Win £200. Festive Fivers Competition 2008: The best Xmas pressies for under £5

birdruth

• Name of present? Knit (or crochet) a tea cosy (or something else - how about a mug cozy, handbag, hot water bottle cover, belt, scarf, hat, mittens, baby bootees, coasters....)
• Do you make it or buy it? Make it
• Total Cost? £5 or whatever the wool costs
• Details (the more the better) I've just knitted my sister a tea cozy in the style of 'Shaun the sheep' (it cost me £5). Imagine a tea cozy covered in loopy cream wool, and a black sheeps face sewn on one side. I got the wool from our local (cheap) wool shop in the market, and the pattern from a book called "Tea Cozies" borrowed from a friend.
  
  If you can knit (or crochet), then get a book out the library, borrow one, or get free patterns off the internet e.g. http://www.knitty.com Alternatively buy a themed book (eg tea cozies, accessories...all good bookshops should have a good selection) and make lots of presents from one book.
  
  There is lots of interesting inexpensive wool available, try your local yarn shop, or Dunelm Mill sells wool too.
  
  I listed a few items above that won't take too long to do, but you could make all sorts of things! Knitting does take several hours but do it while you're watching tv, or down the pub with your friends (we do)!

joanna_foy

name of prsent: mini meringues

make it or buy it: make it

cost: less than a fiver for; egg whites 2, caster sugar 4oz food colouring (optional), hundreds and thousands, bags or boxes or just tissue paper or ordinary sandwich bags

details: whisk egg whites in bowl till it forms stiff peaks add sugar slowly and whisk until thick and glossy. You can either then keep them plain white or divide the mixture and add a few drops of food colouring to make any colour you like. Next either make little dollops of meringue or you could be fancy and use a piping bag to make shapes or letters ie:XMAS, SANTA, LOVE,NOEL etc place on baking trays in preheated oven 110c 225f gas 1/4 for 45-60 mins. Leave them in the oven (make sure you've turned it off!) and after about an hour take out and leave to cool, put them on a wire rack for this bit. Put them in whatever you're using bag or box and there you go.

joanna_foy

name of present: personalised anything ie: pencil case, tea towel, handkerchief, slippers, gloves etc

buy it or make it: bit of both

cost: Less than fiver dependng what you make

details: Buy a nice cheap pair of gloves etc from a cheap shop like the one beginning with P! and just sew on some buttons sequins etc to make it a bit fancy. Don't go to mad though otherwise it will be uncomfortable if you putting a hand of foot inside! You could also do the same thing with a cheap pencil case or small purse for kids and sew on or embroid their name or some flowers etc. You can also do it to tea towels etc which look great especially if you do it in bright contrasting colours and differernt stiching. You don't need a sewing machine either as it's easy to do a bit of running stitch. Some of the shops like the Range etc sell small christmas cushions or stockings etc and you can just emblish them a bit, I bought a red small cushion for £75p and used the contents of my button box to make it more fancy easy christmas present for the teacher!

joanna_foy

name of present: pasta necklaces/garlands

buy it or make it: bit of both

cost: £4.00 for pasta,paint, wool or string and glue and maybe card

details: Buy some cheap pasta (penne) get the kids to paint them either in bright colours or christmas colours depending on whether your going to make necklaces or garlands and wait until they dry. Then simply thread them on a bit of string or wool you can cut out some card shapes if you like to make a fancy central bit like a star etc and tie to make necklaces. Obviously if your making garlands you will need to carry on threading for a bit longer and then you could use them to decorate the house or up the stairs or on the tree. You could just bundle all the stuff up in a bag or box and give it as a present to a kid with the instructions on paper and let them make them after christmas on a rainy day!

joanna_foy

name of present: christmas candles

buy it or make it: make it

cost: less than a fiver

details: Buy a church candle and a candle stand from a cheap pound store or a cheap shop and buysome cheap beads or a cheap kids necklace. Glue on the beads around the candle or wrap the necklace as a strand around the candle plonk on the base and you've got an instant table decoration or present for someone. Or you could go on a winter walk with the kids and pick up some twigs and holly leaves and paint them , I'd suggest silver and gold or white is good and then tie them round the base of the candle with ribbon or string (facing upwards for the twigs) for a real wintery candle. Don't lite the candle though its only for decoration!!!!

Juliav_2

• Name of present? CHRISTMAS BALLOON SURPRISE
  
• Do you make it or buy it? MAKE IT
  
• Total Cost? UNDER £1
  
• Details: Buy white balloons or any colour you fancy and blow it up (without tying - may need someone to help) draw on a christmas santa face, snowman face etc. Then let the air back out. Find little stocking fillers , like chocolate coins, little toys etc and carefully push them through the hole. You may be surprised what you can actually get inside. Then blow up. Repeat as many times as you like. Get a big cardboard box, fill with balloon surprises.

When the box is opened there are lots of balloons inside, filled with fantastic little gifts. Now this is the best bit, give your child a cocktail stick, spread the balloons around the room and get popping to find your presents.

I know my children love this every year!!

Kim81_2

• Name of present? Personalised Pen or Calender
  
• Do you make it or buy it? BUY IT
  
• Total Cost? <£5
  
• Details
  

This is a great one for anyone and really novel gift.

Go to website www.vistaprint.co.uk

They have a number of things on there but the best one is either the pen or calender.

You add your own pictures and writing or even special dates to the calender for a really personnal gift. Both of these come under a fiver if you choose the slow delivery which is within 3 weeks.

I had a pen made up for my partner with a silly joke we have printed on it and a photo and it was great.

fingers crossed this ones a winner! xxx :beer:

kls_2

i make this every year for my employers and work mates, its always appreciated and so easy and cheap to make - i'm not really sure how much it costs to make but if like me you have half the ingredients etc in already then it can't be much!

75g or 3oz full-fat cream cheese, ie: philadelphia
350g or 12oz icing sugar
1 level tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tsp oil for wiping
75g or 3oz plain chocolate drops
40g or 11/2oz butter
a shallow 15cm or 6in square cake tin
greaseproof paper

put the cream cheese into a bowl and sift in the icing sugar and cocoa powder, mix them well together then cut out enough greaseproof paper to line the tin, wipe the sides and base of the tin with the oil then line with the paper. melt the chocolate drops and butter together in a bowl over a pan of boiling water, stir all the time. when melted stir in a tablespoon of the cheese mixture then pour the chocolate into the rest of the cheese mix and beat until smooth and creamy, (i tend to double the mix to make up enough for 4 or 5 small boxes and it's taxing on the arms but worth it!) spoon the mixture into the tin, push into the corners, make the top as smooth as possible and refrigerate for around 2hrs, until firm. using a blunt knife ease out of the tin and cut into lots of squares before returning to the fridge for a further 2hrs or until hard.
this can be presented in a recycled chocolate box, or a cheap little box from a craft shop either painted, stencilled or decorated with ribbon or simply in pretty tissue paper tied up with ribbon. it is always appreciated by adults and children - my bosses fight eachother for it!! :T

laneeyb

I've just got my mum for xmas a brilliant calendar from Vistaprint for free.

I was able to upload 12 personal photo's, all of family members and all for free.
All you have to pay for is postage & packing at approx £4.99.

In order to qualify for free products you just have to register for free on the following website;

www.vistaprint.co.uk

you will then receive many emails stating all their free products. Once again you only have to pay for postage & packing.

Brilliant Bargain ! :j

kls_2

This is a bit of a buy and a make, i did this a couple of years back when i had a collection of really nice bottles, but you can buy them from charity shops or car boots so they wouldn't cost very much.
You can decorate the bottle in any way you like, if the bottle is already coloured then a simple contrasting ribbon tied around the neck is enough, then all you do is fill the bottle with nice smelling bubble bath - a shops own brand which is very cheap in a 2 litre bottle is enough to do 2 glass bottles. If there is no lid to your bottle keep a cork from a wine bottle and use that to plug it! this is a really nice one for the kids to give to an aunt or grandma.

Alternatively you can do the same kind of thing with recycled jam/pickle jars with whatever the person you are giving to likes - i am making a hamper this year and have a nice shaped jar i will decorate then fill with crystallized ginger!

So many simple, cheap options on this front