What's the concensus on "freebies" as Christmas presents?

missworks2jobs

Last year one of our friend's partners was made redundant and another friend's long term temping work just dried up before xmas. Ideas such as secret santa (everyone picks a name and buys 1 present each) or a £1 limit came up. Then someone suggested a free xmas. You could only give stuff that was home-made or free, it was more of a challenge and would put more effort into it than just picking some random gift set up from the shops!

It was one of the best christmasses ever. I had home-made mince pies, a christmas bowl that someone made & decorated at a pottery class, crochet chunky scarf, a pot of home-grown herbs, a voucher for a free massage (from my friend who works in a spa - she was getting her own travel massage table as a present and was offering freebies as her gift), home-made chilli jam (think sweet chilli dip) loads of handy make up/fragrance/skin cream samples one application per pack is brilliant for holiday toilettries or a weekend away! All the stuff got eaten/used up and we were all impressed with ourselves for how crafty we were - especially with our friend michelle who had single-handedly managed to blag about £50 worth of samples from various department store counters!

Sometimes the things kids like best are the little make and do things......i.e. a cake decorating kit that cost 75p from home bargains equated to a whole morning of baking with mum and 12 cakes to eat afterwards!!!!!

Have you tried ebay for cheap second hand toys? Its not as good as freecycle but much cheaper than the shops. My boss' wife just put their kids bike (good condition just grown out of it) on for £5 local pickup thinking no-one would want it and she had 18 watchers and 2 people in a bidding war for it! It went for £30 in the end - not dead cheap for the buyer but much better than the ones in the shops and she got more for it than she was expecting!!!

missworks2jobs

donquine wrote: »

Problem is, when people are struggling, they often keep it to themselves. I have seen countless threads on MSE where posters ask for advice on how to tell their OHs they're heavily in debt - and if you can't bring yourself to tell your OH you're struggling, chances are your family and friends don't have a clue either. If the recipient doesn't know of your current circumstances, they can't be expected to understand, particularly if you've given expensive gifts in previous years.

I'm not sure how much I would appreciate a poorly made handmade gift, but I would adore something like a handmade scarf from someone who could knit. I can't knit myself, so I really would be grateful.

Similarly, things like chutneys and jams are not things I have time to make myself and I would therefore appreciate them.

If you're going down the homemade route, play to your own strengths. Chances are, there is at least one thing you are good at, so find a way to turn that skill into an appropriate present. If you're good at cross stitch, for example, you could make a beautiful sampler for an older relative. However, you could also cross stitch something in a more modern design (e.g. based on computer game sprites like Mario) for a younger person - you can adapt 'old' crafts for a modern audience and vice versa!

I'll make you a handmade scarf!!!!!! Just post me a ball of wool in return to replace one i've used - you can pass it off as your own I dont care. I can't knit but can crochet and sit and do it while watching TV on an evening (it stops me nibbling biccies).

missworks2jobs

I'm quite good (not wanting to blow my own trumpet BUT) at making gingerbread, so every year everyone gets festive shaped gingerbread wrapped in some cellophane with a home-made gift tag made from last years recycled xmas cards. I jazz them up a bit with some christmas or patterned tissue/napkins/cellophane/curling ribbon whatever I have. They are always gone within 5mins of opening! I also made some chilli jam last year (Nigella's xmas recipe) and my mother-in-law went nuts for it! She gave some in hampers she'd made up for the grandparents and my hubby's grandad now expects a jar every year - he's most dissapointed if he doesn't get at least 2! My mam took a jar of it into work to keep in the fridge and one morning someone asked who'd eaten the last of it and where was it from cos EVERYONE was eating the stuff!!

Pee

There are some people I wouldn't give a freebie present to, but someone I loved lots, like a daughter and who I would spend the money on anyway - what you don't spend on the bike will benefit her in some way - I would have no problem with it at all.

One of my friends sourced an old rocking horse and restored it beautifully herself and that was one of the best presents her children had.

My boyfriend hasn't been working much this year so what I have asked for is something he can make but the design will be his and it's his time and effort really, just a little bit of money for materials. He's not really the present buying type anyway, if I see something I like and mention it he will often try to buy it me there and then but wouldn't really go shopping without me, except for flowers. He knows that i would have been able to source something cheaper or better!

minerva_windsong

I buy a lot of my family's Christmas and birthday presents using vouchers, and my attitude is 'they don't need to know'. I'd apply the same thing to anything I got for free which was in good enough condition to be given as a present.

munch_jg

i'm planning on giving away the free photo books and use the glitches for presents, they are never to know! my mum is buying my brother a 2nd hand nintendo ds, she'll put it in a gift box for double the surprise, he'll be so excited he wont question why it isnt in a nintendo box!

Vaila

missworks2jobs wrote: »

I'll make you a handmade scarf!!!!!! Just post me a ball of wool in return to replace one i've used - you can pass it off as your own I dont care. I can't knit but can crochet and sit and do it while watching TV on an evening (it stops me nibbling biccies).

oh thats a lovely idea, i just wish i had a ball or two of navy wool to send !!!

i bloomin love crochet scarves, i can only knit

RoxieW

I havent read through the thread but in reply to your OP just wanted to say concentrate on your children and stuff everyone else! It sounds like they have had a tough year too so any spare money should go on making xmas special for them IMHO. Anyone else give a freebie or a homemade gift.

ixia

I don't see anything wrong with it your kids will appreciate what you have done for them.
Enjoy your christmas.

alanamyles

missworks2jobs wrote: »

I'm quite good (not wanting to blow my own trumpet BUT) at making gingerbread, so every year everyone gets festive shaped gingerbread wrapped in some cellophane with a home-made gift tag made from last years recycled xmas cards. I jazz them up a bit with some christmas or patterned tissue/napkins/cellophane/curling ribbon whatever I have. They are always gone within 5mins of opening! I also made some chilli jam last year (Nigella's xmas recipe) and my mother-in-law went nuts for it! She gave some in hampers she'd made up for the grandparents and my hubby's grandad now expects a jar every year - he's most dissapointed if he doesn't get at least 2! My mam took a jar of it into work to keep in the fridge and one morning someone asked who'd eaten the last of it and where was it from cos EVERYONE was eating the stuff!!

Ooh, the chilli jam sounds absolutely wonderful. I'd love to make some for my dad (I usually make him a hamper of his favourite cheeses) - by chance do you still have the recipe?

i'm planning on giving away the free photo books and use the glitches for presents, they are never to know! my mum is buying my brother a 2nd hand nintendo ds, she'll put it in a gift box for double the surprise, he'll be so excited he wont question why it isnt in a nintendo box!

If your mum hasn't already got the Nintendo DS, tell her one of the best places to buy from is GameStation - she'll get a full year's guarantee with it, same as when buying new, so if anything does go wrong it could be exchanged for a replacement there and then. Last month I was able to pick up a used Wii REALLY cheaply from GameStation, and also got a brand new game for £10 extra as a bundle deal. Staff there are very helpful, and may even find you a box/unboxed game if you ask.

This week I'm rather impressed with my bargain-hunting skills - I've already managed to sort most presents for next-to-no cost

I won my daughter a beautiful bike on ebay for £15 (it's still on sale for £110 new) from a local seller which I'll be trimming up with a new bell and streamers from Poundland.

For my son, I managed to buy a brand new touchscreen mobile phone from Tesco for 97p (seriously!) thanks to the voucher exchange. I'd expected to need about £50-60 for this, so saved LOADS Just received a £5 voucher for Currys which I'll use towards some headphones for him too.

Almost finished my Keep Calm and Carry On cross stitch design for mum, to be accompanied by a book of the same title (found for 99p in a charity shop), and am on the lookout for other bits and pieces of the same theme.

Used one of the £5 Debenhams vouchers to get dad some Guiness toffee and chocolates, also received a freebie whiskey miniature to fill out the hamper of foody treats I usually make for him.

There's some more things in progress too, like the pamper treat "freebies" for my sister and sister-in-law we're collecting.

It's wonderful to know most people appreciate time and effort more than monetary cost. And all the gift ideas on this thread are inspirational!