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

Lampost

Name of present? - Calender featuring girlfriends favourite photos
Do you make it or buy it? Made it
Total Cost? £3.29 for Wilko photo paper and a spine binder 20p
Details (the more the better) Included digital photos from our holidays, days out & her nephews.

sides26

Name of present: Extra treat for your bath

Do you make it or buy it? Buy it

Total cost: £4.83

Details: Get to Lush on your local high street and buy a bubble bar, available in some very yummy smells, such as blackcurrant and vanilla for just £3.95. I consider these better than the bath bombs because you break a bit of the bubble bar at a time and crumble it into your bath. And just because you only use a little bit, this doesn't mean any less bubbles!!! Plus, then it'll last you for as many baths as you like, depending on how much you use at a time. Then, just to finish the present off, get a nice 150g gram bar of Galaxy chocolate for your recipient to nibble on while relaxing in the tub! Perfection.


Nikki

zulubabe

* Name of present?: Personalised Pet-Lovers Calendar
* Do you make it or buy it?: Make
* Total Cost?: just over £2. Photo Paper from pound shop, a make your own calendar kit from the pound shop, ink.
* Where possible please add a link if it's an online offer:
* Details (the more the better):

Make a calendar of your (or someone else's) best furry friend. Take numerous pictures and then use a photo-editing piece of software to make each photo suitable for that month - e.g. for Easter add rabbit ears to the pet, For Christmas perhaps a Santa Hat etc. Print the photos (for extra money saving use your work's printer).

You end up with a lovely keepsake that will remind the person of the one of who loves them unconditionally!

watch_this_space

• Name of present? Goodies
• Do you make it or buy it? Buy + make
• Total Cost? Up to £5
• Details Several weeks ago (in true money-saving style) I bought some Xmas dishes in TK Maxx for £1 each!They are star shaped, with a Christmas design and they are Spode (were £12.99). I will fill each one with different goodies (have bought Lindor chocolates half price,fruit and nut mix, salted cashews-when they've been on offer), and will wrap in plain cellophane and tie up with a ribbon.

These can be given individually or in groups- 3 or 4 on a circle of card (cut from any firm cardboard box), and wrapped in foil or Xmas paper and overwrapped with cellophane.

This is easily adaptable - use any reasonably priced dishes...glass, or those pretty plastic poundshop ones. Fill with Smarties for kids, Quality street for adults (use some from the big £4 tin you can get in Morrisons this week). You could use nuts in shells, which will no doubt be appearing in shops soon, or salted nuts, chocolate raisins etc.

greenvalecat

:j I don't know if these have been done before but as I am currently on the government's pathetic £111 per week maternity pay, my kids and I are handmaking presents for everyone!!!

Name of present? mince pie plates
Do you make it or buy it? make it
Total Cost? for 4 plates cost £3.40 each
Details (the more the better) Oh this is like Blue Peter!!
We made these for the neices and nephews in the family but I'm sure you could adapt them for other members.
We bought 4 side plates in Poundstretcher for 89p each and a pack of 6 porcelain pens from Yellow Moon for £9.99. I know they are expensive but can be used for more than one project, we had them left over from doing egg cups at easter.
On each plate draw a christmas theme eg santa, snowman, angel, christmas tree etc. Around the edge of the plate write a message such as "mince pies for santa, love from xxxxxxx". Ideal for Christmas Eve. I have seen similar in the shops ranging from £16 upwards.:rotfl:


Name of present? calendars
Do you make it or buy it? both
Total Cost? £4.49
Details (the more the better) Try making personalised photo calendars for the grandparents. Visit Vistaprint website. They are doing offers at the moment of one free calendar, but this means you can have a free wall calendar and a desk one. All you pay is postage and if you and your other half register then you can have 4. All you do is upload your pics and they do the rest. You can even personalise it marking special days etc making sure mother-in-law never forgets your birthday!! You can even pay by paypal offers and get cashback in the process.
site is vistaprint.co.uk


Name of present? jam
Do you make it or buy it? make it
Total Cost? anything from £1 to however much you want to spend
Details (the more the better) my kids and I spent September picking blackberries and plums but bought fruit would work as well. We had recyled some of the nicer shaped jars and made jam, one 1lb of fruit to 1lb sugar and boil until it starts to set when you drop a bit on a cold plate. It's not rocket science!! Pour into jars and allow to set. Seal and cover with a scrap of material. Attach a handmade label.
We are giving these to the teachers and classroom assistants who I am sure are fed up of receiving silly little presents from 30 odd pupils!! It will be appreciated, last year we made buns and put them into little bags and they loved it.:p

zulubabe

* Name of present?: Book
* Do you make it or buy it?: Buy
* Total Cost?: £5
* Where possible please add a link if it's an online offer: http://www.whsmith.co.uk/Books.aspx
* Details (the more the better):

There are a number of books which are £10 at WH Smith, however use the £5 off when you spend £10 on ANY book (one book only) at WH Smith & you get the books for a £5 - some examples of the books are: Entirely Up to You, Darling - Richard Attenborough; What to Eat Now - Valentine Warner; ASBO Fairy Tales - Hans Christian Asbosen (Please note that the titles may be a different price online).

There is also a voucher for £5 off when you spend £10 on childrens books (no limit on how many books you have to buy to qualify for this offer so you can buy a few!) so you could also take advantage of this offer!

watch_this_space

• Name of present? Candle decoration
• Do you make it or buy it? Buy and make
• Total Cost? Up to £5
• Details

Buy gold or silver charger plates; assorted shapes and sizes of candles - you need to stick to Christmassy colours, or work to a theme; glass pebbles, also to your chosen colour theme.
Arrange the candles artistically on the plate - largest in the centre and gradually smaller towards edge.- not touching or too close to one another. When you're happy with the layout stick the candles to the charger plate with melted wax from one of the candles. Scatter glass pebbbles in empty spaces. Stand the plate on clear cellophane and gather it at the top. Tie with a wide ribbon.

Suzeek

Name of present? Personalised bag
Do you make it or buy it? Make it
Total Cost? Approx £1-2 per bag, depending on quantity bought
Details (the more the better) Buy a selection of plain cotton bags, pencil cases, purses etc (available for pennies per item plus delivery from Smitkits.com) and some iron on transfer paper (available for a couple of pounds on eBay). Print friends' or relatives' photos onto the paper and iron on. Alternatively, children (or adults!) can draw directly onto the paper and create a different look. Another option is to personalise tea towels with handwritten favourite recipes.

zulubabe

Name of present?: Sun Catcher
* Do you make it or buy it?: Both
* Total Cost?: 99p (well cheaper as you can make a few of them)
* Where possible please add a link if it's an online offer:
* Details (the more the better):

Home Bargains sell a kit called a window sticker kit for 99p which includes 3 acetate sheets, a glue stick and 12 assorted paints. You could give this as a gift in itself but what I've done this year is make Suncatchers for friends and family. You could use a piece of acetate per person or you could cut them in 2 as they are large. Simply think of any design you'd like to make - e.g. I decided to make a friend in China a 'Snoopy' themed one. Print a picture off the internet. Put this under the acetate & simply trace the picture through it. Colour it all in attach it to a card using glue dots & send it as a Christmas card including instructions for them to take it off the card & attach it to their window. When the sun shines through it will look beautiful - so 2 presents in one. This one is also simple enough for Children to do.

strictmum99

For a romantic (and inexpensive) present for the lady in your life..buy a beautiful vase (under a £5!) and then fill it with 12 small bits of folded paper with suggestions(that don't cost money)on. Then on the first of every month of the year she picks out a paper and gets a small gift so this is a Christmas present that lasts all year. Suggestions could be..'A walk with me','I'll do the job you hate the most this month', 'A massage','I'll come shopping with you,'..you know the sort of thing and of course if there's any money left over from the cost of the vase you could always buy some seeds to grow into flowers that would fill the vase!!