The ABC's of "DO instead of BUY" Gift Ideas
"I love the doing ... not only does it help our wallets, it strengthens our bonds!! " - a reader (Ali)
"Thank you for coming up with the ABC’s of gift giving. I am usually stumped and frazzled come holiday time, and wonder how I will “pull another rabbit” out of my hat to find an “oh wow” gift or two for my children, nieces, nephews and parents. Just reading through what you’ve already posted has started these creaky old wheels rolling, and I’ve found some great ideas already. I think you have the smartest readers on the Net! - a reader (Cathy)
 We're on a mission to create a list of gift ideas for kids, teens, adults, family members, teachers, and friends that we can DO instead of BUY. The idea of BUYing into what a retailer or marketer thinks we should be BUYing for the holidays is getting old, boring, and let's face it - expensive! How many ties does dad really need? Does mom really want another sweater? And does your little one even remember the plastic, made in China toy that broke two months later? Perhaps this is the year where you add something new, something special, something from YOU to the gift stash. Perhaps this is the year you DO instead of BUY!
Our readers have helped us compile the ABC's of "DO insteaf of BUY" Gift Ideas. Put on your thinking hats - perhaps one of these ideas is exactly the right gift for that special someone on your list. Enjoy!
Celebrate the gifts that
are given and received during the holidays. And remember, a gift may
come in a box, a letter, a phone call, an email, a hug, or completely
when you least expect it. That is the magic of the Season of DOing.
Cindy
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- A - afghan - there's a new sampler one to crochet on the Lion Brand
website. Use up several already owned yarns instead of making it the one
color they show.
- Antique - my husband's antique watch that I am passing to my eldest grandson this Christmas. It is a tradition that I am proud to follow. I've even written up a letter that includes as much history about the watch as I know. My grandson knows he will be receiving it for Christmas and is looking forward to it.
- A = Appreciation (write a personal letter expressing a personal thing or list of things you really like about this person ... the more personal you get with it, the more special it is.)
- Baking Lessons - A great gift of time for kids.
- B is for baking extra breads, cakes and cookies to freeze and give as gifts.
- B: Baskets filled with breads and such. I can usually find some nice
baskets at the $$ stores and make the bread myself. Tie a nice bow on
the handle of the basket for a finishing touch.
- B is for babysitting: I plan on making my sister-in-law a few "night's off" babysitting certificates so her and her husband can enjoy some time together. My neice is adorable so it is a win-win!
- Cooking Lessons - A great gift of time, especially for a high schooler getting ready to go away to university or a university student.
- (And another one) C: what about cooking lessons? When we had our foster son, he was really into cooking, especially Chinese cooking. The local adult school happened to offer a series of 5 lessons of favorite Chinese recipes. It didn't cost much and he really enjoyed learning a new skill. He's on his own now and regularly wows his girlfriends by making a full meal.
- Christmas Ornaments.
- C- I crochet all sorts of things with yarn i have on hand or have
been given (sweaters, bibs, dish cloths, mittens)
- C is for the craft supplies I cleaned out of my closet. I hoarded them instead of used them. Now my kids are too old to want them. So I am going to wrap them up in a special basket and send them to my neice who was a four and five year old. I already spoke to her to see if it was OK and she was delighted!
- C = Coupons - People love to look forward to free services ... babysitting, vacuum out the car, wax & buff the car, housecleaning, excused from chores for a day, backrubs, ... anything you can do for someone becomes an idea for a coupon. The idea is to find something that will make them feel loved, pampered, or relieved.
- C is for the card sets I make and give as gifts. I like to leave the inside blank, include stamps, and wrap 6 cards/envelopes with a ribbon.
- Dish Towels- then you take permanent paint and you have your child put their finger prints at the bottom to make lady bugs and bumble bees!
- Dips! My potential idea for this year is- dips- I saw recipes on the internet where you add the all herbs and spices- put them in a pretty jar and add a note that tells the recipient how much mayo and sour cream to add- and Voila- dip!!! Just don't tell my family because I think I may "win" with the best gift this year!
- Dancing: DH doesn't know it, but he may be getting me Belly Dancing lessons this year with the same adult school. This one is a series of 10, only two hours long.
- D = Doggy pampering at home instead of buying those expensive stockings. A simple rawhide or bone will impress the dog just as much as the cute candy-cane and be gone just as quick. Another idea could be to find a recipe for dog treats online and make your own ... they are healthier and you get way more for it! (Note from Cindy here - Our dogs like their "Christmas morning W-A-L-K" the best of all!)
- E = E-mail - save postage and still reach out to the family members who are online. Ok, they won't have a card to hang up on their mantle (if they even get around to such things), but if you take the time to write a nice long, personal letter, and let them know this is your Christmas card this year, I bet they'll be glad you reached out!
- E is for embroidery. I’ve used colorful floss and simple embroidery stitches to embellish demin or cotton shirt pockets, collars, cuffs and plackets, flour sack or linen towels, cotton pillowcases, table linens, etc. Everyone loves hand decorated and personalized items!
- F is for freezer meals! I made my in-laws 10 homemade freezer meals in addition to the freezer cooking I was already doing for myself. This was part of their Christmas last year, and they loved it!
- F: Family Newsletter. Sometimes the best gift you can give is the
knowledge that you and your family are doing well. Year before last I
sent Christmas cards with a Family Newsletter telling everyone what
had happened over the past year (My hubs returning safely from Kuwait,
the birth of our first daughter, Hubs promotion, the purchase of my
new car, Everyone happy and healthy).
- F is for Family History: A few years back, I gave everyone a copy of the most current family tree. Little did I know how much this gift would give to me! In the weeks following Christmas, I received more information about cousins, great uncles, and other relatives I never knew we had. It's become a tradition that I print out the last family tree and include with our holiday cards. I love my hobby. Sharing it doesn't cost a dime (except for photocopying).
- F = Family - make your family feel special by having a little party just for them ... popcorn and board games, instead of yet another holiday party to run to would be a nice way to stay close and avoid some of the frazzlements of the holidays. (I'm thinking of doing this instead of being cranky and spending lots of money I can't afford and spending more of my time baking than enjoying my family.)
- F is for Faith - celebrating your faith with family and friends during the holidays. Invite a senior to attend with your family if they have no other way of getting to church. My grandmother, who spent last Christmas alone was thrilled to be included with her neighbors when they went to Christmas Eve mass. She had missed going the previous few years.
- F is for the fudge I make (only at Christmas, so it’s special) and give as gifts. I make delicious pumpkin fudge that my sister hides from her kids and savors until Valentine’s Day!
- Gourd Bird Feeder- My 5 year old and I made these. My Dad grew those BIG gourds- I got painting ideas off the intranet and these where the top hit for 2007 Christmas.
- Grandkid family photo in a painted picture frame- another winner!
- Gift of Time: Sometimes I will do up gift cards on the computer and give them to one friend...a gift of an hour of my time and she can decide how to use them ~ two hours at a time, three hours, whatever her needs are and my schedule can handle.
- Gift of the MOnth: One year I gave my daughter a "gift a month" ~ things I would normally give throughout the year (paying for a hair cut, new music, new CD's, a GC to her local grocery store), but it spread it out for me, and gave her something to look forward to on the first day of each month for a year!
- H is for helper coupons. We gave my Grandmother these coupons one year so she could get free help around the house. We used ideas such as grass cutting, house cleaning, cooking dinner, weeding the garden, and trips to town because she doesn't drive.
- H is also for handprint ornaments. The kids put their handprints on nice paper and decorate it to hand on the tree.
- H = Heart for the Homeless/Hard-Up - Sharing some of our pantry with others to help their holiday be more bright is a special tradition we have ... our scouting program includes a food drive to help the local food pantries and shelters get the food they need to reach out. Giving time to the pantry or shelter to help sort food for delivery or help serve food is another way, particularly if you can not afford to share. (Note from Cindy: it is especially important to get teens involved in these types of sharing programs!)
- H is for hanging bird treats. One winter year I filled some used foil pie pans with water, whole cranberries, shelled nuts, and small pieces of pine boughs, and placed about a 6 inch loop of twine sticking out one side of the pan to act as a hanger. I left these filled pans out to freeze overnight. The next day I turned out the icy “ornament” to hang on a tree branch. The birds had fun pecking at the nuts and cranberries, and the disk caught the sun and shone like a diamond in the light. Pretty! This is a nice winter craft for kids. Or, thumbtack a piece of twine into the base of a pinecone, smear the open pine “petals” with peanut butter, roll in bird seed, and hang in a tree. A set of these would make a nice kid’s gift for a birdwatcher. Check your library for books with similar nature crafts that kids can make and give as gifts.
- H is for my hot chocolate mix...it's the number one requested gift from my kitchen!
- I = Invent new traditions - make a snowman, take a walk, carolling (together being the emphasis rather than getting things to add to our clutter or waistlines) - (Cindy Here - OH! This reminds me of a few years back when our little ones were restless with the excitement of Christmas Eve. To burn away a few hours (and play them out a bit), we invited our neighbors over for an outside hot chocolate and snack party - PLUS a family snowman building competition! I have never seen such excited kids! "Come on dad, you can do it" as dad tried to roll a snowman ball four feet in diameter LOL. We needed a ladder to get the head on top of ours. Another family built a huge "Cat in the hat" snowman, and another built an entire snow family. It was declared a neighborhood tie and we all had a blast!)
- I is for ice candles! My mom made these when I was a kid in the late ‘60s. Here’s a link to a site with some detailed instructions on how to make them: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/bathcrafts_candles/77591
(I’ve substituted broken crayons for dye chips, although the pure white candles look beautiful, too We used to use blocks of paraffin wax, old candle stubs, etc. and milk cartons – good recycling project!) Everything old is new again, right?!
- Jams- home made (Cindy Here - my brother is getting this for Christmas!!)
- J: This year I am sending everyone on my Christmas list a "Jar of
Cookie mix". I had a bunch of pint sized mason jars I've had for a
while. So I went online and found some wonderful recipes for cookies
in a jar. After I filled the jars with the dry ingredients I
decorated them with some pretty Christmas material I had left over
from last year, and attached a cookie cutter with some ribbon from
last year. The list of needed liquid ingredients and baking
directions are attached to a card (left over cards from several years)
and will be mailed with the jar.
- J is for jams and jellies. My mom is moving from a large home to a
two-bedroom condo. She doesn't have room for anything that can collect
dust. This year for Christmas I'm giving her an assortment of jams and
jellies that are made locally from fruits she can't get where she lives.
She can enjoy them all year and recycle the jars when she's done.
- Jolly - have everyone bring jokes or funny stories to share and have a jolly good time together. This gives everyone a chance to have the floor, young and old alike.
- K is for knitting. Hats, mittens, scarves, fingerless mitts (my
favorite!!). Even afghans knit on a knitting machine! I made jester hats
for all my nieces and nephews one year, and afghans for my parents and
my in-laws. It's a great way to use up leftover yarn, too.
- K = Knit - If you know how to knit ... you can find a snowflake book, or a book of bells and knit up a variety of them. They are relatively fast and there's enough of them to keep your interest if you like challenge.
- L - lessons - if you know how to do something - calligraphy, play piano -
and you know someone who wants to learn, give a series of lessons as a
gift. (Note from Cindy here: One of my most treasured gifts was a few hours of my neighbor's time. She showed me the basics of cake decorating. It was enough that I had to courage to decorate our own wedding cake. It was beautiful!)
- L is for lawn care certificates to cut the grass of elderly neighbors and family members.
- L = a gift card for Lunch out with the gift reciever (note from Cindy - pack a picnic lunch and enjoy it during a day exploring parks or museums!)
- L = Legumes - a 15 bean soup looks impressive in a quart jar with a little fabric on the lid for extra presentation, or a bow around the neck of the jar, including a recipe with a hole punched through it.
- Mason Jars - filled with cookie recipe
- M is for mailing a "card of the month" to grandparents. (the first card is on the tree.) We did this, and they were so happy to hear from the kids each month.
- M is for making memories…go caroling, visit a nursing home, make cookies together
- M-Make them something either bake, or craft something as a gift
- "M"om's Day In~ Provide some well deserved time off for a mom you know and care about! Offer to take the kids for a specified amount of time ( a couple hours afterschool, a Saturday morning etc ). Make a coupon for mom's time and put it and a few pampering stuff in a basket or box or in a pinch in a decorated brown bag!! Items could include some bath products, candle, a book you know she's wanted to borrow from you or something more personal... a good friend of mine loved to write poetry but never seemed to have the time or peace to do it ( 3 kids and an on the road husband! ). I gave her a stack of home printed stationery and a few pencils wrapped up with a ribbon and took the kids to my house for a movie and dinner nite!....
- M is for Monopoly Game, take a old board you have sitting around (or find one at a yardsale) and remake it to fit your hometown and family then sit down and play it all together can you imagine the look on someones face when they draw a chance that says run around the room and give everyone a hug or go to the icebox and bring us all something to drink. and you get to buy King Ave, Enterprise Ave ( we live on it) instead of Railroads you get to buy M&W Market, Albertson's, and so on.
- Muffin of the Month Club: My aunt lives alone, and one of the things she doesn't do is bake anything yummy for herself any more. I decided one year to make her an official member of my "Muffin-of-the-Month Club". At Christmas time I gave her a hand decorated "certificate" with her first batch of muffins. Then each month after that, I'd bake a different kind and give them to her on the first of the month. She absolutely loved this idea, and said it was the most thoughtful gift she ever received.
- M = Marquee - if you know someone who can cut a piece of wood for you, you can seal the wood, paint a sign for them ... a welcome sign, an address sign with the family name, or even a humorous sign and then seal the whole thing.
- M is for mini-mitten ornaments that are quick and easy to trace and cut out of felt or other fabric and sew together with floss or yarn and some simple embroidery stitches.
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- "N"uttin' Fancy... Don't forget the impotance of personal! Most of our loved ones would rather get a well thought out and personalized home-made or home grown gift then any fancy do-hicky grabbed off the almost empty shelved at the local greedy-mart!! Write a heartfelt letter on some pretty paper, scrapbook a photo of the two of you, or their family with some zany or sweet memories written in, Make a list of their best qualities and a few remembrances of why you love them and frame it.
- N-write someone a Note not a Christmas card note or Christmas letter just a friendly note
- (And another one) N is for Notes ( write friends and family notes for encouragement - I mean hand written on nice paper or those notecards we all have stuffed in the back of a drawer)
- N = Negotiate - Not a gift idea, I know ... but pit your skills against theirs ... are you great with baking and they are great with something else? Maybe someone would be willing to exchange gift-making abilities with you. (Cindy Here - OH I do this! I love painting outdoor lawn decorations - the large ones made of wood. I am hopeless in the kitchen! So I trade. One set of lawn decorations for Christmas for a pile of holiday baking for the freezer. I never know what our "baking" is going to be for the year LOL).
- O=ornaments..... There are alot of recipes out there for making homemade Christmas ornaments. Kids have a great time with these!
- O is for Oreo truffles I plan on making to give away as gifts to friends, teachers, co-workers.
- "O"ffer a service that will help them out. You could offer a one time gig or several occasions. The best gift I got one Christmas was a friend offering to put up my Christmas lights when my husband was out of the country! It could be a large a service as you are comfortable with or a small gesture of caring. Dinner for the family every week for a month. Free babysitting. Yard work. Homebaked cookies each month etc etc the possibilities are limitless!!
- O is for offering to organize something as a gift. Perhaps you can help someone clean and organize a closet or bookshelves, or organize a recipe file or address book – not everyone is good at or enjoys doing these tasks, so giving a gift of your organizing skills can brighten an afternoon, along with a pot of tea and lots of laughter.
- Photographs - Frame family pictures (current or older) or landscape/other photographs you have taken yourself for a personal gift, esp for someone who doesn't need anything.
- Plants - Cuttings from your own houseplants can grow into wonderful plants of their own. Use an old coffee mug for a cutting that is rooted but not very big yet.
- P is for: "Pappo's Farm" Planning on making a photo book for the
grand-twins, all about Pappo's farm (what they call dh). The
tractors, the cows, the kitties, the flowers, the pond. They live 16
hours away and rarely visit in warm weather. In the winter, the farm
is covered in snow or all brown and uninteresting. I've been taking
photos all spring/summer and will continue so I have a selection.
Then will find a good bargain on make-your-own books online and have
it done by Thanksgiving, I hope. (that's my Christmas gift deadline)
- P - pet sit - a great gift for someone who travels and can't always take
their pet with them.
- P=......picnic basket....... how about a basket filled with homemade goodies, or
homemade soaps, etc.
- P is for painting. Someone you know has paint ready to go and no motivation to actually put it on the walls.
- P: Pictures. This year I will be sending small framed pictures of
the entire family (to those who are not getting the jars) of my family
so everyone can see our newest addition (baby girl).
- P: is for plays ... every year my husband and I (& my son if he is on leave, and my DMIL-DFIL if they are visiting, they often do) go to see the musical "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". Surely there is some special play that would make a good gift. Doesn't even have to be a holiday plan....there may be a spring or summer play at a local theatre that your loved one would like.
- P-paint Christmas signs (i use scrap wood)
- P = Pears (or other canned specialty you have) - You know they love your preserves or relishes or (fill in the blank) ... make extra now to share at Christmas. A little bit of decorative presentation and you have a lovely, can't be bought anywhere sort of gift.
- Quilts or Quillows - If this is your hobby already, you can give away the fruit of your labours. Children's quilts are not very big.
- Q=Quikrete..... quikrete concrete makes great stepping stones, and you can put a childs (or childrens) handprints in them. They make great gifts for grandparents. You can use a tin pie plate, or even a heart shaped pan for the form.
- Q is for quiet time - when you give a new mom certificates for babysitting so she can get out of the house few a little while.
- Q = Quick breads - Use your signature quick bread, or find something unique to try ... zucchini bread (make now and freeze), chocolate bread, pumpkin bread, spice bread or whatever you find.
- R - repairs -offer to do a bunch of them for someone who can't do their
own.
- R is for running errands for an elderly family member who can't get out.
- R is for the Refinished desk and headboard my husband is sanding and repainting to match our daughter's new room. The desk was given to us, so it didn't cost a dime. We bought the headboard for $5.00 at a second hand store. Both of them match and will look terrific when they are done.
- R = Recycle - Did you get too many candles? Tie a bow around one and give it away! Too many cookbooks or other books? Find books that are in good shape and share the love of reading with someone. If you already have your name in it, see if you can create a nice looking label to go over it that says To: My Wonderful Sister From: Your Name - or whatever creative thing you think of to put on it!
- Scrapbooks - finish them! Use the craft stuff you already have to do it with.
- S- scan someone's photos for them and put them on a CD - with some
programs you can add music, etc.
- S - is for Seeds. My daughters and I were just this morning collecting seeds from our prolific self seeding flowers. We intend to decorate little envelopes with the flowers pictured on the front. They can be mailed for the cost of a stamp and bring enjoyment in planting and viewing for years.
- S: is for surfing lessons....got a five-hour lesson for my son last Christmas...he just used it a few weeks ago.
- S- sewing (use old jeans to make purses, pot holders using the pockets)
Sew coin purses using scrap material (you only need a 5 in.
square and a 4 in.
zipper)
- S = Sewing - hot pads with scented rice sewn in - neck pads are tremendously popular They can be heated or cooled with a relaxing aroma. Your ability and budget is the limit.
- Socks: S-- I have been knitting socks for my family, for 2 years now. I have two children and three grandsons, my husband has four children and ten grandchildren, together we have eleven great grands and two more on the way. I don't know if I'll ever get caught up!!!
- T: is for train ride....we have a train museum in the countryside near us that runs the old steam-driven engines every weekend. Last year my son bought my husband a train ride with the engineer (the ride was about 2.5-hours long. My husband loved it.
- T is for time. Spend time together with loved ones, the elderly, etc
- T is for a handwritten Thank-you letter for my daughter's teachers. I did this last year and included a small $5.00 gift certificate from the local coffee shop. The words in that one page letter meant more to the teacher than the free coffee!
- U is for University. Does your local university or college have an art gallery that you can take friends to for free exhibits? Or does it offer free lectures or events that your whole family could enjoy over the holidays? Our state university branch has a planetarium, and this fall their programs include one called Winter Wonders (Nov.) and another called Season of Light (Dec.) All programs are free and open to the public. We took my elderly mom to one last year – she was thrilled as she had never been to a planetarium before!
- V is for vouchers (home made). E.g. A hug and kiss any time you need it, a day out with Dad or Mum by yourself, three trips to the ice cream parlour, your favourite meal, and your turn to choose take away dinner. The mind boggles at the possibilities! My kids loved this for Christmas about three years ago; they are still cashing them in!
- V is for the monthly VISIT I will make to my grandmother who moved into a nursing home this past summer. She doesn't want anything except some company and the occasional bag of candy.
- V = Vivid Memories - invite people to have their digital pictures or slides available (make sure a projector is brought as necessary) and have a slide show ... hopefully lots of people will contribute something and the attention will be enjoyed by all.
- W = Wax - try your hand at making candles ... you can get as fancy as you like. Don't use utensils that you cook food in, unless you use a used and cleaned can to put the wax in and set the can in a pan of hot water on the stove. You could even host a candle making party ... if you are prepared for drips and a bit of mess. Could be a lot of fun and become a new tradition. Have some favorite scents and make some scented candles to relax with later. (Note from Cindy here - please be careful with the candles - my kids made some at a neighbor's birthday party. They proudly lit the candle which was inside a glass cup beside my bed. Fortunately I was reading and awake! A few minutes later, once the candle was hot, the entire thing exploded. Glass shreds all over the place - the glass wasn't made to handle the temperatures of melted wax!)
- X= xerox....... xerox copies of childrens artwork, make frames out of popsicle sticks, or something similar.
- X: "Xtra Cash" as I like to call it. Last year I slipped a $1 bill
into every Christmas card I sent out (no more than 30 that year)
- X = Xtra time spend with family members, via a created coupon book
- Y is for Yarn. Use all those leftover yarns to knit or crochet socks, afghans, potholders, shawls and other warm gifts. Check your local library for yarncraft books to make small dolls and animals out of your scraps.
- Y is for Yard Art. Create interesting yard/garden art or garden chimes out old metal pieces and silverware –I’ve seen easy directions online. I made some yard art out of broken blue china plates and saucers this summer. I took the broken pieces and pushed then into the edges of my flower beds to create scalloped flower borders. (I knew I wasn’t going to make a table top mosaic anytime soon after all) If you have a gardening friend or relative, offer to make them something “unique” for their special spots.
- Y is for Yard chores. Offer the gift of yard chores to an elderly or disabled friend or relative. They’ll be grateful for your help and time.
- Z - zuchinni(?) - offer to take a gardener's extras next summer. (Love this one - anyone who knows what to do with all those giant sized zuchinnis?)
- Z = zoo membership for the family
- Z = Zest - encourage others to be creative ... be enthusiastic about finding ways to enjoy each other without spending money or spending a lot of money. Help everyone feel included ... they might feel relieved in the long run. The anticipation to see what creative thing the others have come up with will product a lot more zest in the celebrations ... esp. if it's done in the spirit of love and fun (not competition.)
- Z is for zucchini bread, banana bread, pumpkin bread, etc. – I make lots of these and freeze for holiday consumption and gift-giving. For those really large zucchinis, cur lengthwise into quarters and slice out the seedy middle portion – I zip the rest of the piece through my food processor shredder and add to quick breads and muffins.
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Remember - DO within!
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