★Low-Cost Christmas Ideas

Idea I just had. Luggage tags that you make and personalize yourself. I was thinking I could make some Arkansas Razorback luggage tags. Many ideas on how to do this. I’ll bet I can get a walmart giftcard with a razorback on it and work with that. Another idea, cut out some small wood plates and buy a Arkansas Razorback magazine and glue some logos on it and polyurethane it. Razorback on one side, and name on the other. I’m sure there are lots of other little things like that you could make for one of a kind gifts.

Several years ago I made some neat refrigerator magnets and gave them as little gifts. You can buy magnets at walmart or hobby lobby or michaels or wherever they sell crafting stuff. I glued some metal buttons that looked like the sun and moon with faces on them. Magnet + Button + Hot Glue = Refrigerator magnet.

One year I took some old panes of glass that I had and bought some of that crafting stuff that you use to paint on glass. They were real works of art and I took a lot of time with them. They turned out beautifully. Each one was my own design. I even made the frames and stained them unique colors. To make something like that you would need a miter saw or at the least a miter box. I used a table saw to make the grooves in the frame pieces. I doweled the corners. I slid the panes of glass in. Put the last side of the frame on. Let the wood glue and dowels set overnight. The I painted the led lines for my designs. Then I filled in between the lines with the window paint. Some of them had solid colors, but I also played around with mixing the colors. Maybe I’ll take a picture of the one at my sisters house and post it. I’ll have to ask my other brother if he still has his. I could get a pic and post it too. I don’t guess I can post a pic of the ones I made for my ex-girlfriends mom and grandparents. Oh yeah, I used some clamps to hold it together while the glue dried. You would also have to have a drill (preferably a drill press) and a bit for whatever dowel size you got. Not a project for the feint of heart, but a nice gift.

How about a hand written letter to a loved one sent in a card made by hand. Ten years from now, they won’t remember which computer game you gave them, but they will remember that letter.

I didn’t do this one, but I thought about it last year. I saw these big wooden handled toilet brushes at walmart. I thought about making them into personalized back-scratchers. They had these nice long handles that I’m sure I could have stenciled names on. I was going to then make a little wall hanger to go with them. I thought I would write something like. Joe’s Back Scratcher, please don’t clean the toilet with this.

Who knows, I have time, maybe this year.

How to Make a Tie-Dye Shirt

As I write this, Thanksgiving is just a few days away. Consider talking about important things with your family. Maybe you could talk about really giving thanks. I’m sure many of us have already bought a lot of stuff, but what if you agreed to spend a little less on your own christmas this year and spent a little on someone who was really in need.

Last year I made a christmas cd for each of my neighbors. We won’t discuss copywright infringement here.

For my brother Joe, who had by-pass surgery recently, and for my brother-in-law I got a gallon of extra virgin cold pressed olive oil with a shot glass. I know it might sound like a silly gift, but look up the health benefits of olive oil (extra virgin cold pressed) and you will see why. I’m going to print out a fact sheet to go with it.

Like it or not, the world economy is in crisis and the dollar is in severe trouble thanks to our government, present and past. If you want to splurge a little, stocking someones food pantry might be a really good idea. I’ve been thinking of making a list of items that would be required to sustain a family for a week, or month, or year in a worst case scenario. If I find some good info I will share it. Maybe some of you would be willing to help me out with this.

Not really low-cost, but who wouldn’t like something like this?

How about a harmonica or a nylon string (classical) guitar. A nylon string guitar is easy on the fingers and won’t kill a beginners fingers. Of course, an electric guitar is easy on the fingers too.

Grado Headphones would be a good gift for a music lover. These aren’t really inexpensive, but they are awesome for the money.

♡ ˚Allowing Beautiful Thoughts  

Posted on 20/12/2017. Last edited on 24/12/2017.

great ideas!

great thread!