Budget homemade gift people go WOW over?

[lukenick1]

What budget gift have you made for friends and family that made them say WOW? Here is my budget "Wow" gift. Set of xmas lights stuffed into an empty wine bottle. Must be a single strand of lights (25-50 lights), not the ones that connect to more lights. So inexpensive yet so elegant looking. Any other ideas?????

 

[Marionnette]

What budget gift have you made for friends and family that made them say WOW? Here is my budget "Wow" gift. Set of xmas lights stuffed into an empty wine bottle. Must be a single strand of lights (25-50 lights), not the ones that connect to more lights. So inexpensive yet so elegant looking. Any other ideas?????

There is a whole thread of homemade gift ideas here. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1577395

 

[Kika]

Personally, I would love to receive some good, homemade Christmas cookies. I would go wow over that, but I have a major sweet tooth. Desserts are my thing!

 

[Malibustyle23]

Do you cork the top of the bottle closed? How do the lights light up? Does the cord run out to an outlet? Sorry I have seen these before but never examined them and have always been confused.

 

[Nik's Mom]

I gathered all of dh's family pictures and made a scapbook. My mil cried when she opened her present. I made one for my bil the following year. He was a single dad, so I made one of his kids pictures. He was very moved. I also did a slide show of my family pictures and gave a copy of it to my parents. They cried when they watched it. I really like those presents that bring out emotion in people.

 

[leight]

Since we moved to FL the kids are growing up away from many of our relatives and as dh & I are both adopted and reunited with birth families- we have many parents on both sides! One year dh put together a slide show of pictures of the family from birth to present and put it to music on a dvd. He burned each parent a copy and that was the favored xmas present that year. I loved it and still watch it occaissonally. Would love him to do an update...hint hint

 

[karenbaco]

Do you cork the top of the bottle closed? How do the lights light up? Does the cord run out to an outlet? Sorry I have seen these before but never examined them and have always been confused.

The cord comes out of the top of the bottle and you plug it in. It looks real pretty lit up. You can even tie a bow around the neck of the bottle

 

[dclfun]

I also like the personal DVD/photo ideas. There are usually good codes for the "create your own calendar" or photobooks at Shutterfly or other places. Don't forget Ebates has an 8% rebate there and usually codes can be found on retailmenot for a discount. I used to scrapbook but now prefer the photobooks as I had way too much "stuff"! I forgot to add- I also like to make homemade bath bombs and bath salts- very easy and inexpensive yet is a very attractive gift.---Kathy

 

[prncess674]

What budget gift have you made for friends and family that made them say WOW? Here is my budget "Wow" gift. Set of xmas lights stuffed into an empty wine bottle. Must be a single strand of lights (25-50 lights), not the ones that connect to more lights. So inexpensive yet so elegant looking. Any other ideas?????

Not trying to sound rude, but someone gave me one of these a few years ago and I thought it looked like a major fire hazard. I thanked the person that evening, send a hand written thank you and then promptly dropped it in the Goodwill bag. It seemed tacky and also like a fire hazard. I have also seem the same concept with a mason jar stuffed with a strand of lights and some potpourri. If you are trying to save, then just give a $5 GC to Target or Starbucks or a local grocery.

 

[cglaura]

Not trying to sound rude, but someone gave me one of these a few years ago and I thought it looked like a major fire hazard. I thanked the person that evening, send a hand written thank you and then promptly dropped it in the Goodwill bag. It seemed tacky and also like a fire hazard. I have also seem the same concept with a mason jar stuffed with a strand of lights and some potpourri. If you are trying to save, then just give a $5 GC to Target or Starbucks or a local grocery.

Hope you separated them first, giving a fire hazard to Goodwill kind of defeats the purpose of good will.

That being said, I have one, with a pretty dark red bow, for years. No fires. I must be a tacky kind of gal

 

[Shleedogg]

Not trying to sound rude, but someone gave me one of these a few years ago and I thought it looked like a major fire hazard. I thanked the person that evening, send a hand written thank you and then promptly dropped it in the Goodwill bag. It seemed tacky and also like a fire hazard. I have also seem the same concept with a mason jar stuffed with a strand of lights and some potpourri. If you are trying to save, then just give a $5 GC to Target or Starbucks or a local grocery.

I'm with you. My aunt got me a canning jar filled with lights and potpourri. Went right in the garbage when I got home.

Personally I think the handmade gifts that have a "wow" factor are more sentimental in nature. Similar to what some PPs described; a scrapbook, etc. I think a quilt too is along the same lines, although only if you have fabric laying around or you're piecing one together from some treasured clothes.

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

I make dvd's on my computer. I buy the dvd's after thankgiving (usally a 5 pack for under $3). These are a big hit. I do alot of photo books too. Shutterfly has lots of free codes avaible

 

[buzz5985]

As you have seen by several unpleasant responses - I stopped giving homemade gifts, home baked cookies, pictures, etc. To the ones that truly appreciate the gester - still get them. Otherwise I now make a donation in the person's name to a charity. That "$5 gift card to Target" is now going to someone that is more deserving of my time and money. The miserable get nothing and someone deserving gets something. Win, Win in my book.

 

[roadtripper]

Not trying to sound rude, but someone gave me one of these a few years ago and I thought it looked like a major fire hazard. I thanked the person that evening, send a hand written thank you and then promptly dropped it in the Goodwill bag. It seemed tacky and also like a fire hazard. I have also seem the same concept with a mason jar stuffed with a strand of lights and some potpourri. If you are trying to save, then just give a $5 GC to Target or Starbucks or a local grocery.

Beware comments that begin with--'not trying to sound rude'...Were you trying to sound snobby? or snarky? Or just plain mean? Bah humbug!

 

[Lucky4me]

The wine bottle light thing sounds cool if you know the person likes that kind of stuff.
I think most of WDW looks pretty tacky at Christmas time-tacky but beautiful.
If you can't go tacky at Christmas, when can you?!
Saying this as I sit by 6 animatronic holiday characters I've had since 1982, ready to plug them in and light up my living room. They haven't been put out in years. This year, I have a bunch of little kids around and I am thrilled they get to see these. They'll LOVE them!
Now I'm going to go look for some empty wine bottles to fill them with lights. The more lights, the merrier!

 

[scbelleatheart]

I'd love to see a picture of one! My DMIL loves things like that! She always says I like "old" stuff. Her words for antiques We do have fun laughing about our different tastes.

 

[beansmom]

i have one of those 'fire hazards' and it is perfectly safe.

I can so we give jars of homemade goodies and homebaked goodies. My goodness, when did we become so persnickety over a received gift? This year we are doing pomegranate jelly and banana split in a jar.

 

[olwyngdh]

I make soap, so homemade is easy for me Teachers usually get a basket with homemade bar soap, liquid soap, sugar rub, bath salts, and a bath mitt. In fact, today;s project is to do a batch with appropriate Christmas scent so that they can cure in time.

 

[nunzia]

i have one of those 'fire hazards' and it is perfectly safe.

I can so we give jars of homemade goodies and homebaked goodies. My goodness, when did we become so persnickety over a received gift? This year we are doing pomegranate jelly and banana split in a jar.

How do you do banana split in a jar??
I do homemade stuff quite alot. Last year it was white chocolate cranberry scone mix to some, flavored coffee creamers one time..I tend to do themes. This year for some extended family I am buying small specialty oils and vinegars from a company that was at DLR F&W and then in the basket or tin or whatever I find to present them in, I'm making up foccacia bread mix to go with. I've also made 2 DLR scrapbooks for BILs and SIL who went with us in May and I'm working on a Sea World trip one for DD and yes, still need to do a Vegas one for DH. Way too much to do in too little time.

 

[nunzia]

I make soap, so homemade is easy for me Teachers usually get a basket with homemade bar soap, liquid soap, sugar rub, bath salts, and a bath mitt. In fact, today;s project is to do a batch with appropriate Christmas scent so that they can cure in time.

That sounds wonderful!