20 Gifts that Cost Nothing to Make But Just Might Be Priceless

 My husband and I are very lucky…my husband teaches school and I am a stay at home mom which means that we are both currently doing exactly what we want to do.  Like I said, we are very lucky indeed.

But around this time of year we notice (to put it delicately) that we aren’t as well off financially as we would have been if we had chosen other career paths.  And that makes it difficult to buy gifts for others.

Which means year after year we make a pact with each other not to spend any money on ourselves (so that we will have funds to spend on our kids and other family members).  But this pact hasn’t stopped us from finding a way to have something to give each other on Christmas morning.

And after 16 years of marriage (we married young!) I feel that our holiday financial situation may have been a blessing in disguise..we’ve been forced to think about each other and what is most important.  Sure, one of these years I’d love to have iPads, televisions, bikes, and the like under the tree but I can say without any reservation that even though we don’t have money I have never gone to bed on Christmas night feeling poor.

So this year as I’ve been thinking about what to do for my husband I thought maybe I would share with you some of the gifts, we’ve given to our kids, our family members, and each other.  Because when I reflect on my most favorite gifts they are the ones that have cost virtually nothing.

The following list is a collection of some of our favorites:

#1.  THE BOARD GAME CHALLENGE

I have a 10 year old that is addicted to playing games…video, board, sports, whatever and he always wants to play.  So one of the things that I am giving him this year is a challenge.  I am going to print out the 5×7 card above and slip it into an envelope.  Then when he opens it we will fill out the 5 games we will play against each other (like: Battleship, Checkers, Spot It, Connect Four, Stratego, Chess, Backgammon, Jenga, Mancala, etc.).  And then over the next month or so we will battle it out.

It will give us one on one time together…and it will happen…I know my 10 year old…he will make sure of it.  I suppose it is like a double gift…because I’m also gifting myself time with my 10 year old who is rapidly becoming to cool for his mom…but I will take all the time I can get.  I love that kid.

#2.  MEMORIZE A FAVORITE PASSAGE

This may take some time and some sneakiness.  Step one….find out the favorite written passage of your loved one.  Is it a scripture?  A sonnet?  A monologue? or a paragraph from a beloved book?  Got it?  Good.  Now it’s time for step two which is memorize!  (When I did this I photocopied my husbands passage onto a card and carried it with me for a few weeks until I had it memorized.)  With memorization complete all thats left is step three:  the delivery.  (When I did this my husband opened a box that only held a piece of paper with the reference to the passage written on it.  When he questioned what it was I told him…and to this day he will say it was one of his favorite gifts of all time.  He even still has that piece of paper hanging on the wall in his office.)

#3.  HOUSEKEEPING CARD

Does your spouse, roommate, or significant other have a household chore that they just hate to do?  Taking out the garbage?  Scrubbing toilets?  Sorting Laundry?  If so, this is a great gift.  Give them a card, letter, or note explaining that you will take over that job for them for a certain period of time.

WARNING:  Be specific about this gift…if you say you are going to do their chore then you really need to do it so let them know exaclty what you are going to do and  how long you are prepared to do it.  For a day? A week? A month?  Let them know what to expect from you and then don’t offer more than you can deliver.  This will make both you and the recipient of the gift happy campers.

*NOTE:  My husband gave me this gift years ago…I have a skin condition that often causes my hands to bleed so my husband gave me the gift of doing dishes so that my hands could have time to heal…but once my hands healed he wanted them to stay that way and he has done the dishes ever since…without being asked and without complaint.   It is one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received.

#4.  ______ OF THE MONTH CLUB

A few years ago I gave my grandpa something similar to the printable above.  It said “Congratulations!  You are now a member of liZ’s Soup of the Month Club!….”  And then for the next year I took my grandpa a different pot of soup every month.  It was such a fun gift to give.  (And I think he enjoyed it to.)

But it doesn’t have to be limited to soup…maybe you make great breads, cookies, or casseroles…so pick your specialty and give this gift to someone you know who would love it!

#5. WHEN SKIES ARE GRAY

Is there someone on your list this year who is going through a hard time?  If so, maybe a “When Skies Are Gray” Kit could help.  All you need to include in this kit is a bundle of letters or images that you put together into different envelopes.  What kind of letters and images?  Well, things to help get them through a rotten day…maybe a funny “remember when” story…or an “I love you because” letter…or a “10 Reasons Why You Are Awesome” note. Other things you can include in the envelopes are quotes or thoughts that help you through tough times as well as some photos of good times together.  Put something different in each envelope.

Try to gather together a small bundle (10-15 envelopes) then tie them up with a bow.  It’s surprising how something as simple as an “I’m lucky to have you in my life because…” can help you through a tough day.

#6.  WHAT DO YOU KNOW NOTEBOOK

This is a gift that I have given to my grandparents and I know that my grandpa is almost finished with his.  (I can’t wait to read it!!!)  All you need is a simple notebook.  (I gave my grandparents these spiral bound notebooks because I wanted them to just sit down and write whatever came into their minds and not worry about handwriting or doing anything fancy in a nice book.)  Then you fill the book with questions (I did one every three pages so there was plenty of room to write if needed).

The questions will vary depending on who you are giving the notebook to.  The questions I asked my grandparents were like:  “Tell me about your first house.”  “Tell me what your first trip to Disneyland was like.”  “What do you remember most about your mother?”  “Tell me about 3 memorable friends”  Think about what you want to know from the person you are giving the gift to….and then be prepared for some really terrific conversations.

I love the conversations that the questions in the notebook have led to and I can’t wait to read what my grandparents have written.

#7.  DAILY READING DATE

Our kids read everyday…but that doesn’t mean that I read out loud to them everyday.  Recently as I was reading aloud to the three year old I noticed that my older two had gathered around to listen to the story.  When I asked them what was going on I was surprised to discover that they said they miss me reading out loud to them.  That is when I thought about this card.  Each one of my kids are going to get one this year.  The triangles will count as the punches on the card which makes the card above a 20 punch card.  Then I will have the kids redeem them when they want me to read one of their chapters out loud to them or just feel like picture book together.

#8.  50 THINGS I LEARNED BY…

When my mom turned 50 I made her a framed sign that told her the 50 things I had learned from her by the time she turned 50.  Later I made the books above for my grandparents for their 80th birthday.  They are made from card stock cards that I just drew and water colored on and then slipped inside of a 99 cent photo album.  On each card I wrote something that I had learned from them or a way they had influenced my life.  These were such fun gifts to make and to give…possibly my favorite ever.

 

#9.  MAGIC CAR WASH

This gift may have to be given previous to Christmas….because for this gift you will need to have access to the vehicle of the person you are gifting.  I usually do this while my husband is at work.  I drive over to his school, take his truck, zoom over to the gas station and give it the once over, quickly cleaning it inside and out, and then return it to it’s space before he even knows it was gone.  When he leaves work he finds a clean vehicle and a note on the dashboard.

#10.  FREEDOM FROM RESPONSIBILITY:  A.K.A. I WILL TAKE THE KIDS FOR THE NIGHT

Sometimes what one really needs is just some quiet time alone.  We all love our children and our homes but sometimes we need a break with some time to ourselves to regroup.  If that is the case with anyone on your list then one of the best gifts you can give is to take his or her responsibilities away for a few hours and let them recharge their batteries.  Do this by giving a card, letter, or note tied up with a bow.  Then once the gift has been given decide right then and there when the gift will be redeemed…pick a day and a time right then!  (And then stick to it!  The gift is meaningless unless you follow through!)

#11.  READ THIS WHEN….

This gift is perfect for college students who are away from home.  For this gift you will be writing a number of short letters, putting them in separate envelopes and then labeling the envelopes with when they should be read.  The topic of the letters you write will depend on the relationship you have with your college student but some ideas for these letters are:  Read this when:  you fail a test, you have a terrible date, you’ve had a rotten day, you feel homesick, you think you are in love, etc.  Seal each letter and tie the bundle up with a bow.

#12.  A PERSONALIZED PLAY LIST

Think back to junior high when we made those awesome mix tapes for each other….you know on cassettes….that was pretty cool.  And you knew that your friend chose those songs because she knows you so well or that guy chose those songs because he was secretly trying to let you know how much he was madly in love with you?  Well….how great would it be to get one of those tapes again?

Now and days we can either burn a CD or download a personalized playlist for that friend, sibling, or special someone.  Maybe a list of songs for a sibling from back in the day, a woman power list for a good friend who needs a pick me up to and from work, or my husband put me together a running playlist that I love.  Be creative!

#13.  PARK TOUR PERMIT

Find 5 local parks and tour each one.  (Not all in the same day!)  Have you children compare slides, big toys, slides, open space etc. and decide which park is the best.

#14.  NETFLIX NIGHT PUNCH CARD

I’m not sure an explanation is needed here…and my husband has already asked for another one of these this year.

#15.  A MONTH OF MEALS

This gift takes a little bit of prior planning but it is so worth it and I have given this gift to both my parents and in laws for Christmas several times.

To make a month (or a few weeks) worth of meals I choose meals that freeze well and then for the next few weeks that is what I make my family for dinner.  As I am preparing these dinners I just make extra…as long as I’m already cooking…and when the meal is finished I freeze the extra portion and before I know it I have quite a collection of meals that I can take to my working parents and in laws.

#16.  I LOVE YOU NOW AND LATER LETTERS

Simply choose the person you are gifting and write them two letters about why you love them.  Write one for them to read now and then write on to be read later on a date you determine…in a year…5 years…Just be sure to write “Do not open until____” on the front of the letter to be opened later!

#17.  FAVORITE RECIPES PACK

My mom gave me these recipe cards a few years ago and I love them!  She put together a collection of recipes we grew up eating.  Everything from my grandma’s cookies, to my uncles BBQ sauce, to her homemade rolls.  They are the recipes from my childhood and I am so happy to have them!

#18.  A PERSONALIZED SCREEN SAVER

One year my husband made me some personalized screen savers and snuck them onto my computer.  Then every time they popped up on my computer it reminded me of him.  Nerdy?  Yes.  Completely!   But, I LOVED it!

#19.  REMEMBER THIS BOOK

For our second married Christmas I had a blank book that I filled with short written memories of things my husband and I had done.  It was nothing fancy.  It wasn’t scrap booked.  There are no pictures.  Just short stories, inside jokes, and song lyrics.  And it’s a favorite…we laugh every time we read it.

#20. TIME CAPSULE KIT

I have made time capsules with school classes many times but this year we are doing it with our children.  What they will get is an empty box (I know it sounds like a practical joke….) with a sheet explaining what a time capsule is.

Then on New Years Day we will fill the box together.  (With things like predictions, favorite candy wrappers, newspaper clippings, photos, notes, and whatever else the kids want to include).  When it is filled we will wrap it in duct tape and write on the outside the date it can be opened again.