# Christmas presents a non-crafty person can make for cheap/free? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 13, 2009, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-presents-a-non-crafty-person-can-make-for-cheap-free/509885 "2009-09-13T03:35:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-presents-a-non-crafty-person-can-make-for-cheap-free/509885/21 "2009-09-13T20:39:38Z")
the bottles the starbucks drinks come in (fridge section of conv. stores) are great for bath salts. just get a can of spray paint to paint the lid, fill with salt, fragrance, and colour; viola!! glass etching kits are fairly cheap and you can to a design on the bottle. i have people saving me the bottles after they drink the coffee beverage. that way the bottles are free! ---
**Author:** ![meenie7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7993a0/32.png) [@meenie7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meenie7)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-presents-a-non-crafty-person-can-make-for-cheap-free/509885/22 "2009-09-13T21:25:01Z")
Thanks for the ideas, guys šŸ™‚ I will probably be baking, and making some of my star-shaped sugar cookies (where the challenge is not eat them all yourselfā€¦) Starving, I did mean creative writing, but it would be really hard to write one story on a Christmas theme to send to everyone, since my friend group is mixed between hard atheists and Christians, and writing 10 different stories is a little much in the time allotted ā˜¹ ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2009, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-presents-a-non-crafty-person-can-make-for-cheap-free/509885/23 "2009-09-14T14:21:13Z")
My niece gave me a great pocket notebook a couple of years ago; it was about 4x6 and she decorated the cover herself. I think it was originally just plain canvas. I carry it in my purse to make notes of books I want to read and peopleā€™s e-mail addresses, etc. It couldnā€™t possibly have cost her more than $5 to make and itā€™s one of the most useful gifts Iā€™ve ever gotten. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2009, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-presents-a-non-crafty-person-can-make-for-cheap-free/509885/24 "2009-09-14T15:26:29Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > If you canā€™t even cook, everybody loves those ā€œbrownie in a jarā€ things, where you give a jar that has all the dry ingredients for cookies or brownies or something, layered all pretty, with a tag that gives the recipe. This is exactly what I popped in to suggest. We do oatmeal cookies in a jar and people _love_ getting them. They just have to add butter / vanilla / egg and mix it all up and 15 minutes later theyā€™re wolfing down their own homemade cookies. The jars wind up being a bit less than a buck apiece. The ingredients cost maybe 2-3 bucks per jar if you can get them cheaply enough (I think weā€™ve calculated each jar costs us about 4 dollars to make all told including the jar itself). Youā€™ll want to get a canning funnel to make it easier to load the jars. We now do these assembly line. We clear off the kitchen island, and put bowlsful of each individual ingredient, with a dry measure or measuring spoon of the correct size in each bowl. The bowls are in the order in which the ingredients are to be layered. Each of us (the kids help now) grabs an empty jar and goes around the island and fills the jar. I think it took less than 2 hours to do 50+ jars last fall. [http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Desserts/Cookies/Cookie-Mix-in-a-Jar/Main.aspx](http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Desserts/Cookies/Cookie-Mix-in-a-Jar/Main.aspx) has a lot of ideas. The one we use is this: > **[Cookie Mix in a Jar III](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/10644/cookie-mix-in-a-jar-iii/)** > > Oatmeal Raisin Spice cookie mix in a jar with tag attached with directions on how to prepare the mix. These make wonderful gifts to give any time of year, and also for wedding favors, hostess gifts, baby showers, or take to a cookie exchange. Make... ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2009, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-presents-a-non-crafty-person-can-make-for-cheap-free/509885/25 "2009-09-14T16:31:28Z")
Hereā€™s something my brother made for family members when he was flat broke: find some birch or pine logs in fireplace length (about 12") and about 5"-6" in diameter. If you can find them already split in half, youā€™re way ahead of the game. If not, either split them yourself or have a competent friend do it for you. You may have to do some trimming with a knife to get them fairly flat on one side Buy some cheap 10-12" Christmas-colored candles and some colored bows or ribbons or some of those bow/pinecone/holly/berry combos. Drill two shallow holes in the rounded half logs you split, about 3-4" apart. Staple the decorative foo-foo in between them. Melt a bit of wax into the holes and stick the candles in them. Instant holiday centerpiece. We used it for years after he gave it to us. ---
**Author:** ![Easy\_Easter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8c91f0/32.png) [@Easy\_Easter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Easy_Easter)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-presents-a-non-crafty-person-can-make-for-cheap-free/509885/26 "2009-09-15T02:46:35Z")
Have photos taken of you and your friends. Grab some cheap frames at the local thrift store. Add a little poem, even a lame one. Charming. ---
**Author:** ![Tamarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tamarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamarin)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-presents-a-non-crafty-person-can-make-for-cheap-free/509885/27 "2009-09-15T15:16:01Z")
Iā€™m on a budget this year too. Everyone is getting a set of magnets from me. This has been the easiest, most fun craft project Iā€™ve ever done. Iā€™ve made about 200 magnets in a week. Hereā€™s what Iā€™m doing. Hit the dollar store and see if you can find clear decorative glass stones. The kind that people put in flower arrangements or aquariums. Iā€™ve found them in several different sizes and even some of the colored stones work, but clear is still best. Gather up all your old magazines, advertisements, and catalogs. Find pictures that fit the size of clear stones. This is a very forgiving project. I donā€™t measure or trace or anything. I just hold the stone over the picture and kinda cut around it. Iā€™ve had good luck with quilting magazines for neat small pictures, and since lots of my friends are gamers, I scrounged up some old gaming and sci-fi mags at a thrift store. Youā€™ll need ā€œMod Podgeā€ or a similar substance. If you donā€™t know what Pod Podge is, the craft store should know. Itā€™s basically elmerā€™s glue that people use for decoupaging. I think Elmerā€™s would work fine as well. This is the most expensive thing about the project. It cost me about 6 bucks for a big jar of Mod Podge and itā€™ll last forever. Glue the cut-out picture to the stone using the Mod Podge. I paint the stone with glue then smoosh the picture on there and kinda press it to make sure the wrinkles are out of the paper. Let it dry. Use a hot glue gun to affix magnets to the back. I found magnets at JoAnn Fabric and Craft for $1.29 for 10 magnets. So, youā€™ll need: Clear glass floral/aquarium stones Old magazines Mod Podge or Elmerā€™s glue Paint brush or sponge (or fingers if you donā€™t mind being messy) Hot glue gun and glue sticks Magnets [Hereā€™s a picture](http://pictures.sprintpcs.com/mmps/005_143c0e12bc851d76_1/2.jpg?partExt=.jpg&&&outquality=90&ext=.jpg&border=2,255,255,255,1,0,0,0,0&limitsize=400,400&squareoutput=255,255,255) of a few of the ones Iā€™ve made. Sorry for the crappy cell phone quality. ---
**Author:** ![Claire\_Beauchamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@Claire\_Beauchamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claire_Beauchamp)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-presents-a-non-crafty-person-can-make-for-cheap-free/509885/28 "2009-09-15T15:23:58Z")
> [@Jettboy](#): > > For the past several years, my wife and I have sent out a CD with a selection of cool, non-traditional Christmas tunes from our music collection. And do you pay royalties to the songwriters, artists, and record companies for these copies you make? ---
**Author:** ![Tamarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tamarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamarin)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-presents-a-non-crafty-person-can-make-for-cheap-free/509885/29 "2009-09-15T15:29:45Z")
> [@Tamarin](#): > > [Hereā€™s a picture](http://pictures.sprintpcs.com/mmps/005_143c0e12bc851d76_1/2.jpg?partExt=.jpg&&&outquality=90&ext=.jpg&border=2,255,255,255,1,0,0,0,0&limitsize=400,400&squareoutput=255,255,255) of a few of the ones Iā€™ve made. Sorry for the crappy cell phone quality. Dangā€¦that link didnā€™t work. Try [this one.](http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/JJubble/magnets.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-presents-a-non-crafty-person-can-make-for-cheap-free/509885/30 "2009-09-15T16:09:09Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > Donā€™t give fattening stuff to people that are on a diet either. It will be given to coworkers and relatives. Seconding this. My husband gets lots of candy and fattening baked stuff from his customers (heā€™s a mailman); they have something of an excuse as they may not be thinking about his weight. But my husbandā€™s family knows heā€™s been trying to lose weight, and yet we get a ton of chocolate and other goodies for Christmas. A lot of it gets dropped off on the break tables at our workplaces. ---
**Author:** ![Jettboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@Jettboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jettboy)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-presents-a-non-crafty-person-can-make-for-cheap-free/509885/31 "2009-09-15T16:48:59Z")
> [@Claire\_Beauchamp](#): > > And do you pay royalties to the songwriters, artists, and record companies for these copies you make? Yes, _of course_. I fly to L.A. or New York, track them down one by one and stuff .16Ā¢ into the pocket of every artist, assorted bandmember, songwriter, and record company employee from the CEO on down to the janitor. Except for Joey Ramone; heā€™s dead now. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-presents-a-non-crafty-person-can-make-for-cheap-free/509885/32 "2009-09-15T18:52:25Z")
> [@sweetie pea](#): > > Clear glass ornaments, which are found in craft stores like Michaels. You want the ones where you can take the tops off. Stuff them with things like colored lace, mylar foil, plus some glitter or foil confetti. Iā€™ve also used milkweed fluff inside them. I was going to suggest this idea, but with paint in the inside of the ornament. Pour diluted acrylic paint inside the top of the ornament and move it to swirl the paint over the whole interior. Then write the personā€™s name, or ā€œMerry Christmasā€ or whatever on the outside in metallic paint pen. Finish with a shiny ribbon to hang. [http://www.favecrafts.com/Christmas-Crafts/Simple-Marbled-Christmas-Ornaments#](http://www.favecrafts.com/Christmas-Crafts/Simple-Marbled-Christmas-Ornaments#) ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-presents-a-non-crafty-person-can-make-for-cheap-free/509885/33 "2009-09-15T22:23:57Z")
oh! nearly forgotā€¦ tampax angels! ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-presents-a-non-crafty-person-can-make-for-cheap-free/509885/34 "2009-09-16T14:07:48Z")
> [@Tamarin](#): > > Iā€™m on a budget this year too. Everyone is getting a set of magnets from me. This has been the easiest, most fun craft project Iā€™ve ever done. \*\* Tamarin\*\*, those magnets are GREAT! I wish I were on your Christmas list. I guess that means Iā€™ll have to make my own. šŸ†’ I donā€™t think thereā€™s a Jo Annā€™s close enough for me to get to, so could you tell me a little more about the magnets? About how big they are, if theyā€™re some special material or just ā€˜ordinaryā€™ magnets? ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-presents-a-non-crafty-person-can-make-for-cheap-free/509885/35 "2009-09-16T15:32:35Z")
I see sets of magnets like those in local galleries in the $15 range. Of course they have a common theme and are in a little plastic box. I could see making a set with maps of exotic places, bright fruit, cute animals, comic book characters: a thrift store would have old books and magazines probably for the taking. Look at [=tags&includes=title"]these]([International Postmarks Glass Pebble Magnets Set of 6 - Etsy](http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31019809&ref=sr_list_14&&ga_search_query=magnets&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=6&order=date_desc&includes)[) . . . theyā€™re a buck apiece and I bet they didnā€™t cost a quarter each to make after you have the glue gun. I am so stealing this idea for Christmas presents! ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-presents-a-non-crafty-person-can-make-for-cheap-free/509885/36 "2009-09-16T17:07:36Z")
Those magnets are indeed cool! Hereā€™s a free gift you can send by e-mail. It is my favourite gift for people who live far away and have a baby. I go to a site like this one [http://www.astro.com/horoscopes](http://www.astro.com/horoscopes) and get one of the free horoscopes. I copy and paste the text neatly in a word doc, and if I feel adventurous, I tailor the text a bit to the intended receiver. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-presents-a-non-crafty-person-can-make-for-cheap-free/509885/37 "2009-09-16T18:27:38Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > \*\* > Tamarin\*\*, those magnets are GREAT! I wish I were on your Christmas list. > > I guess that means Iā€™ll have to make my own. šŸ†’ I donā€™t think thereā€™s a Jo Annā€™s close enough for me to get to, so could you tell me a little more about the magnets? About how big they are, if theyā€™re some special material or just ā€˜ordinaryā€™ magnets? The instructions Iā€™ve seen for those have always called for ā€œdisk magnets,ā€ which are just round magnets about the size of your thumbnail. They come in packs of something like 50 for $2-3 in the craft department of Walmart or at any craft store in the country. ---
**Author:** ![Tamarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tamarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamarin)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-presents-a-non-crafty-person-can-make-for-cheap-free/509885/38 "2009-09-16T19:36:22Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > \*\* > Tamarin\*\*, those magnets are GREAT! I wish I were on your Christmas list. > > I guess that means Iā€™ll have to make my own. šŸ†’ I donā€™t think thereā€™s a Jo Annā€™s close enough for me to get to, so could you tell me a little more about the magnets? About how big they are, if theyā€™re some special material or just ā€˜ordinaryā€™ magnets? Thanks! Iā€™m having a blast making them. We are testing out a new color laser printer at work, so Iā€™ve been told I can print anything I want and as much as I wantā€¦so now Iā€™m going to see what happens if I use laser printed pictures. šŸ˜ƒ The magnets are similar to [these](http://hand-tools.hardwarestore.com/67-414-magnets/ceramic-disc-magnets-622942.aspx?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=622942&utm_campaign=googlebase). Iā€™ll double check the measurement on the ones I have at home and get back to you though. ---
**Author:** ![Tamarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tamarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamarin)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-presents-a-non-crafty-person-can-make-for-cheap-free/509885/39 "2009-09-16T19:43:36Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > Look at [=tags&includes=title"]these]([http://www.etsy.com/view\_listing.php?listing\_id=31019809&ref=sr\_list\_14&&ga\_search\_query=magnets&ga\_search\_type=handmade&ga\_page=6&order=date\_desc&includes](http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31019809&ref=sr_list_14&&ga_search_query=magnets&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=6&order=date_desc&includes)[) . . . theyā€™re a buck apiece and I bet they didnā€™t cost a quarter each to make after you have the glue gun. Check out that etsy shopā€™s other itemsā€¦sheā€™s hot-glued thumbtacks to the back of some of them instead of magnets! Iā€™m totally stealing that idea too! ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-presents-a-non-crafty-person-can-make-for-cheap-free/509885/40 "2009-09-17T05:05:11Z")
The image is glued face up to the back of that marble, right? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-presents-a-non-crafty-person-can-make-for-cheap-free/509885.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-presents-a-non-crafty-person-can-make-for-cheap-free/509885.md?page=3)