Everyone is on a budget, especially students paying their way through college. However, that doesn’t mean we don’t want to get great gifts for our friends and family for the upcoming holidays. There are some cool gifts that can be bought or made for your loved ones this holiday season without a big budget.
Time to start thinking about Christmas gifts!
Homemade gifts are often the best gifts. Sophomore psychology major Amber Rodriguez remembered, “When I was little I made my mom a guitar and a drum with an empty coffee container and cardboard with hair ties for the strings. I painted and decorated it with small tiles. My mom loves music, and I felt proud about being creative.”
A spa kit can be this simple!
If you’re on a tight budget and have some time to make your own gifts, I’ve compiled some lists with inexpensive gift ideas. In past years, I’ve given out the spa kit and mix CDs for friends, a picture frame and the hot chocolate package for family; they’ve all been a huge success. Everything on these lists are under $10.
Packages:
Spa Package: basic nail kit (Dollar Tree $1), hair ties (Dollar Tree $1) and fuzzy socks (Dollar Tree $1) in a mason jar (Dollar Tree $1)
Hot Chocolate Package: hot chocolate powder (Walmart $3, 10 packets) and a candy cane (Walmart $2, 12 count) in a coffee mug (Dollar Tree $1)
Kids Package: crayons (Dollar Tree $1), coloring book (Dollar Tree $1) and a stuffed animal (Dollar Tree $1) in a basket (Dollar Tree $1)
DIY:
Decorate a plain picture frame (Dollar Tree $1)
Decorate your own ornament (Walmart $7, 10 clear glass ornaments)
Make a mix CD (Walmart $5, 10 blank CDs)
Gifts:
Small poster (Walmart $5)
Used books off of Amazon (Prices may vary)
Everyone loves socks (Dollar Tree $1)
Candy goodie bags: a bag of mixed fun size candy (Walmart $5) distributed into bags (Dollar Tree $1)
There are more homemade gifts you can make for less than $10. All you have to do is be creative as you explore some dollar stores and thrift stores to find the perfect gifts for the special people on your list.