The Holidays can be a trying time and expensive too.But It doesn’t have to be
Here are some easy inexpensive ideas
1.Head to your local Dollar Store pick up a jar or basket and fill will homemade cookies or other goodies and wrap with a bow
2.Tea cup candles -Great idea for a cop you don’t use no more
3. Homemade play-doh -Colored Playdough
Materials
1 cup water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup salt
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
Food coloring
Saucepan
1 cup flour
Directions
Combine water, oil, salt, cream of tartar, and food coloring in a saucepan and heat until warm.
Remove from heat and add flour.
Stir, then knead until smooth. The cream of tartar makes this dough last 6 months or longer, so resist the temptation to omit this ingredient if you don’t have it on hand.
Store this dough in an airtight container or a Ziploc freezer bag.
4.Homemade Bread and Jam Gift-Red and White food trays
Mini Jam Jars ($1/each from dollar store Bread Pans
Wax or Parchment Paper
Red and White Bakers Twine
Red and White Patterned Tissue Paper
Red Ribbon
Labels
Step 1
Using the instructions on the package, download label templates and in a program like Adobe Illustrator or Microsoft Paint design some labels. Look for fun and free downloadable fonts at Dafont.com.
Fill in names to customize and print them onto your label paper. (2).
Step 2
Lay out the food trays (1) and line them with tissue paper (7). Cut the patterned tissue paper into a rectangle shape just larger than the size of the tray. It looks cute hanging off the edge a bit.
Step 3
After loaves have been baked and cooled, wrap each mini loaf of bread with wax or parchment paper (5). Tie it up with a bit of Baker’s Twine (9) and apply bread label.
Step 4
After jam has been spooned into the mini jars (3). Tie a sweet ribbon around the neck of the bottle and apply the jam label.
5.Mason jar cocktail gifts-
SUPPLIES:
- 16oz Mason Jar Mugs (mouth must be at least 2.5? wide)
- 7.5oz Mini-skinny bottles of soda
- Mini bottles of alcohol
- Cute straws
- Twine and tags
- Scissors
The most important part is that you find soda cans skinny enough to fit inside your mason jar mugs. Here we are using 16 ounce mugs that have a 2.5? wide mouth so they are a little on the smaller side, but they are darling and the perfect size for a drink. If you use the large 30 ounce size (the kind you wouldn’t normally use for a cocktail, unless you like to party) you’ll be able to fit a regular sized soda can inside them.
6.Decerate some plain coasters from the dollar store or a tote bag
7.Fill a stocking for about 5 bucks add some candy for a child or for a teen get some great dollar store items like body spray and make-up
