Still need a few things for the kiddos for Christmas? Here you will find some great ideas that we shared in our weekly chat.
This is the condensed version of the chat, edited to include only relevant info (edited out, “hi”, “goodbye”, “that’s cool”, etc. You can download the full version in .txt here. (right click > save as)
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Tuesday, December 20th, 2011
VanessaP: Well, for those of us with tight wallets, and Christmas in just a few days, what ideas can we come up with for free and cheap last minute gift ideas?
ek99fish: i liked patrice’s dollar store idea 4 siblings 2 fill each others’ stockings.
bellmom: I love the idea someone had about giving them a few dollars for the Dollar Store and letting them stuff one another’s stockings.
VanessaP: ya that’s a fun idea. Especially if you have a Dollar Tree around, or something, where everythign is a dollar
Aadel: Well I traded in some of our nicer used clothes at a local consignment store and got store credit and I am giving the girls the credit gift card for Christmas
ek99fish: and then we talked last night about how some families don’t have money to spend on presents so they’re spending time together in whatever way works best for that family. i like that.
Aadel: It is also a costume shop so they can choose out some dress up stuff or jewelry
ek99fish: seriously aadel?
ek99fish: oh, you mean the store credit @ the thrift store, right?
ek99fish: i thought you were giving them your credit card.
Aadel: It is like a high-end consignment shop
Aadel: Erin THAT would be dangerous!
DevinaF: This is not a complete gift, but my daughter has been making little homemade gift boxes. Here is a great video on making them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op15rZhsK8g
DevinaF: This year, my kids decided that they would buy gifts for each other. I was so shocked!
Aadel: I know places like Once upon a Child do store credit
ek99fish: last year my boys bought each other a gift worth $5. and it was a surprise that they all got each other nurf guns. this year they did it again but on purpose.
VanessaP: Oh, some discount scrapbook paper for origami would be cool, and maybe print out some instructions
VanessaP: One thing I did this year, was go to Dollar Tree and just buy a bunch of craft supplies like pipe cleaners, pom poms, popsicle sticks, etc, and put those in a bag
Aadel: You could make them a tub of recycled craft supplies bellmom Has exited the room
DevinaF: Here is another link to make paper mache lanterns. Christmas lights are cheap, cheap right now! http://www.reesedixon.com/2009/06/paper-mache-party-lights.html
Aadel: old socks, paper towel tubes, leftover christmas paper
ek99fish: i’m going to need my Rise & Shine tea before I continue. My 6, a month shy of 7, yr. old keeps asking me multiplication and math questions. I’m not multi-tasking very well right now.
Aadel: Scrap paper, interesting magazines, etc. we recycle all of our sour cream tubs to use for kids crafts
VanessaP: Someone mentioned in the group that they did little homemade gift certificates for things, so I printed some out last night here http://www.freeprintablecertificates.net/showcover/christmas_gift_certificate_tree
ek99fish: we have a cardboard box that they have resuable materials in it. basically, yogurt containers, paper towel rolls, that kind of thing.
DevinaF: Sorry y’all, I like links. Here is one to make a jean material corsage http://tearosehome.blogspot.com/2010/01/tutorial-jean-corsage-got-old-jeans.html
VanessaP: I filled them out with things like “Baking session with mom” “meal of choice”, “lunch date with mom”, etc
Aadel: I saw a really cool marble run made from wrapping paper tubes on Pinterest yesterday
VanessaP: we are just talking about free and cheap last minute Christmas gift ideas
ek99fish: we’ve done coupons before. i like that. it was more for my husband. but it might be something we do in the future.
Aadel: http://happyhomefairy.com/2011/07/09/marble-ous-marbles/
Aadel: towards the bottom of the post
Aadel: And here is a treehouse out of cardboard scraps http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/make-a-treehouse-1024899/?CMP=NLC-NL_FFUN_Wkdr_100511_make-a-treehouse
ek99fish: you women must like crafty stuff. not me but my kids have done well just figuring out things on their own.
ek99fish: not that i haven’t facilitated.
Aadel: And these party bracelets look so cool! Maybe you could make them with your kids http://www.marthastewart.com/266277/paper-party-bracelet
DevinaF: Love the link to the marble crafts. It brought back memories of when I was a kid and we tried to get marbles into holes in a shoebox.
Aadel: Ok- so for the not so crafty
Aadel: What are some other free/cheap ideas? Liane[9:29:21 AM]: I’m at a total loss this year for ideas
VanessaP: cookie mixes and hot cocoa mix, etc
DevinaF: Making a silly diorama using pictures of family/friends.
VanessaP: those are always easy to put together
ek99fish: I would do coupons, in the future. And we are going to make some things like lip balms and my 9 yr. old is making these cookies called Pumpkin Gems, they don’t use sugar but honey and applesauce as a sweetener.
ek99fish: oh, and we’re making finger paints for my nieces.
Aadel: I like your idea of a $10 shopping spree Nessa- in your coupons
VanessaP: You can just use a favorite recipe you have the things on hand for, put together the dry ingredients, and add directions on how to do the rest.
Aadel: You could do a coupon “your choice of a redbox movie rental”
VanessaP: oh ya. one of our coupons was for a $10 shopping spree for each of the older boys. That way, we can go at a later date and they can pick out what they want
ek99fish: And I’d rather my gifts, if they’re coming from the children, be fair trade or benefit someone from a place like Trade As One.
DevinaF: I made these rice filled heating/cooling pads one year. http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/ricefilledpad.htm
VanessaP: Oh, and lets’ not forget, regifting our own belongings, like one child could gift one of their toys they don’t play with much anymore to a sibling
Aadel: I am making slippers for Vanessa’s boys- with my scrap yarn and a free pattern
Aadel: Well- one thing we did this year is burn cd’s of kid’s songs
Aadel: We got a cd holder at the dollar general and I already had blank CD’s
DevinaF: Here is a link for drink mixes http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/mixes.htm
Rmiller: Oooh! Baking. I tried to make the salt dough ornaments. I think I rolled them out too thin. Burned a lot of them! :-O
VanessaP: My husband is going to be burning some of our movies for cousins this year
Rmiller: Where did you find music to download for free?
Aadel: Here is a bunch of free children’s audio books http://www.kidsaudiobooks.co.uk/mp3_downloads.htm
Rmiller: I used to burn Librivox to CD ~ but kids can listen on iPads, so I stopped. But would like more music
ek99fish: i briefly thought of them making ornaments, but we’ve had various illnesses running through this house since the Sat. before Turkey Day.
VanessaP: well I didn’t get music, but I have tons of free audio books and series for kids that I have been meaning to get on CD
Aadel: A whole bunch of old Muppets records http://muppetmusique.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2008-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2009-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=50
VanessaP: that old Star Wars Series, too. but you have to have a membership right Aadel?
Aadel: yes
Aadel: http://www.mysteryshows.com/index.htm#club
Aadel: You have to click “join mystery clubhouse”
Aadel: It is a donation- $10 for a lifetime membership
Aadel: and they have the entire series of Star Wars audio drama
Aadel: as well as thousands of old radio shows
VanessaP: what about printable stuff? if you have a printer and ink
VanessaP: I found a printable nativity scene to put together with my boys nboone Has entered the room
ek99fish: My printer is broken. Can’t afford to fix it right now. So either my husband prints or I use the library.
Aadel: Kid’s vinyl records downloads http://www.artsreformation.com/records/
nboone: hi there so this year for Christmas we are only giving our kids 3 Christian gifts and on New Years they will get new toys and clothes for the new year.
VanessaP: Just a recap for Nicole, we have discussed homemade ornaments, audio books/music/movies burned on CD/DVD, coupons for experiences with mom and dad, etc, what else?
Rmiller: We’re buying cheap “consumables”. Markers, play dough, construction paper, scotch tape (this is a BIG hit at our house), yarn (for stringing across the house ~ my kids have no idea it can be turned into clothing), & paint
Aadel: The girls were apparently upstairs making cheap/free presents for me
VanessaP: oh I found a really cool idea… you take pop bottle caps, and then those foam stickers, and glue them to the caps to make little stamps
Aadel: They have beads and jewelry making supplies in their room
VanessaP: oh I’m making homemade playdough in lots of new colors… you can use kool aid if you want to make scented playdough!
Aadel: Ok this is going to be a super long link because I had to search it
Aadel: But I found a bunch of free MP3 albums for kids on Amazon
nboone: my oldest is 10 and she made scrapbooks for long distance family and the boys 7 & 4 put together homemade calendars with pictures of them throughout the year
Aadel: anyways sometimes you can find free Mp3 albums on Amazon
nboone: My oldest also decorated the cover of the canvas books with shaving cream and food coloring and made prayer journals for her friends
VanessaP: I was thinking, you could print out some free printable story books, or any activities your kids like, and put those as stocking stuffers, flip books, etc
VanessaP: My oldest son loves mazes, so I might print him some
Rmiller: Shaving cream & food coloring? How does that work?
nboone: flip books thats cute.
Aadel: Make blank books!
VanessaP: I’m actually gonna save the chat thus far and go, we are going to get ready to do sugar cookie cutouts!
Aadel: Just take some printer paper, cardstock, etc. and fold in half
Aadel: or cut up into shapes
