Easter and Valentine’s Day. The barrage of gift ideas in the stores and the mounds of chocolate and candies are a little overwhelming. Personally, we don’t need any more stuffed animals, chocolates, or any other type of candy. And our budget definitely doesn’t need the cost.  

So, for Valentine’s Day and Easter, I’ve taken to putting together inexpensive little gift bags or baskets for the kids, usually containing items that they don’t get very often.

This year’s Valentine’s gift bags cost me less than $5/each:

$1.00 – a bucket of sidewalk chalk
$2.50 – a small notebook in child’s favorite color
$ .20 – a mechanical pencil in child’s favorite color (this was actually a multi-color, multi-pack that I split between the kids based on colors)
$ .50 – a bag of M&Ms
$ .14 – valentine’s gift bag (50% off regular price of 25 cents)
———————
$4.20 – Total for each child’s Valentine’s gift

Basically, I look for small, inexpensive things that the kids don’t usually get, but would like. This year, we were down to the last piece of sidewalk chalk and it has caused some friction between the kids, so when I saw little chalk buckets for a $1 each at Walgreens I picked them up. Small writing notebooks are always popular with my kids; they like to have little books to draw and write in. We go through pens and pencils like crazy around here, so the kids are also always happy to get a new pen or pencil in their favorite color.

Part of the joy is getting something special, but part of it is in the customization and the presentation. It’s always a special, secret thing to get the Valentine’s gift bag or an Easter basket; it’s shrouded in mystique and wonder for a time before hand.

Each gift bag/basket is similar to the others, but customized for that child. Little notebooks and pens/pencils are always in their favorite colors (pink, red, blue, and yellow or teal) and designs and games match their interests. It helps keep things even, but yet each child knows I was thinking especially of them when I put it together.

In the past, gift bags and basket items have included a combination of: 

• bubbles
• pens, pencils, or markers in the child’s favorite color
• travel or card games
• small crafts or craft items
• art supplies
• stickers
• seeds, a small pot, and a small bag of potting soil
• small notebooks or journal books
• play dough or modeling clay
• small puzzles or puzzle books
• special food treats of favorite snack foods (pretzels, Goldfish, M&Ms, or a few Hershey’s Kisses, etc.)

I’ve found good treats at the pharmacy stores (Walgreens, CVS, Longs, etc), the dollar stores, thrift stores, and even the grocery store. Sometimes if I plan ahead of time, I’ll head to Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, or Target and look through the little craft items they might have.

Overall I’m looking for inexpensive, but practical and engaging gifts, that allow my kids to be creative in their play without adding more clutter into our home or excess sugar into our diets (we have enough as it is).

Have more ideas? Please share them…

Other Valentine’s Day on a Budget Related Posts:

• Easy & Healthy Dinner Menu for Special Occasions

• Free Valentine’s Day On a Budget Ebook

Legos are big at my house. Very big.  It’s hard to walk anywhere without some little piece being found. Every night my 9 year old spends 10 minutes showing me his latest creations. The neighborhood boys even have Lego swaps. So it should be no surprise when my nearly 5 year old little girl came to me crying because she didn’t have any Legos of her own.

Well, technically she does. She has Duplos. But according to her she’s too big for them. And apparently she got a hold of her brothers’ Lego catalog. Lego has new PINK legos…

LEGO® Pink Brick Box

…and the Belville series, with puppies,

Playful Puppy

and horses and stables…

Horse Jumping

….and such that appeal to her little girl dreams. 

So in the back of my mind, I was thinking I’d spring for at least one lego set for her. But today I got an email from Lego; there’s only one more day of guaranteed arrival using standard shipping. AHHH! I have to order by Dec 11 to get it shipped here on time. Or pay faster shipping. eeks. Guess I better figure out what I’m going to do quick.

The Chocolate Chip Cookies-in-a-Jar mix Kate gave to her Latin teacher this year.

We discovered Gifts-in-a-Jar several years ago, when Kate’s Keepers of the Faith group did them.  We had such fun with it, and it was such a thoughtful, but frugal gift idea, we decided to make them for all of our relatives. 

That year, we made up 25 jars, using three different recipes we found on the interent (just search “cookie in a jar recipe”). Since then we’ve made them for neighbors, friends, and this year Kate gave one to her Latin teacher.

The basic premise is to layer, strata style, the different dry ingredients into an appropriately sized mason/canning jar. And then topping it off with a peice of decorative fabric and a tag listing the instructions and wet ingredients needed. Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Jar is our favorite gift in a jar recipe, but there are tons more you can do.

Kate or I can put one of together in less than 10 minutes.  But we find it fun to  do them in batches of 6 and assign jobs so each child is integrally involved in the process – either measuring, pouring, or tapping down ingredients. It makes a mess, but boy it is fun to do.

For more gifts in a jar recipes, check out Living on a Dime’s Gifts in a Jar ebook. It’s full of other great inexpensive, but thoughtful gifts in a jar ideas.

The doll cradle Josh made for his 4 yr old sister

Last year for Christmas Josh (then 8 years old) made this wooden doll cradle for his 4 year old sister. For the cost of a 1x 10 and a couple dowels, he fulfilled his sister’s desire for a rocking cradle for her dolls. 

The complete materials list requires a 1×10, a 1×6, a 1 inch dowel, a 1×1 firring strip, and finishing nails, screws, and wood glue. We had everything but the 1×10 and the dowel.  The remaining wood and the paint we had, gleaned from Freecycle earlier in the year.

Josh was involved in each step with either his father or I helping him as needed. It was a fun time, when the garage was off-limits, as our own little Santa’s workshop.

Candle Decorated with Candy Canes and Ribbon

My 9 year old cub scout came home with this great little gift idea last week. It’s made with a religious candle from a dollar (or 99 cents) store, ribbon, and candy canes (also from a dollar/99 cent store). It’s a quick, and festive gift idea that kids can make easily. And it’s cheap (er…frugal) at less than $3 for all the materials. It could be less if you pick up the candles at a thrift store or in bulk.

Basically, they tied ribbon around the top, and then tied a short piece of ribbon to hook end of the candy cane and tied the other end of that ribbon to the ribbon around the top. And did this so there was candy canes hanging on all sides.