"Family Gifts" for Christmas under $15

[englishteacha]

I need some ideas of gifts for whole families that are under $15 ($10 is even better!). I come from a large family and we get a gift for each of my siblings' families instead of individual gifts for each person. Due to some unexpected expenses, our Christmas budget will be very tight this year. I don't want my presents to seem "cheap," but I have to be as frugal as I can be! I need ideas!

In the past I've done breakfast kits with pancake mixes, syrups, muffin mix, etc. Last year I did a "Winter Survival Kit" with a fleecy blanket, candles, homemade jam, a cookie jar with cookies-things to make a snowy day seem better.

I was thinking of trying to find batter bowls, and making homemade cake and cookie mixes from my mom's recipes. They'd just have to add the wet ingredients. I'm having trouble finding nice looking bowls that are affordable, though.

Thanks for any suggestions! I don't mind making simple things, so simple craft/cooking ideas are welcome, too!

 

[Adi12982]

I have heard it mentioned here - but I think it is a great idea:

Get a popcorn bowl, some packs of popcorn (cheap if you buy a box at Costco, or the walmart brand), some movie candy (milk duds, raisnets, or whatever you like) and a DVD or two from either the $9 stand or the $5 bin. You can easily do this for $15 dollars and would be an awesome family gift.

 

[kribit]

I know some people think it's thoughtless, but how about gift cards specific to the person? I'm already compiling a list of cards for my kids teachers.

 

[mjantz]

Movie kit can be pretty cheap if you bargain hunt. If your family is OK with it, you can do used movies. If you want new, Wal-Mart tends to have a nice selection of $5.50 movies. If you go to Blockbuster & get one of their popcorn buckets with the popcorn in the bottom that's an instant 'basket' for the gift. Throw in some movie-sized candy & a few bottles of their favorite drinks & its a pretty nice movie basket. Alternately you could give a $5 Blockbuster giftcard or something like that so they could rent a movie.
If they have a favorite sports team (college or pro) & you live in the area where that sports team is located, you could make a fan basket. Fleece panels aren't that expensive if you have a % off coupon (JoAnn fabrics does these a lot) & you can find everything from stickers to cozzies to flags at lots of places.

 

[powellrj]

we did game night baskets last year. We got each family a game (watch TRU because they usually have a big game sale this time of year) and then gave a big bag of candy, box of microwave popcorn and a 2 liter of soda.

Start checking goodwill and yard sales for your baskets because usually you can get almost new baskets for really cheap and usually baskets are a huge budget buster.

We are giving a family member a nascar basket this year. We have been picking up things with his favorite driver on it all year and haven't spent much. So far we have a collectible hot wheels type car, coffee mug, big tote bag, camera and a blanket plus we are still looking for more things.

We did a salsa basket once with a huge bag of chips, a chip/dip bowl and several different kinds of salsa.

We have done book or magazine ones before too. Put a book or a magazine in a basket with a mug and hot chocolate and a fleece blanket. Those look like they cost much more than they actually do. If you get a magazine subscription on-line for really cheap, than it really looks like you spent a lot.

 

[torinsmom]

I did homemade hot chocolate mix once--lots of recipes online, but it's powdered milk cocoa and sugar. I put the mix in a mason jar and cut circles of fabric to put under the lid and inserted a printed tag to the jar with instructions. The package contained two mugs(change for number of people in the family) and plastic spoons dipped in milk and white chocolate(ends wrapped in saran with a curled ribbon) and bags of mini marshmallows. I got the mugs from the dollar store and I think it was around $8-$10 per family.

We also do a family calendar each year. We do a collage of pictures we take at our family beach trip on 8 1/2 x 11 paper with Jackson Family 2007 at the top. Then we make a color copy for each recipient. We get the year's calendar off the computer and make a copy for each person, and laminate them. Then we bind the picture to the calendar with binding(I have a binding machine, but Kinko's is pretty cheap) You just tear off the months as they pass.I think it ends up costing about $4-$5 each and the family has come to look forward to them.

Marsha

 

[Kanda]

How about a family board game? We get one each year from BIL and have quite a collection now. There are lots of games that have a wide range of ages, to be appropriate for the whole family.

 

[HeatherC]

I see you are in Maine. Do you have a Christmas Tree Shop nearby? They have great gift things for very cheap.

One year I did little muffin mixes in these miniature loaf pans they sold. They were painted ceramic and were about a $1.00 each. Very cute stuff.

Heather

 

[scorpad99]

How about a personalized family ornament for their tree? They have really cute ones at most Christmas stores, and you can find something with say 4 bears (or how every many ppl r in their family) and have them put their names on it. Its something they would have forever! I know I love taking my ornaments out each year and reminising with the kids on where they came from.....................and believe me there is a story behind almost everyone I put on the tree, it takes us forever to put it up, but it is alot of fun!

 

[LaDolce]

I'm not sure where you are in Maine, but try Marden's - I was there the other day and they had really nice bowls, some very cheap. I did a birding book and a bag of birdseed for my FIL a couple of years back and he was thrilled. Last year, we did a basket with pasta, a container of homemade sauce and a box of biscotti - I got a lot of items at the Homegoods Store and they were pretty inexpensive. How about a bowl with ice cream toppings - sprinkles, nuts, etc. and an inexpensive ice cream scoop?

 

[stahshee]

I shop the day after Christmas,Easter and Valentines day.

The day after Chritmas I usually buy. Candels, Angels, hair make up sets parfumes pot holders.
Valentines day after I buy more stuffed toys, baskets, soaps ect what ever I can get that you can not tell it was from valentines day. also the same with Easter. I always have some sort of stuff on hand for adult/ child birth days and Christmas

if you had the chance try shopping the day after Holloween .. You could do a gift basket with dress up clothes for children

 

[Mic]

I am doing a "Family Fun Night" box for 2 friends' families this year. I found the perfect sized red box at Aldi that has cut-outs that will display a movie or game box nicely. My budget for the game or family movie is $10 or less. My daughter's cheerleading squad is having a fundraiser right now selling individual nabisco snack packs, so I will toss a few of those into the box, as well as a few snack-size chocolate bars(8-pack is $1), a sample pack of millstone coffee(@$1) and some chocolate sticks, some homemade cocoa mix in a small jar, and a Christmas baggie full of small marshmallows. I also thought of doing a "Snow Day" box(for my teacher friend and her young daughter), but I'm not sure we will have much snow this year(I am in central NC). The last 2 years I had more money than I will this year, and I bought the expensive Disney board games for my relatives and friends(Disney Monopoly, Disney Trivial Pursuit, Haunted mansion Clue, etc.). This year, I will purchase Disney board games for the young children(Disney Memory, Monopoly Jr.), and a $5-6 movie for the family. I plan to spend @$25 per box.

 

[WendyisDarling]

We do a few family gifts.
Magazine Subscriptions (sometimes there are some good deals, like buy one gift sub get the other free). I pick something the whole family would enjoy.
We also do personalized ornaments.
I have given a "movie night", also. Instead of a gift card to BB though I choose a great Christmas Movie on DVD instead.
The calanders are also terrific, esp. if you make them yourself and add in family birthdays and other important occassions (you could always write them in if you have them made--early in the season kodakgallery.com typicallys runs a calendar special pricing them around $15 I believe. I like their quality.)
We have received a couple of board games as family gifts and loved it.

I have received a few "how to be a better parent" books from SIL as "family gifts" --those I did not appreciate so much . I think her intentions were OK, but unless requested, not such a good choice -- JMHO

 

[neatokimmo]

I am doing kitchen things this year. So far I have picked up the really nice Kitchenaide knives in black and red for $7 each. The bread knives will get a bread pan, a pot holder and a collection of bread recipes. The slicing knives will get a cutting board, a towel and a collection of meat recipes. I am keeping each little goodie bag to $15, I am just picking things up at Ross as they clearance them out.

 

[MeLady]

Thanks to this board! The entire family will be getting shirts like these! Some will be Disney, some will be their school names!