We have an idea. Instead of dropping hundreds this holiday season on meaningless gifts, you could spend little to nothing on an extremely significant one.
You could craft a scrapbook. You could write an IOU. You could clean someone's room.
If you're going to be crafting, you will need supplies. We're aware that these supplies aren't free, per se, but our hope was that you'd be able to concoct these gifts with supplies you have lying around your apartment.
If you've been hoarding boxes, cardboard is key. If you have printer paper and markers, you should be all set for making a gift that'll really matter to someone that matters to you.
The main message we'd like to convey is that a caring gift, one that you've spent some time, energy, and emotion on, means so much more than a throw-away gift you picked up in a rush at Duane Reade.
Why stretch your budget to its breaking point if you could make someone a meaningful card for free? That's our main question. Read on to find out what best free gifts you could give to the people you care about this holiday season.
1. Mixtape
jaydebalderston All I want for Christmas is @klpmusic youuuuuuu 👈 #bestgiftever #klp #xmasmixtape @philbarker01 💃👯
If you have a collection of blank CDs, or even blank cassettes, plus an iTunes library, making someone a mixtape is an entirely simple, yet wholly meaningful way to let someone know you care.
Put songs that remind you of that person, that make you want to sing out loud, songs that cheer you up, songs that you want to listen to with that person.
Write something meaningful on the CD with a sharpie marker. Fold a CD case out of paper, or put it in a free cover called a Ziploc bag.
Then they'll have the gift of knowing what songs make you think of them, and what's even better is that you'll be able to experience it together.
2. Homemade scavenger hunt
nickaloona Scavenger hunt in Melb today... found this little hidden gem! #melbournelaneways #bendigobank #melbourne #photoscavengerhunt
This can be fun. You could send your significant other on a chase all around the city.
Pose a question: where is the first place we kissed? Then, you could head to that place with your beau and kiss again. Depending on where you first kissed, you could have a drink (free if you sneak your own nips).
You could compile a list of clues about places that are significant to your relationship, and send them on a hunt all around the city, reliving each meaningful moment at each place.
Or, you could send them on a scavenger hunt of beautiful, free places. Compile clues about certain NYC landmarks. This hunt could lead you to destinations like The High Line, the Brooklyn Bridge, Randall's Island, and other free, glorious NYC sights.
3. Make a cookbook
If you don't have the money to take someone out to their favorite meal, then look up a recipe. Draw out that recipe. Decorate the book. Use markers-- contrary to popular belief, there's no age limit on markers and crayons and colored pencils.
This idea is even better if the person to whom you're gifting the cookbook loves cooking, or if there's some super secret family recipe you can pass on to that person.
Include recipes for food you know this person loves. Include a promise to make some of them together.
This is a caring and meaningful gift that will require you to spend approximately zero dollars. It'll be even more meaningful if you include a cute little note after each recipe. Maybe, a time you two enjoyed concocting these meals together?
4. Make a scrapbook
Facebook is great, and perusing pictures on Facebook is great, too, but it's definitely decreased the need for physical scrapbooks, scrapbooks that are fun to peruse in their own right.
So use Facebook. There's this really chill "view friendship," option that enables to see every picture of you and a person. Drag the pictures you like into your desktop, print some, and find a crafty way to bind them. Cardboard works great, especially if you tape or glue colored paper on top of it.
If you have saved ticket stubs, funny inside jokes, anything that will remind this person of a fun time you two spent together, include that too.
,5. Make a video scrapbook
Instead of sending your favorite person on a crazy trip all over the city, you could make them a video scrapbook.
We all have these crazy smartphones with all this crazy video equipment. Why not do something cool with our smartphones? Why not record yourself telling them how much they mean to you? You could even record others reminiscing about times with that person.
Then, upload the video to your computer. Set it to background music. We guarantee this video will mean so much more to your friend or significant other than something you carelessly picked up at a drugstore.
6. Make a picture frame
moe_lovee07 Our present for daddy😜 We love you papabear🐻💕 Thank you for not only everything you do for me physically and emotionally, but also bringing this beautiful princess into my life👪 Happy father's day from Isabella & Me😘 #fathersday #thatsdaddythough #homemadepictureframe
Instead of making a whole scrapbook, crafting a single picture frame will also do the trick.
Again, cardboard will come in handy. You should get in the habit of hoarding your boxes. All you've got to do is cut out a cardboard square that's bigger than the picture you want to put inside, and then tape the picture beneath the frame. Decorate the outside of the cardboard.
If you can fit a note or a memory along the outside of the frame, do that too. This will illustrate to your friend that you cared enough to craft a relic of your relationship.
If you want the frame to stand up, just bend a piece of cardboard in half and tape it to the back of the picture. Then it'll stand up on its own. You'll get props for being extremely crafty.
7. Make cards
my_clever_creations Happy Thursday everyone. Today I am on the @markerpop blog playing with @neatandtangled. Link in profile. #myclevercreations #cardmakinghobby #cards #cardmaking #homemadecards
You'll be surprised how far a handmade card can go.
There really isn't any need to duck into Duane Reade and drop $30 buying a card for everyone in your life. Instead, sit your ass in a chair with some printer paper and markers and craft those cards.
Start off a with a list of everyone in your life that matters. Then, craft a card with some holiday imagery, and on the inside of the card, write a meaningful note to that person.
We'll bet you any amount of money that a meaningful note explaining how much someone matters to you would mean so much more to someone than a canned card from Hallmark and a gift certificate to Starbucks.
Check out 7 Once-in-a-Lifetime Things You Can Still Do This December in NYC.
[Feature Image Courtesy CuriosoDato]