If you’re looking for some delicious recipe ideas for Valetine’s Day, be sure to download the free Valentine’s Day Recipes ebook here.
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From the category archives:
Frugal Holidays
I found these Miniature Gingerbread Houses today from a link that Good Life Eats posted on Twitter. Are they not the cutest things ever?
I don't know that they qualify as being "simple" and I doubt I'm crafty enough to be able to create them (I was not born with an artsy bone in my body!), but I just had to share them here since I am positive that some of you could pull them off beautifully!
Go here for many more pictures and full instructions.
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Still looking for some gift ideas which won't break the bank? Here are a few to check out:
A Southern Fairy Tale shares step-by-step directions for making Oreo Truffles here. These will be sure to please some chocolate-lovers on your list!
Kelleigh posted a tutorial for a very classy photo gift idea here.
Finally, Jen from Beauty and Bedlam blogged here about two gifts she created using things she already had on hand.
Want more inexpensive Christmas ideas? Check out this week's edition of Frugal Friday!
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My blogging friend, Myra, came up with an adorable Candy Cane Chandelier using an $0.88 box of candy canes and fishing wire. If you're looking for a simple way to spruce up your dining room for Christmas, check out her post here.
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One
thing we did for some simple homemade gifts this year was to make up a
bunch of hot drink mixes. I love hot drink mixes in the Wintertime and
they’re a nice gift to give since they don’t need to be used right away
but can be enjoyed at the recipient’s leisure.
We made Vanilla Chai Tea Mix, Fireside Coffee Mix, and Hot Spiced Tea Mix and packaged them up with gift bags, tags, and ribbon which I bought at 50% off at Hobby Lobby
last week. While I could have made my own tags and probably saved a few dimes, I
figured that keeping it simple and saving time and effort was worth
paying a little bit extra for.
We’ll be putting these drink mixes in gift baskets with mini-loaves of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread and Lemon Poppyseed Bread and a bag of this Corny Snack Mix (thanks to Shannon
for the recipe link!). All of these items can be stored in the freezer,
too, so if the recipient has lots of homemade goodies around, they can freeze these to enjoy later.
It’s a simple and inexpensive homemade
gift, but I think it will be meaningful and appreciated by those who
receive it. And we had a lot of fun putting them together, too!
Originally posted December 2008
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Looking for some last-minute frugal and unique gift ideas? Here are two which I really liked:
This Chocolate Cherry Granola from My Petite Chefs would make a delicious and frugal gourmet gift to share with someone this Christmas.
This brownie kit would be so fun to make for a chocolate lover. Yum!
Looking for more ideas? Check out the many other links here for unique and creative gift ideas which are $10 or under.
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Need an easy ornament idea to use for a Christmas craft for a party or to give as gifts? Check out this incredibly simple ornament tutorial here. It couldn't get much easier than that, could it?
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Here are some great (and inexpensive!) gift ideas submitted by Kasey from The Beautiful Thrifty Life which would thoroughly bless the recipients:
A couple of years ago, my husband and I decided that we should
each give one another a "love present," with the caveat that it should
not cost a lot (if any) money. As I thought of what to give him, I
started remembering all the times he had been looking through a
magazine or a cookbookand
he had come across a recipe for some decadent dessert and say, "Mmmmm! That looks good! You should really make
that sometime!"
each give one another a "love present," with the caveat that it should
not cost a lot (if any) money. As I thought of what to give him, I
started remembering all the times he had been looking through a
magazine or a cookbookand
he had come across a recipe for some decadent dessert and say, "Mmmmm! That looks good! You should really make
that sometime!"
Inspired by this, I decided to enroll him in his own personal
"Dessert of the Month Club". I gave him a fancy looking scroll stating
the terms of his enrollment (dessert must be requested by the 5th of
the month, etc.), along with a few potential dessert recipes I had cut
from magazines.
"Dessert of the Month Club". I gave him a fancy looking scroll stating
the terms of his enrollment (dessert must be requested by the 5th of
the month, etc.), along with a few potential dessert recipes I had cut
from magazines.
Needless to say, it hit the sweet tooth right on the
crown!
crown!
You could do something similar with this idea for others, as
well. You could try a "Dinner of the Month" club for a special friend,
in which
you could have a set day of the month (like the 2nd Sunday) that they
would come to your house for dinner. It gives them a break from
cooking, and allows you to strengthen bonds of friendship on a regular
basis. You could do a 6-month, 12-month, or whatever other enrollment
period works best for your family. For extra fun, fasten the
"enrollment certificate" to a plate, then wrap it like a normal gift.
well. You could try a "Dinner of the Month" club for a special friend,
in which
you could have a set day of the month (like the 2nd Sunday) that they
would come to your house for dinner. It gives them a break from
cooking, and allows you to strengthen bonds of friendship on a regular
basis. You could do a 6-month, 12-month, or whatever other enrollment
period works best for your family. For extra fun, fasten the
"enrollment certificate" to a plate, then wrap it like a normal gift.
A husband could enroll his wife or girlfriend in a
"Car Care Club" and wash and vacuum out her car for her once a month and attach the
certificate to a sponge.
"Car Care Club" and wash and vacuum out her car for her once a month and attach the
certificate to a sponge.
For your children, you could give them coupons for things like, "Get out of cleaning
your room", "Pick your own dinner menu", or "Special date with Mom."
Decorate a box or an envelope for them to keep their coupons in.
If you have friends with young children, give them a gift certificate for 6 months
of free babysitting, planning one night a month they can leave the kids
with you and have a date (this is also a great baby shower gift!).
Attach the certificate to a rattle or another baby toy.
of free babysitting, planning one night a month they can leave the kids
with you and have a date (this is also a great baby shower gift!).
Attach the certificate to a rattle or another baby toy.
The wonderful thing about these "gifts that keep on giving" is
that it spreads the time and expense out over the course of several
months to a year. The only thing I would recommend is to, if at all
possible, plan the dates for service in advance and put them on your
calendar, otherwise they can be easily forgotten.
that it spreads the time and expense out over the course of several
months to a year. The only thing I would recommend is to, if at all
possible, plan the dates for service in advance and put them on your
calendar, otherwise they can be easily forgotten.
Have
you ever done something like this before or do you have other homemade
"club" membership ideas? If so, I'd love to hear about it!Related: Kasey has some other fun and unique ideas posted here.
you ever done something like this before or do you have other homemade
"club" membership ideas? If so, I'd love to hear about it!Related: Kasey has some other fun and unique ideas posted here.
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Sharon from Good, True and Beautiful shares some creative tips and ideas here for using scissors, some string, and materials from the great outdoors to decorate your home with flair for the holiday season.
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A Heart for Home has a great tutorial over here for how to make your own homemade gift bows from recycled magazine pages. I love this idea–especially since many of us probably have some extra magazine pages we could use from free magazine subscriptions we've signed up for!
Have a simple and frugal Christmas tip? Email it to me, along with pictures, and I might feature it here in the next few weeks!
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