Seven Creative Gift Ideas (...that cost next to nothing)

I love thinking of creative gifts to give. But probably even more so, I love GETTING creative gifts. It has an extra impact for me when I know the gift-giver has taken a lot of time to come up with something clever, creative and personalized to me!

Back in 2008/2009 when the US was going through a recession, my dad’s consulting business started losing clients. Everyone was losing their jobs and homes. It was a scary time. I was old enough to understand what was going on, but not exactly the STRESS and IMPACT the recession probably had on my parents. They had two kids, one of which was headed to college soon(ish) and the holidays added to their anxiety with all of the gift-giving expectations.

Our Christmas morning was modest. However, it was one of my most memorable.

I had decided to put together a Christmas scavenger hunt for my family. After drafting 5-8 clues late at night in my purple-walled bedroom, I hid them ALL around our house + property (to include the mailbox). I have a vivid memory of my brother SPRINTING full-force towards the end of our driveway in his tan-colored jacket and tennis shoes to grab the clue.

By the end of the search, we were all red faced from running in the cold and from our excitement.

I can’t even remember what the “prize” was at the end. All I can remember is how much fun we had running around together, searching for clues, and spending time together as a family. It was Christmas! And we were together.

Later that night while watching “It’s a Wonderful Life”, I looked over at my mom. She had tears running down her cheeks. She smiled and said, “I knew this Christmas was going to be small. And I had prayed for something special for our family to celebrate the holiday. Thank you for the scavenger hunt. My prayers were answered.”

As you can image, we both dissolved into a pile of peppermint chocolate-scented tears (all the peppermint bark we probably consumed).

You don’t have to drop $$ on gifts in order to make someone feel special. We all just want to be known and loved. So, I’ve compiled a list of creative gift ideas for you to use! Spread that cheer.

seven creative gift ideas

1. Scavenger Hunt. Everyone loves a good mystery and, like my story above, it’s a creative way to use your brain and make some memories.

2. Adventure Date Night Ideas. Come up with 6 months of date ideas (e.g. picnic in the park, bake a pie with your significant other blindfolded, flip a coin day date, etc.) and write each idea on a piece of paper and seal it in an envelope. Label the envelopes by month! And whatever the date is - you HAVE to do it.

3. Write a letter. Everyone loves a LOVE letter. I’m talking a full page’s worth of material. It’s even better if it’s sent via snail mail.

4. Create a playlist of songs that are associated with your favorite memories. A road trip you took one time and played the same song on repeat? Add it. Make a playlist and accompanying song + memory guide. So, your giftee will be able to know exactly which song reminds you of each specific memory.

5. Write a poem or a song! You can frame the poem (snag something cheap from Walmart or Hobby Lobby!) and/or perform the song live.

6. Cookie Making Day. Pick out 2-3 different cookie recipes and spend the day baking together! You can give this gift in the form of ingredients and a coupon “GOOD FOR ONE COOKIE BAKING EXTRAVAGANZA!”

7. Photo bank. Print out pictures of each other from the past year. Physical photos. But be sure to pick photos that have memorable moments associated with them. Once the photos are printed, hand-write your memorable moment on the back of each photo. It’ll be a cute way to walk down memory lane together and a keepsake for years to come. Wrap it in a cute little bow!

Feel free to add your own spin on all of these. Let your creative mind GO! And if you’re looking for more date-esque ideas, check out this blog post.

Happy gift giving!

This post was originally published in December 2021.