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11.28.2008

101 Christmas Gifts under $10

Our family is really excited about our plans for this Christmas: time together playing board and card games, working a jigsaw puzzle, making music and, most importantly, taking the focus off of giving gifts no one can afford. We look at this not only as a way to remember what the holiday is really about, but as our way of making a statement about how empty and materialistic Americans have become. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the stories about Walmart employees who are trampled to death by Black Friday shoppers. Truly, this is the ugly side of American capitalism and I want no part of it. It only proves to me that our decision was a good one to make. This crap has to stop, so here are some suggestions for gifts under $10. Hope it illustrates that showing our loved ones we really care is not about how much money we spend on them, but that we remember them.
  1. Gourmet coffee with a personal coffee cup
  2. A "blank book" and pen
  3. Teacup with a bag of tea samples
  4. Deck of cards and book of card game rules
  5. Homemade cocoa mix in a homey jar (wrap the lid with gingham and tie with a ribbon)
  6. Collage of special photos
  7. Gel pens and stationary
  8. Bottle of sparkling cider
  9. Inexpensive bottle of wine
  10. Home baked bread, include recipe
  11. Basket of deli cheese and fruit
  12. Holiday serving bowl or platter
  13. Christmas tree ornament (paint 2008 on it, something like, 2008 - Friends for 10 years!)
  14. Scented candles
  15. Decorative napkins and napkin rings
  16. Funny bar napkins, swizzle sticks, or shot glasses
  17. Fancy chocolate bars tied with a ribbon
  18. Gardening gloves with a plant, or flower seeds
  19. Hand decorated photo album
  20. Herbal soups tied in lace and ribbon
  21. Makeup tote
  22. Homemade cookie mix with instructions for baking
  23. Special coffee cup filled with candy
  24. Vintage dish, vase, or pair of wine glasses from a favorite thrift store
  25. Vintage costume jewelry from the same thrift store
  26. Gourmet popcorn and flavored oil
  27. Locally made barbecue or steak sauce with basting brush
  28. Pancake or waffle mix and a bottle of real maple syrup
  29. Old book from a used book store. Classics and poetry are especially nice.
  30. Board games
  31. Jar of pure honey with biscuit mix
  32. Note cards
  33. Picture frame with a meaningful photo
  34. Glass jar filled with candy
  35. Muffin mixes with muffin pan
  36. Set of dish towels and dish cloths
  37. Nail polish kit
  38. Pretty night shirt
  39. Basket filled with kitchen gadgets from a dollar store
  40. Video rental gift certificate
  41. Pepper mill and fresh peppercorns
  42. Handwritten copies of your favorite recipes
  43. For the pets, gourmet dog biscuits or cat treats
  44. Small clock or radio
  45. Decorated shoebox for keepsakes
  46. Colorful Post-It notepads
  47. Address book
  48. Puzzles
  49. Sewing supplies
  50. Favorite quote embroidered on a nice handkerchief
  51. Makeup brush set
  52. Cozy socks
  53. Home baked cookies and/or fudge
  54. Sets of special chopsticks
  55. Basket of Christmas cookie cutters
  56. Holiday guest towels
  57. New calendar
  58. Coasters
  59. Incense and holder
  60. Small figurine from an antique store
  61. Aromatherapy essential oils
  62. Emergency cell phone charger
  63. Silly tie for Dad, with the purpose of being silly
  64. Hand cream
  65. Massage oil
  66. Fleece throw
  67. Slippers
  68. For musicians: guitar picks, sheet music, note pads
  69. Something geeky
  70. Tasteful fridge magnets
  71. Sample box of chocolates from a chocolatier
  72. Classic oldies CD
  73. Sealing wax and seal
  74. Pound of roasted cashews
  75. Scarf
  76. Mittens
  77. Sketch book
  78. On-sale gift book
  79. Nature gifts
  80. Bird feeder
  81. Table scarf
  82. House plant
  83. Glass paperweight
  84. Candle holder
  85. Trendy costume jewelry
  86. Decorative padded jewelry box
  87. Bubble bath or bath salts
  88. Small pail of electrical tools and tape
  89. Garage dads always need note pads and shop pencils
  90. Gag gifts
  91. Golf tees
  92. Mustache trimming kit
  93. Travel sewing kit
  94. Money clip
  95. Desktop calendar
  96. A homemade book of "naughty" coupons
  97. A homemade book of coupons for a massage, foot massage, hairbrushing, etc.
  98. Desk supplies
  99. Roll of pretty fabric. Buy remnants and tie with ribbon
  100. Wall decor that's on sale (check places like Hobby Lobby)
  101. Antique miss-matched silverware from a thrift store. Not an entire set, four teaspoons are nice
I know that most of these are traditional Stocking Stuffers, but think about it. Why do we love getting our stocking? Because it's full of small things that were picked out especially for us!

Happy shopping! And remember, there's no need to trample other people in celebration of the birth of the Prince of Peace.

3 comments :

  1. I like these ideas!!! Having survived some truly mean snd lean Christmases, I frankly like them better than the "consumer" Christmases because no matter what your credo is, Christmas should not be about shopping. It should be about hope and love and caring.

    ReplyDelete
  2. These are the best gifts! I'm giving these neat little backpacking keychain flashlights - they are only $10 but they have adjustable brightness and different flashing modes, including morse code for sos, and they can be seen at more than a mile. I think they are neat little gifts and very useful, too. The other little things I'm giving are these pocket-size backpacking first aid kits. They are only $10 too, and are also very useful.

    I like little gadgets better than big gifts.

    How is Joel doing? Is he home yet? Tell him I said get well soon, because it's hard to fly when you're sick.

    ReplyDelete
  3. These are lovely ideas, they remind me of many of the gifts I've given/gotten over the years.

    Best gift ever? A big big set of colored pencils in a metal tin that I got when I was 11 or so. I used them to make paper dolls and to color and make graphs for school reports. I was still using them for making exploratory data analysis graphs when I was in graduate school...

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