The best gifts are the ones that can’t be wrapped…
2018 Christmas season is near. Every year as Christmas approaches almost all of us have that thing we call our Christmas List. And every year we always seem to take pains finalizing the said list. Because of course a few important things have to be considered, most importantly the money aspect of the gift-giving.
Did you ever stop to think that your Christmas gifts could cost you less but can be more priceless than the ones that are store bought and expensive? The ‘It’s the thought that counts’, so yes, it can! Between the price and effort, choose effort because trust me, this is far more valuable than any gift that has a very costly price tag attached to it. Effort is time spent that can never be retrieved, as compared to money spent carelessly or without much thought.
Remember that the Child who was born on Christmas Day, for whom we celebrate the big day, was born in the most modest way. So let us try to be as humble in our gift-giving but thoughtful in every way.
Think of the people each of us most likely have in our lives. What gifts would be best for each of them for Christmas?
Check out our Christmas 2018 Gift Ideas for the special persons in our lives.
For DADS: Now we all very well know how straightforward and uncomplicated dads can be. In the span of time we have been around our fathers, growing up with them would have already given us a broad knowledge of what they like and will likely tickle their fancies.
The one most common thing about majority of fathers is their undying love for drinking. So, a good representation could be a mug or a huge glass. You can get one for a really cheap price at thrift stores or look for those on sale. Then give it a touch of personalization by spending a bit more of your time inking a note or a quote on the surface like, “I’ve got the Best Dad in the World”.
Get creative and do not spend on getting someone else to personalize the gift for you. The materials you will buy to create the personalized gift for dad plus your time spent on the project will surely save you a ton. You can also choose to personalize other dad stuff like shirts etc.
For MOMS: Moms are the opposite versions of dads. They are the complicated ones if truth need be told. But as much as moms are complicated beings, they are easy to figure.
Moms generally embody our homes. So, any home item will most likely delight them. Again, you are not to rush to the department store into the home division and get a ready-made home good item, have it wrapped quickly…end of story. Most of the time you do not even have to get out of the house. There are recyclable materials at home like old clothes and such that can be turned into a home item as gift for your mom.
A creative suggestion to this idea are old and unused clothes that can be made into pillow cases or turn empty bottles into something useful to your mom at home. Lots of DIY tutorials can be viewed online about almost anything.
For SISTERS: A sister can be your very first best friend. You can build a utility box out of old cardboard boxes for her to use with things she can stockpile to help lessen the clutter in her personal space. Create hanging picture frames with photos of the family that she can put in her room made of popsicle sticks and other creative ideas that speak of her.
For BROTHERS: If sisters are best friend material, brothers on the other hand could be your worst sibling enemy, in a loving family sort of way. Boys will be boys as they say time and again.
The usual brother stuff you can get them is usually ranging from sports to video games to superhero stuff. They generally like to think of themselves as tough. Ideally, you can recreate one of his old shirts and put patches on them of his favorites like the sports he loves.
You can also DIY some scraps of wood into a large frame then attach a poster of say his favorite basketball team. Another cool idea would be to get an inexpensive mason jar and then cover it with cut-outs from a sports magazine or superhero stickers.
For GRANDMOTHERS: When we reach old age one of the most common things that can happen to you is gradual loss of memory. They say that this is a point in your life when you tend to become childlike or that you are journeying back to your childhood years, back to when you have yet to create memories. A gift of a family photo album made out of used brown grocery bags, old newspapers and magazines and cardboard boxes can be a wonderful gift idea for your grandmother to have. She can flip through the album and be reminded of the family who loves her.
For GRANDFATHERS: They are more or less like our fathers. You can basically get him something personalized as well, in the inexpensive way we suggested.
For your CHILDREN: Gift for sons and daughters vary depending on what age they are at the time of the gift-giving. From when they are babies until before their teenage years, mostly what they would appreciate are toys besides the obvious which are chocolates. There are many ways that toys can be handmade out of raw materials you already have at home. Check on DIY ideas on YouTube or other sources online.
As they age, the gifts that you can give them for Christmas will have to change. But the one thing that doesn’t is that they can all be handmade, personalized and full of love.
For FRIENDS: The most common gift items you can give to a friend are things that signify your friendship. Handmade scrapbooks between girls, shirts with matching patches of maybe their favorite band for male friends, and for a male and female friendship either party can DIY specific items for each other, stuff that which the other person is into.
For BOYFRIENDS/GIRLFRIENDS: Girls are quite more on the cheesy and heart-melting kind of gifts. If she’s into sweets, instead of sending her a ready-made box of chocolates from the supermarket, buy the cheaper ones on a regular pack then put them inside a used cookie jar along with some cut-out hearts that have notes of reassurance of your love that she can read each day the following year. So, that’s 365 love notes with the chocolates that you can call the “Jar of Hearts”.
For him, you can customize a frame with a photo of the two of you together. The photo frame can be made out of large popsicles and the edges can be surrounded by beer bottle caps, sports/superhero stickers, whatever he is into. She can also make him a pillow in the shape of a PSP remote control, if he is so much into video games, and have something written on it like, “Game Over! You win…ME!”
For HUSBANDS/WIVES: Since these two are mostly together and do things together, they can get each other couple stuff, like coffee mugs printed with their terms of endearment. Also, old clothes can be recycled into pair pyjamas.
The above list of Christmas gift ideas is more about how much we know these people in our lives and that the gifts we give them speak of how we value their being a part of us.
The best gifts, however, the ones that can’t be wrapped but will be cherished forever, are the gifts of time, love, gratitude and most of all…you! Your presence is a gift, the best one of all!
Also, make sure to call up your love ones often especially if you can’t come home for Christmas. It would mean a lot to those who have you in their hearts.