As the global economy worsens, and the holiday season quickly approaches, there are still ways to show someone you care while staying on budget. All you’ll need is patience, an idea, and a little bit of creativity. A gift from the heart means much more than a store bought gift anyway, right? It shows you care, and appreciate them for who they are. If you’re a bit short on ideas, here are a few to get your creative juices flowing.
My first, and favorite, idea is creating a scrapbook. What could show someone you care more than a homemade scrapbook filled with pictures of the two of you. This is a very simple idea, and you can usually purchase a scrapbook at an art store for a few bucks. Then just get some pictures, non-acidic glue, and maybe even some colored paper to make the pages look better. Then just cut and paste to your hearts content.

The second idea, which requires no money at all, is an IOU booklet. This can be a booklet filled with coupons “good for one free…” You can promise a free backrub for your husband or wife, or even promise to take your niece or nephew to the movies one night. Get creative with these and have some fun. Who wouldn’t enjoy getting a free fishing trip the next summer? You can also use these to allow you some time to save up money to spend on the gift.
The third idea is to make a gift basket personalized to whom ever you are giving the gift to. If they like coffee, give them a basket full of coffee. If they like candy, give them a basket full of their favorite candies. This is one of the most personalized gifts you can give, and if you spice it up a bit with ribbons, a nice looking basket, some tissue paper and even some plastic wrap around the outside it can look really nice.
For my next idea, you can make custom scented candles. In a short, simple description, you can melt down crayons, add a scent, place the melted wax in a mold and stick a wick in the middle. It’s a bit more complicated if you want to add designs, different colors, and even adding material to the middle. One of my favorite ideas is to place sea shells in the middle of the candle, so as it melts, the seashells appear. These can be a wonderful summer birthday present, or a beautiful holiday gift.
Now, if you really want to get creative, make some art. If you’re good at drawing, draw a landscape of a beautiful scene around their location, or even draw a portrait of them, or their family, if you’re good at it. You can get creative with this too. Drawing, or painting, can lead you anywhere. Just start thinking and starting painting.
All of these gift ideas are simple ideas that can keep you on budget. From an IOU booklet that costs you nothing besides paper to write on, to a gift basket with store bought items beautifully placed in a decorated basket. Everything here can be made by hand, and come from the heart. Gift giving doesn’t have to break the budget; you just need to get creative.