Cheap holiday gifts

Saturday, November 15th you can catch an interview with yours truly on Channel 13 between 7-7:30am to find out how to get or make some cheap holiday gifts. This post is a continuation of that interview. I'll be sharing homemade gift ideas as well as places you can find things inexpensively. Let's start with the gift ideas!

Women:

1. Special hardcover book frame

-This is an easy project. Just find a hardcover book that has a clever title. Thrift stores are great if you don't have any at home. Use a utility knife to cut the binding for the pages and throw them away (please recycle). Using the utility knife again just cut out the space you'd like for your photograph. You can use both sides or just one. I made this for a friend who loves to read.

Men:

1. Desktop calendar for dad

-Everyone has an extra CD case laying around. It's hard for me to throw these away so this is a great way to reuse them. First I measure out the cover so I know what size to make my calendar. Then I use my printshop program and design my calendar according to the measurements. Just print on cardstock and put the pages inside the case. Easy as pie.

Teen Girls:

1. Custom journal / diary

-This shouldn't cost more than $5. Take any extra notebook paper you can find for this project. If you're really into saving the planet you can use all the mistake pages from printing instead. For the front I chose a record album cover. You can also use laminated pages of anything you can concoct. Make sure the cover is a little larger than the paper. Take all of this to an office store and they'll bind it for you for around $3-4. Not bad for a personalized touch.

Teen Boys:

1. Bleached t-shirt

-This is an easy project that may not cost you anything. Use a t-shirt you already have if you can as well as some bleach. Put your t-shirt on a hanger and hang it outside. Put on some rubber gloves and grab a paint brush. Dip the paint brush in your bleach and use your fingers to press back the bristles and then let the bleach fly at your shirt. You can also use the throwing technique. Dip the brush in the bleach and then make a throwing motion (but don't actually throw the brush) toward the shirt. Let it dry overnight and then wash for safety.

Children:

1. Coloring kit

-This can be made by breaking up old pieces of crayon and putting them in muffin tins to melt in the oven. The best kind are when you have fun shapes. You can mix and match your colors. When they have completely melted just set them out to harden and pop them out when they're cool. You can make a smaller customized journal for the kids using blank paper again and even a cereal box for the cover. Wrap them together and you're good to go.

Now how about some places to shop for inexpensive items!

1. Craigslist.com

-This is a fantastic site where you can connect with people right here in Grand Rapids to buy all kinds of different stuff. You can buy ipods, TV's, video games and even furniture.

2. Meijer Outlet

-This is a mini Meijer with discounted pricing. It's located on North Alpine in Comstock Park. You can get board games, bedding, electronics and more.

3. Schuler's and Barnes n' Noble used sections

-Both of these stores have started carrying used books, DVD's and CD's for a fantasticly reduced price. You can also sell your used items there.

4. Family Fare on Leonard by Fuller

-I know this sounds weird but the reason I mention this one is because you can find E.L.F. makeup there for $1. You can buy all kinds of makeup applicators as well for the same price. They have a nice little kiosk with a small variety of makeup. This is great for stocking stuffers.

5. Once upon a child

-Anything kid oriented you can find here. But I suggest that if you're looking for, say a large kitchen play set or something like that you should check out this store before buying it brand new.

6. TJ MAXX or Marshall's

-These stores offer brand new items that are higher end at around 40% off the normal retail price. And if you shop their clearance sections you can get even better deals. Check here for ipod accessories and shoes.

7. Thrift stores

-I recently found a brown pair of Doc Marten boots for $8 and they are in great shape. These would normally run over $100! So you never know what you'll find in these stores. I like to get my husband vintage vinyl records from them.

8. CD / DVD on alpine

-The weirdest/worst name for a store ever but I love the deals. You can buy box sets of CD's at a great discount. They carry all kinds of music and also DVD's. I bought the Julia Robers movie Stepmom there the other day on DVD for $1!

9. The Dollar Tree

-This is a great place to make basket gifts. Coffee baskets, toy bags or kitchen baskets are great ideas that can come from this store. And the cards are only .50$

10. One Girl's Treasure, Plato's Closet and Double Take

-OGT is located by the courthouse downtown, Plato's Closet is out by Rivertown mall and Double Take is a new store in downtown Rockford. (You'll hear more about them soon!) These stores all carry hip and trendy clothing for the younger generation, although I love shopping there myself. Plato's closet has the typical Abercrombie, Aeropostale, Hollister and more. They carry guys and girls clothing. One Girl's Treasure is very hip and carries a lot of New York or LA fashions. You can still found the more down to earth stuff there but it's got an edge to it. They only sell girl's clothing. Double Take is in Rockford and definitely has the Rockford feel to it. You can buy Gucci sunglasses there as well as surfer brands like Billabong, Roxy or even Burton.

So there you have it. Hopefully I've just made your holiday gift giving a lot easier. Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any specific questions. savedfromwaste@yahoo.com