Now that Thanksgiving is over and the Christmas season is in full swing, I wanted to write a Christmas themed blog post. Two years ago I gave you 10 Simple Ways To Earn Extra Money For Christmas, which is still pretty useful. This year I’m going at it from the other side.

 

Homemade Christmas Gifts That People Actually Like

Another way to avoid the debt and stress of overspending on Christmas gifts is to make them yourself. You can google “homemade Christmas gifts” and get a thousand and one ideas. The problem is, though, that most of them aren’t things that anyone really wants or uses. I’m a pretty practical person and I’m not going to tell you to do anything that I wouldn’t do. So, there are only four things that I would really recommend:

 

Fudge

I love to make fudge for Christmas gifts and most people love to eat it. With a package of mini paper cupcake liners from the dollar store, you can make it look fancy, like an expensive box of chocolates. There are a lot of really easy fudge recipes out there where you don’t even have to know what “soft ball stage” is. Some of my favorites are Cookies’n’Creme, Peanut Butter (which works just as well with almond and other nut butters), and this more traditional fudge.

 

Anything With Sugar

Let’s be honest. People will eat and enjoy just about anything with sugar, even if they don’t want to. Now, if you know people that struggle with their weight or are trying to be healthy, just stop reading and move on to the next point. Be respectful in your gift giving and don’t undermine their efforts. However, for everyone else, Christmas cookies, hot cocoa mix, or even pumpkin bread are great gifts.

 

Original Artwork

If you don’t want to give a gift that stays on the hips into the new year, give an original piece of artwork. It is important to note, though, that this only works if you have talent or kids. No one would ever want to receive a piece of artwork from me, but I know a few people that love my kids and would be very touched for some of their original artwork. You can buy a pack of 8 10”x10” canvases at Michael’s for $19.99 and turn them into 8 personalized gifts. For bonus points, write out the story behind the artwork to go with it.

 

Heartfelt Card

Writing itself can be a treasured gift. While some people may be thrilled to receive a handmade fabric glasses case, I think John Lennon was right when he said: “all you need is love.” Personally, I would rather receive a heartfelt handwritten card telling me how much I mean and how I’ve impacted someone’s life.

 

Here in the US, most of us already have too many things and eat too many calories. Human connections and appreciation are the things we are really craving. Don’t let someone assume you appreciate them this Christmas- tell them! They will keep it much longer than the Santa socks and the cinnamon-scented candle they get from other people.

 

White Elephant Gift Ideas

In addition to your usual gift list, there’s a good chance you’ll end up participating in a white elephant gift exchange this year, too. These can be hard, because if you can’t think of something clever you just end up getting a bag of coffee or some scented lotion and hope no one knows it was you. Here are some gift ideas that should at least get your creative juices flowing, even if you don’t use them:

 

Jar Of Pennies. If the price limit is $10, then put 1,000 pennies in a jar and tie a ribbon around it.

 

Half Eaten Box Of Chocolates. Buy a large, cheap box of chocolates and bite every single one in half. I have done this and everyone loved it, though biting the chocolates got gross after awhile.

 

Pigs Feet. In the Hispanic section of my local grocery store, you can buy a whole jar of pigs feet. You can also get chicken feet in some Asian markets. I don’t mean to offend anyone who eats these things (my kids eat boogers, so I’m not judging), but they work well for a typical American party.

 

Singing & Dancing Christmas Stuffed Animal. Some people love these, some people hate them. My mom likes to go down the aisle in the store and turn every single one on and then act like she didn’t do it.

 

VHS Tapes. I’m sure you can find a bunch at your local Goodwill. If you still have them in your church library, though, this might not be considered funny.

 

Chia Pet. I think the funniest are the ones of real people, particularly politicians, but you need to know your audience so you don’t offend anyone or start something ugly.

 

Obnoxious Christmas Slippers. Walmart has some great ones with sequins and bells right now.

 

10 Pound Summer Sausage. This was actually a big hit at our exchange last year, some of the men really wanted it.

 

Thrift Store Finds. You can usually find random/strange/funny things at thrift stores that are great for white elephant gift exchanges.

 

Dancing With Cats Book. I found this book when I was cleaning out my grandma’s house, and I think it is the perfect white elephant gift. It leaves you scratching your head and asking, Seriously?

 

Well, I hope these ideas make your gift giving a little bit easier this year. This list is by no means exhaustive, so let’s help each other out, please share your ideas in the comments!

 

FYI: I make no money from any of the links in this article, though I have gotten a lot of joy out of some of them.