in the scrapbook section of your
favorite craft store.
(3) Jewelry is a great personal do it yourself gift.
There are all different skill levels for creating your
own jewelry, and lots of different pieces that you can
purchase to make your gift as professional looking and
beautiful as you want. If you go to a good bead store,
they will have lots of different settings on which to
put earrings and a great selection of different and
interesting beads for you to use. The best part
though, is that they have expertise. With a little bit
of help from the experts, you can make beautiful, one
of a kind jewelry for less than a dollar a piece.
(4) Ornaments are a great way to celebrate the
Christmas season. There are so many different ways to
create your own unique ornaments, that you could make
a different type of ornament for nearly everyone on
your list. You could cross-stitch some ornaments, hand
paint a box of regular glass ornaments, create egg
shell ornaments with glitter or paint, make picture
frame ornaments, bead Holiday shapes with pipe
cleaners and pony beads, string some Hawaiian flowers
for a funky tree garland, or just put a glittery hook
on a plain ornament bulb. The best part about this
gift, is that you get to see it every year on your
loved one’s Christmas tree.
For
these and more unique gift ideas visit
Inexpensive Christmas Gift Ideas
How To Save Money On Christmas Gifts.
by
Maria Estarellas
How
many times have you spent more that you could afford
on Christmas gifts for your family? How many times
have you bought gifts that weren't what you were
looking for and on top of that, paid top dollars for
them?
It has happened to all of us one too many times.
Well, you can SAVE money on all your Christmas Gifts
by:
1. Make a list.
It's always convenient to make a list of all the
people that you will be giving a gift to.
Make sure you know what their interests are so you get
a gift that they will appreciate. It will make it
special for them and for you.
2. What to buy for someone that has everything?
Baskets, candles, a good book or a store certificate
can be the perfect gift for that special person that
has everything.
3. Buying in advance.
Don't wait until the last minute to go Christmas
shopping because you'll end up paying high prices for
stuff you don't even like. This happens specially with
the hottest Holiday Toys because a lot of people look
for them at local stores and since quantities are
limited, you won't find them unless you go Christmas
Shopping early.
If you decide to go a local mall, make sure you do it
during the first two weeks of November. You'll avoid
the majority of Christmas shoppers and you are
guaranteed to find what you're looking for at lower
prices.
4. Take advantage of Online pre-Christmas Sales.
Most stores offer deep online discounts (up to 70%) on
toys, clothing, accessories, gifts, candles, and more
before Christmas during the months of October and
November. They even offer Free Shipping with your
order.
5. Buy from the comfort of your home.
Every year, more people buy online to save time and
money. By buying online, you'll be able to see every
item on every gift category you're interested in
without the hassle of searching a whole store or
waiting in long lines, only to find out that what
you're looking for is not available or is overpriced.
You'll also receive the items you purchased early,
giving you time to wrap them in advance.
The Christmas Season should be spent with family and
friends instead of worrying about looking for time to
go Christmas shopping.
Have a great Holiday Season.
Maria
Estarellas is the webmaster for
www.1mykids.com "The Complete Website For The
Whole Family". She has included in her website
resources and information to help children with
homework, step by step science projects, crafts,
hobbies for Mom and Dad, Games, Toys, Clothing and
more.
How To Not Blow Your Budget This
Christmas.
by
Kelly McCausey
Every
year thousands of families make a fresh decision to
start living by a budget. They set up accounts on
their home computer, begin to track everything they
spend and set limits designed to help them save more
and spend less.
Gwen
Mathews is the Mother/Chief Accountant in one of these
new budget conscious families. She and her husband
Pete set up some ambitious financial plans with the
goal of paying off their credit card debt. They split
their family income up into categories and were doing
just great. That is until the holiday season came
along.
As Gwen
scanned the family Christmas list she realized that
the gift giving category her and Pete had agreed to
early in the year wasnt going to cut it.
Pete,
Gwen and their three children sat down after dinner
that night and laid out the situation. Christmas was a
month away and the budget was clearly not going to buy
the family the kind of presents that they were used
to. They needed to make some decision together as a
family. What did they want more? Expensive Christmas
gifts or a shrunken credit card balance?
The
secret to keeping a budget during the holidays is to:
A. Have
a clear vision of your priorities. Remind yourself and
your entire family of the reasons you had for getting
on a budget in the first place.
B. Make
a complete gift shopping list and then prioritize it
according to your relationship with that person.
Immediate family comes first, extended family,
friends, co-workers, etc. Start at the bottom and
cross off any names that absolutely dont need to be
there - then assign a portion of your budget to each
of the remaining names.
C. Get
creative with your gift giving. A day in the kitchen
with the oven at 350 degrees will take care of a lot
of people on your shopping list. A plate of home made
Christmas cookies is a welcome and touching gift.
D. Give
up keeping up with the neighbors. The surest path to a
blown budget is to start comparing what youre doing
with what someone else is doing. Remember, theyll
likely be crying come January.
E. Dont
start shopping too early. Many a Mom has spent their
entire holiday budget before Thanksgiving thinking
shes a smart cookie to get it all out of the way. Then
the Christmas sales kick in and shes kicking herself
and thinking Well I can spend just a little bit more
cant I?".
F.
Final rule: No impulse buying. If someone gives you an
unexpected gift, it doesnt mean you have to run out
and buy them something - thats what Thank You is for.
By
keeping their goals in mind and recruiting the support
of their children, Pete and Gwen survived the holidays
within their budget. As their gift to each other they
wrote an extra payment to the credit card company. If
they keep that up, theyll be celebrating a debt free
Christmas next year.
Kelly McCausey writes a weekly newsletter encouraging
other Moms to be better money managers. Get your free
subscription by visiting
http://www.MomsMoney.com.
Christian Gift Ideas.
by
Kathy Burns-Millyard
Christianity is the worlds largest religion, which is
thoughtfully based on the life and teachings of Jesus
Christ as described in the New Testament of the Bible.
The faith encompasses numerous religious traditions
that vary widely by culture and geography, as well as
many diverse beliefs and sects. Regardless of location
or background, those who embrace Christianity share a
personal and fulfilling relationship with their lord
and savior. If you know an individual that sincerely
and prayerfully practices the Christian faith,
consider giving them an inspirational gift the next
time the need arises. Christian gifts are appropriate
at just about any time of the year. Celebrate
Christmas, anniversaries, weddings, birthdays, Mothers
Day, Easter, corporate events or other special
occasions with Christian gifts that speak to the
heart. Here are some inspirational ideas to help get
you started:
Framed
Canvas Replica of The Last Supper: Leonardo da Vincis
masterpiece, The Last Supper, has become one of the
most widely appreciated masterpieces in the world. It
marks an important event in Christianity and is a
treasured work of art. Framed replicas of The Last
Supper make ideal gifts that reflect your recipients
spiritual and religious beliefs.
Engraved Cross: An engraved cross personalized with
your recipients name or a special message from you is
a thoughtful Christian gift that will become a
treasured keepsake. You can opt for silver, pewter or
brass or have one hand carved from wood.
Christian Wall Plaque: Wall plaques make nice
Christian mementos for all occasions. There are many
to choose from including those depicting guardian
angels, crosses, The Last Supper, Madonna with child
and many more.
Bible
CD Set: Instead of a traditional paper bound bible,
give them a modern version - the New Testament on CD.
More than something that is just listened to, an audio
bible brings the word of Jesus Christ to life. It is
an experience that all Christians will enjoy.
Inspirational Bookmark: A beautifully designed
inspirational bookmark is a nice token of your support
for the recipients faith. Choose one that compliments
their bible colors or one that contains a special
passage from the bible. Theyll never lose their place
again!
Jesus
T-shirt: For a light hearted gift, give them a t-shirt
that humorously reflects their devotion. Possible
quotes include: Got Jesus and Jesus...Yes, this is my
final answer. Or pick one that has an image such as a
one way sign pointing to Jesus.
These
lovely Christian gifts are wonderful in sharing the
Christian faith and perfect for everyday inspiration.
© 2005,
Kathy Burns-Millyard. Need more
great gift
ideas for a variety of people and occasions? Visit
The Home Gift Shopper at
http://www.homegiftshopper.com - And dont miss our
new, full article RSS feed!
A Christmas Gift is Worth a Thousand
Words.
by
Natalie Aranda
Christmas is a time of celebration, sharing and
giving. We have too much to say to and to share with
our family, loved ones, co-works, those who we havent
keep in touch for years, and those who we havent never
met. We put our thoughts into each special Christmas
gift. A Christmas gift is worth a thousand words.
Unique
Christmas gifts are personalized. Personalized
gifts show an extra bit of thoughtfulness. Those are
the gifts that both you and your loved ones will
remember for many years. Unique gifts have a personal
touch whether you give the gifts to your girlfriend,
boyfriend, wife, husband, mom, dad, daughters or sons.
A
thoughtful gift for a wife, or a girlfriend that will
be appreciated is always flowers. The best flowers to
give at Christmas time are orchids, holly,
poinsettias, and the Christmas cactus as well as any
red flower. Flowers show how fresh and precious your
love is. Flowers remind her how beautiful and elegant
she is.
Sporting goods are always preferred by men - your
boyfriend or husband. It says how handsome and
energetic you think he is and itll bring him more fun
and excitement in coming years - soccer, soccer
jersey, golf clubs and fishing gears.
Any
gifts your kids want is the most special gifts for him
or her. Just ask your kids - your sons or your
daughters. Theyre your best source of gift ideas.
Theyll have a long list of things they want for
Christmas.
Nothing
means more to a mom or a dad than a handmade gift from
their kids. Moms and dads love anything their kids
make for them - cards, pictures, picture frames, and
flowers.
Christmas brings happiness and joy to every family.
For moms and dads, its the Christmas trees that call
their children back to home. For kids, its the
Christmas wreaths that hang on their doors to tell the
worlds that they are growing bigger. For lovers, its
always Christmas flowers and
Christmas flower arrangements to show the
freshness, beauty and elegance of their feelings.
Natalie
Aranda is a freelance write. She writes about family,
love and relationship. She has been taking pictures of
various
Christmas trees and
Christmas wreaths ever since she was a teenager.
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