Christmas is upon us, and if you're one of those who procrastinate, you'll likely still be thinking about what gifts to get for your loved ones:
Indeed, it is always sometimes stressful to think of things that are (a) affordable and (b) within our financial means.
As a student, I generally do not have much allowance left by the time Christmas rolls around, so this is my conundrum every year. Here are some gift ideas I came up with, that I hope you'll find thoughtful, appropriate and completely affordable:
1. A personalised mug
Mugs are essential in our daily lives both at home and at work, and of course, one can never have too many mugs.
Right?
Anyway, you can make meaning out of this by personalising them — and in saying this, some artistic ability or a person with nice handwriting might help.
Step 1: Buy a plain mug from your random hardware, department store.
Step 2: Buy permanent markers in various colours (you can get these from bookshops or stationary shops, Google is your friend).
Step 3: Write a witty one-liner that fits the personality of the person you're giving the mug to, draw a cool design on it or write a meaningful message. Place into box or nicely-wrapped paper and you're DONE.
2. Decorated Muji items
Muji is a store chock-full of minimalistically designed items, ranging from plain notebooks to furniture; clothes to household items. Not many may know this bit, though: you now get to design the items after purchasing them using the chops and stamps provided at the store.
Do'>
you know of the specially designed Christmas Fabric Stamp in-store? Come decorate your Cotton MyBag and send holiday wishes with these stamp designs.
This is the perfect place to put together a thoughtful Christmas package (on a budget), tailored for your loved ones.
Some of the things I found, for instance:
- Mini Christmas trees
-Colourful ring/plastic files;
-Minnie-Mouse-themed trash cans, which can double as buckets or containers for odds and ends;
-Piggy banks;
-Christmas themed warm & long socks;
-Face towels
Step 1: Buy your desired items.
Step 2: Throw in one of their gift bags, boxes or baskets in-store.
Step 3: Put a nice bow on it and a meaningfully-written card. DONE.
4. A Photo frame with an encouraging message
These, you can get from Daiso, Popular, Art Friend, IKEA and many, many other places — and you'll be surprised how much a little frame with an encouraging message can uplift a person who's going through a tough time at work or school.
It’s simple but definitely meaningful, and if you know your gift recipient well enough, it will make your message much more effective and helpful.
Step 1: Buy a frame and some nice paper.
Step 2: Write or print the message on the paper and cut it to size.
Step 3: Insert the printed paper into the frame. DONE.
5. Chocolate Mousse
You can't go wrong with this one for sure, especially if you're going to a party this Christmas or New Year.
Step 1: Buy ingredients from your nearest supermarket.
Step 2: Make the mousse (and if you mess it up, try again). You don't even need an oven with this recipe.
Step 3: Dish out into portions and hand it out to your friends and loved ones! DONE.
6. A book of personalised vouchers
These are actually pretty nifty, because in a way, you're buying yourself more time to give them a "gift" — and these, hopefully, will also be seen as more meaningful, as they are (as we would hope) things you should do to make their lives easier.
The above is an example of a book of vouchers a person could give to their spouse. You could also make one for your mum or dad:
Step 1: Make a list of favours your gift recipient would appreciate that you are willing to do for them (which you wouldn't usually).
Step 2: Put them down in individual cards (you could get blank flash cards for this purpose, and decorate them with stickers, markers or craft hole punchers).
Step 3: Buy a metal ring clip and link them all together! DONE.
Lacking in ideas? Here are some:
- Give a foot massage
- Run an errand
- Buy or make breakfast or coffee
- Take me out to the park or for a fun activity together
- A fancy dinner
- A free movie
- A short holiday (if money and leave permit)
Christmas is about giving, not just in a material sense but also the giving of ourselves. Trust me, there is nothing more precious in this world than the love of a friend or family member, so if you’re all out of ideas, deploy these simple methods to make this Christmas special and full of love.
Merry Christmas everyone!
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