Presents that 'bulk out' but reduce to nothing (or very little)

Spendless · 21 November 2009 at 9:42AM

Partly inspired by a thread last year, partly cos of some posts I've been reading. I want to do a thread on ideas for presents that look 'bulky' under the tree but don't fill your house with clutter. I am mainly thinking of children here, but feel free to add your own ideas. These are some things I'm doing

DS (9) likes wildlife and feeding birds, I've got a 'gift tub' of all different wild birdseeds. It came it a large plastic container, bought it at Netto few weeks ago £5.99- will reduce to nothing once the birds eat the stuff and the tub will become a storage item afterwards.;)

Toiletries- very easy to find for females of any age, males not so easy once they grow out of Thomas/Ben10 and before they hit old enough to appreciate 'adult' stuff. If anyone has seen anything though let me know.

Selection boxes- self explanatory:p

Annuals- Don't reduce to 'nothing' but are bulky-ish and take up little space on a bookshelf.

Mumto2 · 21 November 2009 at 9:46AM

My kids are still at the age where volume matters

, so I tend to wrap up everyday things that they will need like gloves, scarves, vests, pants.

Also make your own fairy cake mixes (get them on offer). Or could make your own kit with decorations.

kjmtidea · 21 November 2009 at 11:14AM

I searched for ages trying to find suitable smellies for my 8 year old son, in the end I bought him some showergel in Tesco called Jelly Belly, it is cherry flavoured and smells delicious but not too girly. They also had a blueberry one.

jetty · 21 November 2009 at 11:20AM

everything my kids get seem to reduce to not much once you get rid of the packaging lol

jorose · 21 November 2009 at 11:26AM

kjmtidea wrote: »

I searched for ages trying to find suitable smellies for my 8 year old son, in the end I bought him some showergel in Tesco called Jelly Belly, it is cherry flavoured and smells delicious but not too girly. They also had a blueberry one.

my boyfriend uses this he loves the jelly belly sweets, You can get some lovely fruity Original Source shower gels too i love the lime.

im getting my boys the christmas eve bubble bar from lush turns the bath blue and smells fab,

Anyway for bulking out pressys how about inflatables? like a chair you could blow it up before its wrapped then can be let down and stored away? my eldest is getting a psp but i'm going to wrap it in a big box then a few more getting smaller each time. this will slow him down too because his brother is only 3 so will have more but cheaper pressys so dont want it to seem like one has more than the other. :rolleyes:

zzzLazyDaisy · 21 November 2009 at 11:42AM

Keep your eye open for suitable sized boxes. It makes wrapping awkward shaped presents so much easier, you can size up the box for bulk, and make them look attractive and enticing with ribbons and bows etc.

Presents such as PJs, dressing-gowns, slippers, are great for christmas day (arrange the pressies so the dressing gown and slippers are opened first and can be worn while opening the rest) and they won't clutter up the house if you clear out the old ones.

claffys · 21 November 2009 at 1:02PM

My boys are very into wwe and at £10 a figure in some places they wouldn't be getting very many.

We have bought a bundle of 39 figures on e bay for £35 :j

I'm going to try and find a really big box and fill it with shredded papaer and they can have fun trying to find them all lucky dip stylie :rotfl:

We are skint this year so they are not getting a 'main' present but have managed to get them a wwe ring each in the 75% off sale at wilkinsons online so I hope they will be happy with those + a few cheap wrap ups.

They are 9 & 7 and ds1 best friend is kina an only child (brother is an adult) and is getting LOTS :eek: and it is worrying me that my ds will be very dissapointed (though it was his idea a few months ago to buy the figures on ebay.

Being a mummy is so hard at times lol

Em
x

Spendless · 22 November 2009 at 12:19AM

I have also got one of those 'excavation toys' where you have to dig out the toy from the 'plaster'. This one is to dig out the gem stones and was bought in Home Bargains earlier this year for £4, my friend later saw the same one elsewhere costing £12. Quite a big box but the end result is a few gemstones.
In B&M (formerly Glynn Webb) I got a box of 6 small Horrid Henry figures £2.99. I might put that in a stocking though as it will fill it out.

Not as big a pressie to wrap and likely to go in a stocking but will take up no space afterwards I got for my 6yo daughter a wooden door sign from Wilkinsons- can't remember how much couple of £ maybe, you move the rller on the door to say 'welcome, or no boys etc'.

Thanks for the ideas, hadn't considered going for 'fruity' smells for toiletries if unable to find something suitable for a 'Junior school age' boy.

Keep the ideas coming.:T

sarahf191979 · 22 November 2009 at 7:33AM

claffys wrote: »

My boys are very into wwe and at £10 a figure in some places they wouldn't be getting very many.

We have bought a bundle of 39 figures on e bay for £35 :j

I'm going to try and find a really big box and fill it with shredded papaer and they can have fun trying to find them all lucky dip stylie :rotfl:

We are skint this year so they are not getting a 'main' present but have managed to get them a wwe ring each in the 75% off sale at wilkinsons online so I hope they will be happy with those + a few cheap wrap ups.

They are 9 & 7 and ds1 best friend is kina an only child (brother is an adult) and is getting LOTS :eek: and it is worrying me that my ds will be very dissapointed (though it was his idea a few months ago to buy the figures on ebay.

Being a mummy is so hard at times lol

Em
x

I did this last year with my boys doctor who toys as I wanted rid of all the packaging of them, so wrappedd them all up induvidually, got a large popcorn box from Blockbuster, (it was big enough for them to sit inside :rotfl:) I blew up and filled it with little water balloons :rolleyes: which was hard work (but fun) Then cut a little door in the side of the box (as the box was too tall for the kids) and covered it in wrapping paper they loved it and it was great fun watcjing them find a wrapped toy rip the paper off then dive in again for another one.

Just got to think of something exciting for this year now......

sarahf191979 · 22 November 2009 at 7:46AM

I have got DS1 who will be 9 at christams lots of bits out of home bargins, he really likes drawing so have got him different sized pads, pencils and colours etc and put them in a storage box, looks big but will hopefully encourage him to put the rest of his drawing stuff in the box after christmas.

DS2 (6) is mad on NCIS so have made him a little NCIS kit, I got a tool box in black and have stuck NCIS on the side, filled it with rubber gloves, cotton buds, magnifying glasses, tweezers, crimescene tape, chalk and some other bits I can't remember at the moment, total price of it is less than £10 Also need to print a few bits of for him but it all fits inside the little tool box.

gingin_2 · 22 November 2009 at 8:20AM

My DD 5 year old is getting a butterfly bedroom makeover as her main present. I will give it to her all wrapped up. It all started because DD said all she wanted was a beanbag. So, I have a beanbag (£10in sale), new duvet covers (£15 in next sale), rugs (£15 again in next sale), wall stickers, still on the lookout for curtains and light fittings. I know it is not very conventional but she will be thrilled and I am happy to put it all together on christmas day so she can sleep in her new room that night. It should reduce to zero clutter - so my suggestion is anything for their bedrooms. I have spent more than usual, but it was due to be done anyway and a final special present to go with it, that still fits the bedroom theme is a beautiful Disney snowglobe to go on her windowsill.

Father Christmas and friends and family bring enough things to keep her entertained toy wise.

Love some of the other suggestions. The water balloon idea/lucky dip is genius.

I agree with Spendless re. the excavation kits. My 9 year old had one and both he and his sister spent a whole afternoon outside using it, it was so sweet to see them being so precise and professional and taking it so seriously with their little tools. It was fab for them to work together on. Ours was the dinosaur one, I didn't realise there were jewel kits as well.

Presents that 'bulk out' but reduce to nothing (or very little)

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