[Erin]

Hey yall- I’m newly broke as a joke after multiple health issues and I am stressed out about Christmas thankfully, I have no children, but I was hoping for some advice on homemade / frugal Xmas gifts for adults?

I will be making chocolate covered pretzels and candied citrus for some… but my in laws are not big on candy / sweets / snacks.

Any ideas would be appreciated

[Susie]

The gift of time is appreciated by most people. Offering to run errands, do some repairs around their house, gardening, shovel snow, pet sitting, clean out the garage, etc.

People are busy and who doesn’t love some help?

[Kimberly]

I know you mean well, and your heart is in the right place, but when I know family members are struggling, I feel awful accepting gifts from them.

From my perspective, the best gift they can give me is their presence and to see them succeed and get out from behind the 8-ball.
Let’s normalize un-commercializing Christmas.

But if you feel the need to give something: maybe movie tickets or a small basket of custom soaps. You can even make your own.

[Jan]

My first Christmas married we were flat broke. I bought my in laws a pair of pillowcases and embroidered a floral design on them.

My MIL cherished them for 30 years. When she passed I was given the pillowcases.

Now I cherish them.

[Gloria]

I bought my parents that were retired a big basket of things they liked. Coffee, sausage etc

[Amanda]

Christmas ziplocks with one family sized party potatoes. I’m making these for my house so I thaw and cook

[Melissa]

A stack of nice used books? Magazine subscription? I get Reader’s Digest for my mom. It is pretty cheap.

[Maggie]

Another sweet idea. Very easy and always appreciated.
5 Minute Fudge
(Makes about 2 lbs.)

3 cups semi sweet milk chocolate chips
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
¼ cup butter
1 cup chopped walnuts

Place all ingredients, expect nuts, in large bowl. MICROWAVE 50% POWER until chocolate chips are melted, 3-5 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking. Stir in nuts.

Pour into well-greased (I line with plastic wrap) square baking dish, 8”or 9”. Refrigerate until set.

Variations
· Substitute one cup of other chips (peanut butter, butterscotch, etc.) with one cup of chocolate chips.

· Make up recipe, omit nuts, sprinkle toffee chips on top of warm fudge, press in then chill.

[Jackee]

I make small loaves of pumpkin bread to give away.

[Tina]

I’ve made homemade pizza crusts partially baked and frozen, individually wrapped first, also hot rolls in a disposable pan and baked but not browned and frozen as gifts for my family.

I’m a stained glass artist by trade but they seem to enjoy a helping hand with dinner more than my art.

Sourdough starter is also popular lately as is a babysitting coupon or even an offer to deep clean a fridge or do some chore they have a hard time getting to.

In my area it’s pretty easy to pick up a variety of brand new items still in their packaging at yard sales pretty inexpensively.

If you sew you can get fabric or sheets to make totes or something for their hobby or home.

Check your local buy nothing groups for supplies to craft with.

I keep a free exchange box in my front yard that neighbors leave craft supplies, plants, seeds, and puzzles for each other.

We also have a little free library that I put new books in this time of year just for people who need a present to give and are having a hard time.

Look around, accept what you’re given and search for what you can do with it.

One particularly bad year a neighbor let me harvest pears from their tree since they disliked them, everyone got pear jelly and pear bread.

Sugar is pretty expensive now, not sure I’d be able to that. Our local public library gets lots of book donations that often end up in their dumpster, they are great to craft with.

There are lots of free patterns on line to use books to make decor.

Good luck! Most importantly don’t stress, this will pass and you can spoil your relatives next year!

[Louise]

A gift of time: do something that is a challenge for them.Christmas decorating and putting away; we did this for my mil and it became an annual task.

We would order fish and chips for us all.

A tradition began.

[Stella]

I am making themed food gift baskets for my family. One is getting a soup mug, 2 different soups, and bread sticks.

One is getting a pancake themed gift bag with buttermilk and blueberry pancake mixes and syrup.

And also one with a mug, teas, and cookies.

[Thea]

Print black and white photos of family members and put them in old mason jar rings to make a set of ornaments

[Cathy]

I was out of work one year and I made candles. I looked.for teacups and other cute containers. Bought the wax, wick and had essential oils amd we went to town.

It was fun amd seemed to be a hit.

[Gail]

One year I copied all of my mother-in-law’s family addresses and phone numbers in LARGE DARK print so she could read them easily.

I wrote each person’s info on separate note cards so she could keep them alphabetically, but could remove and re-sort as needed.

She absolutely loved it! Of course, she was elderly, but this really helped her!

[Amy]

If you search YouTube, there are tons of videos on inexpensive gifts you can gather from Dollar Tree, Target, Walmart, even repurposed from thrift stores.

Maybe a nice frame or candles, socks, pasta or breakfast basket?

[Danita]

Can you crochet? I make doubled pot holders. My family loves them. Tightly crochet a large square and then do another one the same size and then crochet them together.

Or do one large rectangle and then fold it over and crochet together on three sides to save time.

You can find yarn at thrift stores for next to nothing.

Doesn’t have to be all one color either.

[Sarah]

Ask for empty mason jars from a buy nothing group, then fill up with ingredients for a dry soup mix! Print out directions.

Cost will be the food items which if all are dry, should be relatively cheap.

Could make a small binder of all of your favorite recipes?

[Rachele]

One year, I got baskets from the thrift store. Then, I made a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread in my bread machine. I wrapped it in Christmas-colored Saran Wrap.

Then, I went to a discount store and looked for spoon rests, pot holders, little individual butter spreaders and bought a 4 pack of sample jellies.

I put it all together on top of filler and heat wrapped cellophane shrink wrap around basket.

Everyone thought I custom ordered the baskets and I spent less than $10 on each one.

[Marsha]

I make cornstarch and baking soda white ornaments every year. People seem to like them.

[Yani]

Coupons, we made for my in laws 12 coupons for bathing their dog, I always bathed her but they felt guilty, with the Coupons they felt better, we also made Coupons to wash their car and more their lawn.

YOU can make coupons for manicure, hair cut, cook dinner, clean their restroom or kitchen or both, whatever you think they will need.

Physical Items: we got gluten free items, other times we got pasta or manicotti or ravioli, marinara sauce, and parm cheese, everything from Aldi they were very happy w it.

You can do coffee and creamer, or tea and cookies. Good luck.

[Coral]

Offering to have a sick child for a working mother( obviously, nothing major, and someone familiar) is a HUGE gift.

People reach a point where they either risk their job! Or send a sick child to school/ daycare.

[Christine]

Homemade balsamic glaze is very easy to make. I also like giving compound (flavored) butter and small containers.

[Sandy]

Speaking as an in-law, I like something that my daughter-in-law or son have made. If you are good enough in the kitchen to make those candies, I’m sure you could come up as something savory.

It doesn’t have to be big, it just has to be thoughtful.

Maybe a game that you could all play together?

[Lisa]

How about a heartfelt letter acknowledging what they mean to you as family and thank you’s for what you appreciate about their family over the years.

[Bea]

Boy I gave up gift giving decades ago- kids yes (but not toys— gift shared experiences and/ or books) I also gift parental night outs…
In laws:?

Yard work freely given?

[Author]

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