“Holy crap, Christmas is only three weeks away and, not only am I not financially stable being the typical college student I am, but I have no idea what gifts to buy for my friends and family!”
Cue the horror movie screech.
Shopping for stocking stuffers, otherwise known as the cute, tiny gifts you get inside your stockings that hang over the fireplace, doesn’t have to be harder than it really is.
Don’t have a big budget to buy elaborate gifts for your friends and family? No worries. Have a budget big enough to where you can at least buy stocking stuffers? Great! Don’t have access to your person’s stocking? Not an issue.
I’m here to help you get your creative juices flowing so you can fulfill your need to spoil your loved ones without going crazy on your wallet. Here’s some gift ideas for you to whip up this holiday season . . .
1. Create your own stocking to stuff and gift!
First off, stockings (nice and fluffy ones, might I add) can be bought for $1.00 at the local Dollar Tree. Holy moly.
Secondly, at that same local dollar store of yours, there is candy. For those who don’t like candy, there are snacks. If your gift-receiver in mind doesn’t care for snacks, there are candles! And if they don’t like any of the three, they’re probably aren’t human.
But do you see where I’m going with this?
You can buy some pretty neat things at the dollar store. Like the aforementioned candy, snacks, and candles, your local dollar store probably also sells dainty home decor, coloring books, small games, and even picture frames!
Which brings us to our stocking stuffer idea . . .
2. A picture of you and your loved one
Still got that nice and fluffy stocking? Good.
For cheap- either at your dollar store, WalMart, or even Hobby Lobby (frames are always half off!)- you can buy a nice picture frame of any size. What’s even better is that your nearest Walmart, CVS and Walgreens have photo centers that allow you to print photos from your phone, memory card, of flash drive- also of any size- for even cheaper!
If you and your gift-receiver are sentimental people, this would be on target.
3. About those candles . . .
Candles can be bought just about anywhere, but if you’ve ever passed your mall’s Bath and Body Works, you KNOW that other store candles don’t compete with the ones in B&BW.
Over the holidays you can always count on this store to have killer deals going on with their candles. But luckily, it doesn’t stop there, because Bath and Body Works also sells soaps, perfumes, and lotions…for women AND men. Along with that, over the holidays you can buy your loved one’s favorite scent of perfume, body soap, and lotions typically already wrapped and ready to gift.
Sales are good. Bath and Body Works is good. They’ve basically done all the work for you- all that’s left is for you to purchase at a good deal and place it in someone’s lucky stocking.
4. The perfect recipe for a cozy night in
What comes to mind when you think of winter evenings spent inside?
Fireplace? Movies? Blankets? Hot chocolate? Popcorn? Cookies?
Yeah, me too. And guess what?! Just about all of these things can be bought for just a few dollars…with the exception of the fireplace.
Walmart has a huge bin in the electronics section of the store filled with cheap movies. Grab a decent looking one (or a horrible one…for giggles, you know) for as little as $5.00. Soft-to-the-touch blankets are sold like wildfire over the holidays and can be purchased for anywhere between $5.00 and $10.00. Hot chocolate is usually $2.00, depending on your brand of choice it may also be cheaper. Popcorn and cookies, also dependant on your choice, can be bought together for less than $10.00.
All of these things that truly make for the perfect cozy night in can cost you no more than $20.00. It’s simple yet thoughtful, and it’s sure to make your friend or family member smile!
5. DIY
Some of the most thoughtful, and my favorite, gifts I have ever received were made by hand by the person who gave it to me.
Inspired by a gift I received a little over a year ago: a memory jar.
At Hobby Lobby, or almost any convenience store, empty jars (sometimes super cute and not so plain!) can be purchased for a dollar or two. With pieces of small paper, write down memories of you and your loved one. Roll up the papers and place them in the jar. This makes for a perfect laugh-sesh between you and yours reminiscing over late nights, stupid fights, a embarrassing encounters.
But this isn’t the only DIY you could potentially use as a stocking stuffer.
Walmart and Hobby Lobby sells canvases in packs. Paint a masterpiece of your own for your loved one!
Purchase beads and thick thread and make matching bracelets!
Buy a plain picture frame and decorate it with paint, stickers, or knick-knacks!
Use the jar to place other things inside, like reasons why you love this person, or adventure ideas, or things that remind you of them.
Create a book with paper, colors, and thread to hold it together. Re-create the story of how you and your friend met, or a fun memory between you and your family member.
Stocking stuffers, or gifts for that matter, don’t have to be difficult to shop for. I hope these ideas helped spark an idea or two… No matter what, those you care about will see how much you feel for them! The holidays are so much more about gifts, and your presence alone is a present!