I am all about cutting corners and buying things for less, but I also don’t want to give cheap presents. Gift-giving can sometimes be a difficult area to save money in. At times I have tried to cut cost by making gifts, only to end up spending more money on the materials I bought than I would have spent on just buying a gift outright. However, if you are smart you can find your own tried-and-true gifts that can be made over and over again for different people. The trick is to find homemade gift ideas that are useful and not expensive to make. Here are a few ideas for different occasions:
Any Occasion:
Homemade Dinner—I’m sure that any busy person would appreciate a gift of a homemade dinner. Instead of buying a gift for a friend’s birthday, you could make dinner for his/her family instead. Make a casserole or something else that is easily portable to bring as a gift. It could be something the family could eat that night, or else something easy to store and heat for later. Who wouldn’t love to have a night without having to cook?
Baby Showers:
Bibs—Any mother could testify that there are never enough really good bibs to go around. Most bibs you buy at the store have some type of flaw (too small, don’t fasten well, etc). As a mother myself, I love getting homemade bibs that are actually large enough to cover the front of my baby. My personal favorites are bibs that tie around the neck instead of using Velcro. In my experience, Velcro bibs don’t always fasten very well and can be ripped off easily.
You can find bib ideas and instructions online. I found a bib for sale that covers sleeves here. This would be an easy project to make yourself using a secondhand long-sleeved sweater and bias tape.
Other types of bibs can be made with scraps of fabric or secondhand dishtowels.
Bridal Showers or Weddings:
Table Linens—A tablecloth and matching napkins can be a welcome luxury for a new couple. You might want to check the couple’s registry to find the dimensions of tablecloths that they need. You can also see from a registry how many place settings they are planning on, and make the same number of napkins. Look for clearance fabric or buy from a discount fabric store.