Soap ($1)
This pretty bottle is only $1 at JoAnn. $1! And, inspired by an adorable idea I found on Pinterest, created by Kendra of Kendra's Creative Corner, I used a paint swatch for the Christmas tree tag, which was $free.99 (we're thinking of painting our front door this color, so I had one on hand).
Framed Flip Calendar ($1)
The standing frame seen here is only $1 at IKEA. That's right, folks, another $1 idea! I did spray paint it, but you can always leave it white. Or, why not wrap it with fabric or ribbon for a fun twist?
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| Download this cute calendar template here. |
Throw ($1)
Offer your neighbors Warm Winter Wishes by wrapping an inexpensive throw with a piece of paper and a tag. Another score, I got this blanket for $1 at IKEA on Black Friday. They're now $2, which is still an amazing deal!
Reindeer Games ($5)
Don't be an elitist like those pesky reindeer were to poor ol' Rudolph. Instead, invite your neighbors to Join in Many Reindeer Games with a game caddy.
I picked up this case at Target and filled it with holiday BINGO cards from Jenni Bowlin Studio. And, of course, some M&M game markers. BINGO!
Christmas Morning Breakfast ($20+ [because of the towel and spoon])
Give the gift of a delightful meal. Simply add the fixin's for tasty morning treat, such as pancake mix, syrup and juice. Make the eats stand out by selecting a more festive assortment than the basic pancake-mix-in-a-box variety. I grabbed most of my delights from World Market, including the adorable Gingerbread Man Syrup, the tasty mango drink, the yum-diddly-um banana caramel pancake mix, and the awesome silicon spoon.
For an added dose of love, add a pretty dish towel (Target), which is something that can be used all year.
Candles ($1)
Give the gift of Love & Light with washi tape-wrapped tea lights. I filled a fun, squatty jar with a few candles. I picked up a 100-pack of candles at IKEA for $5, so this is one gift you can give to many neighbors for next to nothing. Especially if you already have a jar and tape on hand.
Olive the Other Reindeer ($9)
Give something your neighbors will use all year through, like this lovely bottle of olive oil from World Market. It was already wrapped in gold foil, making it so pretty. I simply added the googley eyes, the nose, the hair bow, and the antlers to transform her into Olive, the other reindeer.
Framed Sentiment ($4)
Add a little decor to someone's home by framing a pretty saying. You can download these for free online. Check out my Christmas Pinterest board for several lovely examples. I simply printed the saying on basic printer paper (nothing fancy) and added it to the $4 frame I picked up at IKEA. Done and done!
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| Download this beautiful, free printable here. |
Hot Chocolate ($10)
Why give a basic can of hot chocolate when you can now get the mix in a pretty milk jar, like this one, which I picked up at Harmons (our local grocer)? I love the shape of this glass and think it's so sweet all by itself, but I couldn't resist adding some peppermint sticks to complete the look. These twisty sticks are from Orson Gygi, at $6 for a pack of six. Oh, and don't forget the paper straws to finish the look.
Gift Wrap Pack ($10+)
You've likely done your shopping. Now it's time to get those gifts wrapped. Give the gift of an all-in-one gift-wrap caddy by filling a carrying box with a few rolls of paper (mine are from Target), some tags (from Office Max), ribbon (from American Crafts), twine (from Whisker Graphics) and tape.
Fun bonus! I got the caddy for $free.99 from IKEA. They offer them when you purchase glasses there, and it's a great one to repurpose for just such a gift. I simply wrapped the front of it with a little wrapping paper to make it a bit more festive.
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| Include a jar full of holiday ribbon in your gift-wrap caddy. |
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| Gift tags are a must. I punched a few star tags from kraft cardstock. The remaining tags are simply shipping tags I purchased at a local office supply store. Oh, and I added some baker's twine to the tags to make them a bit more festive. |
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| Love this jar lid I purchased at Zurchers (a local party store). It makes accessing twine a snap. |
For the ribbon jar, I actually added a dowel to the center of the lid so I'd have something to thread the spools onto. Here's how it's done!
1. Punch hole in center of lid.
2. Cut slits (approximately 1" in length) in straw.
3. Thread straw through hole in lid and spread out slits.
4. Cover straw with large (2") Glue Dot or other adhesive.
5. Cover with patterned paper.
6. Thread ribbon spools on straw.
New Years Cheers ($2 per person)
Don't have time to get neighbor gifts together before Christmas? No problem! Ring in the New Year with a special cheers by giving these adorable mini Martinellis cider bottles. I got a six pack of them at Harmons for $7. Throw in a couple of champagne flutes ($1 at Target) to complete the bundle and make those...ahem, spirits bright!
Studio 5
I'd like to thank my friends at Studio 5 for providing me with this topic for my Dec. 19 segment. I loved putting these together and hope they'll inspire you. You can watch the segment here.
Free Downloads
As I've mentioned, I've done the searching for you and pinned MANY cute holiday-themed downloads. Check out my "Christmas" Pinterest board for a selection $free.99 sentiments (i.e. free downloads).
Merry Christmas!
Thanks for reading my blog and leaving your notes. It always means so much to me that you stop by. And an extra thanks to those of you who follow my blog (click the follow button on the side). What a compliment to me! I appreciate you and am happy we can connect in this way. Happy holidays, friends!
Cheers!
3 comments:
These are fantastic, Megan! Hope you have a wonderful first Christmas with little Maggie. :)
I love these ideas! So happy I saw them ---although I will have to save them for next year. I tried to stay off the computer over the holidays. :-)
Helen (from CKU in DFW with her sister and niece)
This post is full of amazing ideas. Thank you for sharing them and for all the inspiration! Hugs! xx
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