It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but buying gifts on a college budget can be depressingly difficult. Here’s a list of places right down the road from KU where you can find/create solid gifts for good prices.
1. Sunfire Ceramics
Don’t buy a new mug, paint one! Choose a ceramic plate, bowl, jar or one of the many other trinkets they offer, then paint it yourself and pick it up a couple days later once it’s been fired. Whatever you choose, it will have that sweet personalized touch that people love. Don’t make them buy it for themselves at Spencer Gifts à la Michael Scott.
2. Yarn Barn
Can you knit? Crochet? If you can, this is perfect for you — and if not, you can learn! As long as you’re not attempting to make a sweater or a beanie, knitting is really easy to do. Buy some yarn and needles at the Yarn Barn on Mass and make a scarf or a pot holder for that special someone in your life. A little yarn goes a long way, and again, that personal touch is always a winner.
3. The Dusty Bookshelf
You can get some incredibly cheap used books here. They also sell imaginative T-shirts and bags designed around famous novels and authors. Here’s a gem I found for $3, though it’s probably worth like $50:
4. Love Garden Sounds
Records, CDs and cassette tapes galore. These are inexpensive and unique items that show appreciation for your giftee’s musical taste, whether that’s for old-school rap or freeform jazz.
5. Liberty Hall
There’s a little store in/next to Liberty Hall that sells movie posters and DVDs. The best part is that they give away some free posters. Granted, these are not for the best films, but they make good joke gifts. Rifle through the selection — you never know what you might find!
I’d love to see something like this taped on the wall of a movie buff’s room, right in between Pulp Fiction and The Godfather.
Photo credit: Tumblr