Between the tree, ornaments, other decorations, parties and, of course, the gifts, holiday costs can add up: the average U.S. consumer spent $866 on Christmas presents in 2007, according to Statista.com.
When tough times hit in 2008, that number plunged to $616, and it has since climbed back to an average of more than $700 annually. Yikes!
10 Inexpensive Christmas Gift Ideas
If rent or other bills must come first this season, you may need to trim your gift budget. If you’re not ready to follow my extreme approach — skipping the holiday entirely (go ahead, label me a Scrooge) — consider some of these suggestions for Christmas gifts that cost very little or nothing at all.
1. Free Christmas Cards
One of the easiest ways to get free Christmas cards is to rummage through your holiday stash and see if you have any leftover from previous years.
If you’re comfortable with Photoshop and have some card-stock for your printer, you can craft your own cards. A card-making guide will help you begin.
To keep expenses down, skip postage by delivering the cards in person as you visit friends and family in the weeks before Christmas. You can also find free printable Christmas cards on the web.
Another option is to create cards from paper and magazine clippings; cut out seasonal images or ones meaningful to the recipient and glue them onto construction paper.
If you have children, recruit them to assist — there’s something special about a hand-made, hand-drawn card from a kid.
Sending free e-cards is an additional choice. Some are heartfelt, others humorous, and many include animated elements. While they’re not quite the same as a physical card, recipients may still appreciate the thought.
2. Recycled Gifts
Is it acceptable to “re-gift” items you received in prior years? According to the Emily Post Institute, it’s fine if the gift satisfies certain conditions:
- The new recipient will genuinely enjoy the gift
- It’s unused and still in its original packaging
- It isn’t particularly meaningful to the original giver
- It won’t lead to awkward situations between the original giver and the new recipient
- No one’s feelings will be hurt
In short, be thoughtful about the present. As Emily Post advises, “…if you’re still in doubt, don’t do it.”
3. Sweater Mittens
You might assume mittens are hard to make. But for sweater mittens, all you need is an old sweater and a few basic supplies:
- Paper
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Thread
- Pins
Chances are you already own these items, so it will cost you nothing to craft this distinctive Christmas present. (If you need a sweater, browse a thrift shop to find one inexpensively.)
Here’s an online walkthrough showing how to create sweater mittens in roughly 15 minutes.
4. Gifts Purchased With Gift Cards
If you have a few partially used gift cards in your wallet, put them to work and buy Christmas presents for others.
This is a kind of re-gifting, but one where you won’t face the awkwardness of the original giver spotting their gift in someone else’s home.
But what if the cards are for stores that aren’t convenient or suited to your recipients? In that case, sell the cards online and use the proceeds to purchase gifts.
5. Black Friday Freebies
Many retailers hand out freebies on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving). Giveaways range from snow globes to rifles and even $100 gift vouchers, according to a list of Black Friday freebies on About.com. These items are often limited to the first 100 customers, so arrive early!
You can either re-gift what you receive, or use any gift certificates you get to purchase Christmas gifts. Either way, you’re spending time in line instead of spending cash.
6. Free Labor Gift Certificate
Think about gifting your time and abilities by creating a certificate for services. For instance, design a card redeemable for four hours of yard work, a thorough house cleaning or pet-sitting during an upcoming trip.
Family and friends will value these presents if you choose tasks you know they’d appreciate. In fact, friends with children might prefer a few “date night” babysitting certificates more than any store-bought item!
7. Amazon Trade-In Store
Have items you no longer use? The Amazon Trade-In Program lets you swap your things for Amazon gift cards. They claim there are “over a million eligible items including DVDs, CDs, video games, electronics, and books.”
Send your items with a free mailer supplied by Amazon, and if accepted, you’ll receive credit on a gift card. That credit can then buy your Christmas presents.
8. Scrabble Bracelet
If you don’t already own a game, purchase a used one for a couple of dollars at a thrift store. Spend a few more dollars on craft supplies and follow easy online directions on how to make a Scrabble Bracelet. Personalize it with the recipient’s name or spell a meaningful word with the wooden tiles.
It’s a low-cost present because you made it yourself. Similar items sell for up to $25 on Etsy and other marketplaces.
9. Homemade Ornaments
You can create attractive tree ornaments from pine cones by following online how-tos. Here’s one approach:
- Gather about 100 pine cones from your yard or a nearby park (free).
- Screw small eye bolts into the base of each (roughly $6 for a pack).
- Add a wire ornament hook to every eye bolt (about $4 for a pack).
- Purchase silver, gold, red and green spray paint (around $2 per can).
- Hang the pine cones on a clothesline and spray them.
You’ll end up with 25 sets of four lovely ornaments, each set containing a gold, silver, red and green cone. Place the ornaments in zip-top bags or something nicer, like a box or basket, before wrapping.
All told, expect to spend roughly $18 and a couple of hours on the craft.
10. Unique Cheapies
If you can spare a little cash, many gifts under $10 are original enough to delight the recipient, especially those who enjoy quirky gadgets. For instance, a Transformer USB flash drive looks neat and can cost less than $7 including shipping.
To make it extra meaningful, preload it with a digital album of photos of the two of you.
Tech resource Hongkiat suggests other intriguing tech gifts under $10, including:
- Cable Monkey Cable Organizer
- USB Mug Warmer
- Ctrl-Alt-Delete Cup Set
- Black Wristband USB Flash Memory Drive
- LED Kitchen Sink Faucet Sprayer Nozzle
- Digital Coin Counting Bank
Your Turn: What are the best free or inexpensive Christmas gifts you’ve ever given or received?
Alex Mercer is the writer of “101 Odd Ways to Make Money” and founder of EveryWayToMakeMoney.com. He’s worked as a repo agent, walking-stick maker, search evaluator, house renovator, tram operator, process server, mock juror and casino croupier. Of the many ways he’s earned cash, writing remains his favorite (so far).
