Posted in Gift Ideas, General Crafts |
I AM TRYING TO GET SOME LOW COST IDEAS FOR SMALL GIFTS FOR @ 70 SNOW SKI VOLUNTEERS.
September 21st, 2006
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Full question:
I AM TRYING TO GET SOME LOW COST IDEAS FOR SMALL GIFTS FOR @ 70 SNOW SKI VOLUNTEERS. IN THE PAST I HAVE DONE THE HOT COCOA PACKETS W/ALL THE INGREDIENTS, CANDY COFFEE SPOONS, ORNAMENTS,. DOES ANYONE HAVE SOME OTHER IDEAS FOR SMALL THANK YOU TRINKETS / IDEAS/ SMALL GIFT PACKS. VOLUNTEERS RANGE FROM 15 - 70 YEARS OLD. tHANKS FOR ANY HELP YOU COULD GIVE ME.
My answer:
A few ideas. Maybe one will tickle your fancy:
1 - Make Pine Cone Potpourri
Place several pine cones into a plastic bag. Then add a pinch of cinnamon or a few drops of your favorite scented oil. Let it sit overnight. Put into a holder or onto a plate. It will provide a delicious smell to any room it’s in.
2 - Name plaque
You can make a lasting impression with this inexpensive gift. Make an acrostic of the recipient’s name using your computer. Use each letter to describe a quality of that individual. Find a nice font and print it on beautiful paper found at an art or craft store. Then, use a coordinating mat. Voila! You have a gift that will be cherished for a lifetime. Frames for this are at the dollar store.
3 - And another version of the above idea:
Create a “plaque” by printing with your computer or by hand, the recipient’s name on beautiful paper. Add the name’s meaning in an elegant typeface or calligraphy. Place it in an inexpensive frame for an easy personalized gift.
4 - A great green gift
Do you have a green thumb? Give a gift of a homegrown houseplant or herbs you’ve cultivated from seeds. Put them in decorated pots or baskets. Tie on plant care instructions with a ribbon. Or the seeds themselves make great gifts. I bought my seeds for five to twenty five cents a pack.Flower pots, small bags of soil and a packet of herb seeds - great gift.
5 - Recipes
Recipes are great gifts. Especially if it’s a simple recipe and you include one of the ingredients. This may be what you did with the hot cocoa.
6 - Natural moth proof
Lavender is wonderful for “mothproofing” clothes. I cut lavender leaves (from the windowsill garden; a small pot from the neighborhood florist for $3.99), placed the cut leaves in ziplock bags, poked holes through the bags with a sewing needle, and cut a hole through the bag, under the ziplock, with a pencil and hung them over hangers. Or place in drawers. Wonderful! If you don’t have the lavender leaves, you could also get lavender essential oil, soak cotton balls with the oil and place in the bags. (Or do both!) The oil can be gotten at most health-food stores. Another option is using cedar chips or pipe tobacco in the bags for mothproofing.
7 - Popcorn!
With just a little popcorn and a handful of other ingredients which are on hand, you can fill baggies or inexpensive containers with a great-tasting treat. The following two recipes are both great gifts.
Pecan-Honey Popcorn
3 qts. popped popcorn (no kernels)
2 cups pecan halves
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup honey
1 t. vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine popcorn and nuts in large heat-proof bowl; set aside. Combine butter, honey and vanilla in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until butter melts. Pour honey mixture over popcorn mixture. Stir until combined. Divide mixture and place on 2 baking sheets. Bake 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until light golden brown.
Barbecued Popcorn
6 T. popcorn - popped in an air popper 1/3 cup margarine 3 T. chili sauce 1 T. onion powder 1 t. chili powder 1/2 t. salt 2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
Place popcorn in large bowl. In small saucepan, melt margarine. Stir in chili sauce, onion and chili powder and salt. Pour chili mixture gradually over popcorn, tossing to mix well. Sprinkle with cheese and toss.
8 -Easy Art
Purchase a box of appropriate decorative or collectible note cards (art shops and galleries carry these products). Choose one or two, then frame them nicely. Frames need not be expensive. Check out your local big box store or make them from twigs or cardboard and tinfoil, wrapping paper or cloth. One box of ten cards will give 5-10 reasonably priced gifts. Some people frame nice post cards, or the cards that artists sometimes give out as promotional material, or calendar pictures.
9 - Magnets
Almost anything can be made into a magnet - buttons, photos, shells, jewelry, rocks - anything you can glue a magnet on.
10 - Gel Scents
Gel scents can be made by mixing 8 oz. liquid potpourri with 4 tablespoons unflavored gelatin (bought in bulk of course) or 4 pkgs. of Knox. Heat until gelatin dissolves, add the other 8 oz left in the bottle. Pour into glass containers. It will gel as it cools.
11 - A Survival Kit For Every Day
TOOTHPICK…to remind you to pick the good qualities in everyone’s including yourself.
RUBBERBAND…to remind you to be flexible. Things might not always go the way you want, but it can be worked out.
BAND-AID…to remind you to heal hurt feelings, either yours or someone else’s.
ERASER…to remind you everyone makes mistakes. That’s okay, we learn by our errors.
CANDY KISS…to remind you everyone needs a hug or a compliment every day.
MINT…to remind you that you are worth a mint to your family.
BUBBLE GUM…to remind you to stick with it and you can accomplish anything.
PENCIL…to remind you to list your blessings every day.
TEA BAG…to remind you to take time to relax daily and go over that list of God’s blessings. This is what makes life worth living every minute, every day.
Your Frugal Decorating Diva,
Nancy
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