The Holiday and Winter season is upon us. But, with inflation at an all time high, many people may not have a big budget for gift giving this time of year. Today, I am going to share some budget-friendly gift ideas for the holiday season.

1. A Creative Coupon or Ticket

Gifting an experience can be just as amazing, if not more meaningful, than a physical item. A free car wash coupon, mow the lawn ticket, or a homemade dinner ticket can be great gifts for family members, particularly from kids to parents. But you can get as creative as you want with these and make it your own!

2. DIY Clothing

A new item of clothing, whether thrifted or newly bought, is always a great option. But if you want to take it to another level you can customize it in many different ways.

• A simple DIY is using fabric paint to paint designs on clothing. This works on shirts, jeans, bags, and more.

• If you find a good shirt, pair of shorts, hat, or even a canvas bag with a screen printed design that you dislike, do not fret! You can actually remove the screen printing in two ways. First, you can use an iron, on a lower setting, and put it underneath the fabric with the design and let it warm up. You can then use tweezers or even a knife to peel off the print. Just be careful not to burn yourself. Then use a bit of acetone, or nail polish remover, to soak and wipe off any residue. Second, you can use 100% acetone the whole way through. This process just takes some more time and patience. All you need to do is soak the design with acetone and use a brush, sponge, or cotton pad to slowly rub off the print.

• Another DIY trick with acetone is called an acetone transfer. If you want a printed design on the fabric all you need is 100% acetone and a print on a piece of paper, black and white works best but color will also work. Make sure the design is printed using a laser copy printer, this will not work with an ink printer. (If you want to use an ink printer, it’s a craftier and harder process but here’s a video that tells you the steps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMJGmLVFdfM&list=PLVXvj790IYcOPzLXYix-HUUNdroVYwuMo) Remember to print your design mirrored so it transfers the right way around! Once you have the print, place it face down on your fabric, (this hack also works on wood, glass, tile, canvas, and metal!) tape it securely on one side so you can check on the transfer progress, and soak a rag or cotton pad and dab firmly on the design until it transfers over. You can also use a hard object like a gift card, ruler, or anything else you can find to apply even more pressure and make it a better transfer. *Warning* acetone fumes can be very toxic so be sure to open your windows or do your craft in a well ventilated room. 

3. Everything in a Jar

“Everything in a Jar” is a cute simple gift that can be customized for any gift receiver, from teachers to friends to parents. All you’ll need is a jar with a lid, some embellishments to decorate the jar, and anything that you can fit in it! You can follow a certain color scheme in each jar or a particular theme. One example is a sweet tooth jar; this can include the giftee’s favorite candy or sweets. Another idea is a relaxation jar including some fuzzy socks, a face mask, lotion, and maybe even a small candle. This gift lends itself to many creative ideas!

4. Brown Sugar Vanilla Body Scrub

This recipe for a brown sugar vanilla body scrub is a great gift for people who enjoy a little self care and pampering. You’ll need: 

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 cup sunflower oil (you can use other vegetable oils if you do not want to purchase sunflower oil, sunflower oil is used because of its minimal odor profile)
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

Mix the sugars together in a bowl until no lumps remain. Then add in the sunflower oil and vanilla extract and mix thoroughly. Then add the final mixture to a jar or container with a lid and decorate and label the jar as you’d like. And if you get a little hungry while making it feel free to take a small bite, it’s edible!

5. Letter Home Decor

Everyone loves some home decor! So here’s a simple yet beautiful home decor idea. You can either get a big wooden or metal letter from a crafts store or, if you have styrofoam, you can cut it out yourself. Once you have your letter, use twine to wrap it around the letter and glue it down with a hot glue gun or other strong glue as you go. Then you can add other additional decorations such as fake flowers. You can have it stand on its own or add extra twine or a ribbon to allow it to be hung!

I hope these gift ideas were helpful and have sparked some inspiration for gifts this holiday season!