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Christmas on a budget! Please help!

I'm not very artsy, I've saw some pictures of pots of gold and they're gorgous! I wish I could do something like that!

I wanted to do a mini hamper for my younger brother (14, nothing seems to please him! Loves his technology and 'emo' things though!) and my mum (hard to please, not talking at the moment so anything that seems 'cheap' will be unapproved of!)

Does anyone have any ideas of things at all please? And how do you usually wrap hampers/ what do you put them in / where do you get the things?!

Thanks!
Joanne.

Debt so far: Natwest Overdraft -
[STRIKE]£1250[/STRIKE] £0, Barclays Overdraft - £1500
, Abbey Overdraft -
[STRIKE]£750[/STRIKE] £0, Car finance - £3000 :(




Comments

  • ginnyknit
    ginnyknit Posts: 3,718 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    For your brother you could get him some halloween sweets and save them for xmas, I dont know what area you are in but there should be an alternative clothing shop somewhere so you could pick up some Emo bracelets etc. I got some rubber 'barbed wire' ones for a friend, and probably hair stuff as my Emo friends are very particular about their hair. Hope this helps
    Clearing the junk to travel light
    Saving every single penny.
    I will get my caravan
  • sethsgran
    sethsgran Posts: 2,855 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Oh wow this could take all night LOL. How about making a bag of reindeer pooh for your brother!, really simple with chocolate raisins. Do a Google search and you will find free labels to download, or ideas to copy.
    A web site I like is www.dealextreme.com they have tons of gadgets etc, not a uk site so allow time for postage, which is free to uk. Might sound a crazy gift but my sons who are both into technology and both work in this area, I bought them the really strong magnets from dealextreme. Could you buy him some crazy child like stuff. My youngest son is 28 and very trendy! show my age with that choice of word, he usually gets one of those polystyrene airplanes, cost about 17p, then i buy him other bits of fun stuff like a yoyo I know he might seem past that your brother but believe me they love to play with their toys and because they are so cheap I don't mind it when they abandon them!
    keep searching this forum as you will see tons of ideas. How about socks from primark, is he into to showers yet etc, if so you could go along that line with a fun face cloth. Some lads need pushing in the shower so it would be wasted but if he is into showering all the time then consider it or a show puff in black!
    Hope this helps a little.
    Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes
  • ginnyknit wrote: »
    For your brother you could get him some halloween sweets and save them for xmas, I dont know what area you are in but there should be an alternative clothing shop somewhere so you could pick up some Emo bracelets etc. I got some rubber 'barbed wire' ones for a friend, and probably hair stuff as my Emo friends are very particular about their hair. Hope this helps

    V.V.V good idea about the halloween stuff! Don't know how I didn't think of it! Ty!
    I live in Liverpool, there's a really big alternative place called Quiggins. :D I could probably pick him up some bracelets there.
    Any ideas on how to present stuff? I'd just wrap it all up in a ball and pass him it! :rotfl:
    sethsgran wrote: »
    Oh wow this could take all night LOL. How about making a bag of reindeer pooh for your brother!, really simple with chocolate raisins. Do a Google search and you will find free labels to download, or ideas to copy.
    A web site I like is www.dealextreme.com they have tons of gadgets etc, not a uk site so allow time for postage, which is free to uk. Might sound a crazy gift but my sons who are both into technology and both work in this area, I bought them the really strong magnets from dealextreme. Could you buy him some crazy child like stuff. My youngest son is 28 and very trendy! show my age with that choice of word, he usually gets one of those polystyrene airplanes, cost about 17p, then i buy him other bits of fun stuff like a yoyo I know he might seem past that your brother but believe me they love to play with their toys and because they are so cheap I don't mind it when they abandon them!
    keep searching this forum as you will see tons of ideas. How about socks from primark, is he into to showers yet etc, if so you could go along that line with a fun face cloth. Some lads need pushing in the shower so it would be wasted but if he is into showering all the time then consider it or a show puff in black!
    Hope this helps a little.
    LOL the reindeer poo is great! Would you suggest wrapping it in cellopane with a label or something else?
    My brother had some magnets like that once! He had them stuck to his metal headboard in all sorts of weird patterns, he loved messing with them too and seeing what they'd stick to.
    I also found some anime figures really cheap on that site too! Perfect! - My boyfriend loves anime stuff!!!! Thanks so much! Is shipping free to the UK too or do we have to pay?
    He likes modelling things (used to play with blu tack a lot and make amazing models!) I'm trying to think of something not as babyish as playdoh but not as messy as clay!
    I wonder if I could somehow make a shower puff into a spider or something :confused:
    but he doesn't wash atm!!!!! He came to stay with me for a week and I believed he'd wash himself - his room smelt like rotten dog food after a few days!!! He has greasy unkept hair too, so anything to do with vanity is out :rotfl:

    Thanks for all your ideas!!

    Debt so far: Natwest Overdraft -
    [STRIKE]£1250[/STRIKE] £0, Barclays Overdraft - £1500
    , Abbey Overdraft -
    [STRIKE]£750[/STRIKE] £0, Car finance - £3000 :(




  • That site is really good!
    I've found:
    Brother - Sushi keyring (has an obsession! Gave me an idea for japanese theme hamper? Maybe a little sushi mat and seaweed/rice balls etc to make his own sushi?), nightmare before christmas stuff.
    Dad - Pen with light on the end (he REALLY needs one of these!)
    Bf - possible anime stuff!

    Debt so far: Natwest Overdraft -
    [STRIKE]£1250[/STRIKE] £0, Barclays Overdraft - £1500
    , Abbey Overdraft -
    [STRIKE]£750[/STRIKE] £0, Car finance - £3000 :(




  • clairehi
    clairehi Posts: 1,352 Forumite
    NoLogic wrote: »
    He likes modelling things (used to play with blu tack a lot and make amazing models!) I'm trying to think of something not as babyish as playdoh but not as messy as clay!

    What about FIMO? Its like playdoh but can be baked in the oven so it goes hard, you can make all sorts out of it. Im sure you can get it in black grey etc as well as the bright colours.

    If he likes building things would he be interested in model kits (airfix type)?
  • Also for your brother Mobile phone top up, deodrant, shower gel, hair gel....

    Also this site is doing the bedlam cubes cheap at the mo if he loves messing about with things. You can get the mini one for £4.50 delivered. Thread is here:

    http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2006901

    Also for a month this place has a different gadget for sale everyday at a very reduced price. Might be worth keeping a eye on it:

    http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1990493
    Member of Thrifty Gifty ~ Making money for Christmas 2010:
    £2 Savers club member no 40 ~ £54
    Amazon Vouchers BingoPort ~ £10
    Dooyoo Challenge Jan ~ £24.07 / £20.00 Yippee over target :j
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