STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

manhattanmonkey · Kenneth Cole

Christmas gifts for others...

janey831 · Kate Spade

I am only getting gifts for immediate family and bf this year. All others are getting cookies. I foud a cute way to wrap them up on MarthaStewartliving.com.

Collette · Chanel

When I was younger and couldn't afford $$ gifts I would purchase everyone a book. A nice hard cover is about $25 and that fit perfectly into my budget.

halleybird · Hermes

Collette wrote:

When I was younger and couldn't afford $$ gifts I would purchase everyone a book. A nice hard cover is about $25 and that fit perfectly into my budget.

I love buying books for people!

When I was in college, I got my roommates/friends little stocking stuffers -- mini lotions, Starbucks GCs, nail polish, etc.

greendiamond · Marc Jacobs

For my folks I am buying them clothing (they both always like what I pick for them, so they always make these requests) and a page for their memory book. My sister and I each gave my parents a scrapbook and each gift giving event we give them a scrapbook page decorated really nicely documenting a memory we have from childhood. They LOVE them and look forward to them each holiday. After the book was bought, it was very inexpensive. We buy all the scrapbook embelishments and make the pages super nice.

For my close friends I buy a Sephora item. Once of my friends will be receiving the Nars Multiple Orgasm kit.

When I was in college it varied what I got for my friends, but I went pretty low budget. Usually a few cd's or dvd's or some pj's.

-gd

Cricket · Gucci

I'm making scrapbook calendars for all my family. Each page will have a different theme, like whoever has a birthday in May will have May devoted to them, our family trip gets a page, my niece's first birthday, pictures from Christmas' past in December, etc. I already purchased the calendar kits (through Jo-Ann. They're so cute and come with everything you need including ribbon, stickers, paper and other accessories), and I ordered all the prints from Kodak Gallery for .12 a print. I had already uploaded most of the pictures in my computer to Kodak Gallery, so it was painless.

Hopefully they like them! It's going to be a whole lot more effort than I usually put into gifts!

Sandy · Kate Spade

I'm doing a few things to save money this year. For the girls that I have to buy for, I'm buying Philosophy 3-in-1's and lip glosses in Hot Cocoa and packaging them in a cute box with a mug and hot cocoa mix... I may include chocolate dipped candy canes, as well. With the 20% off at Sephora and mugs I found on sale at Kohls, the whole gift comes to under $25.

I'm making a few people personalized drinkware. My boyfriend's sister and BIL are getting a set of 18 glasses (6 red wine, 6 white wine, and 6 drinking glasses) that I found at Ikea for $9.99. I etched an M (last initial) on each glass with cream that I got at the craft store with a 40% off coupon ($5). I painted the stems of the glasses with different colored glass paints ($2 each) and, if I do say so myself, they look great. I found a wine book at Barnes and Noble for $5 to go with it, and we may get them a fairly nice bottle of wine, depending on how tight money is closer to the holiday.

I'm using the etching idea for some friends, too. My boyfriend's bff is getting a set of 6 beer mugs ($5.9 at Ikea) etched with his name and a book about beers of the world ($5 at B&N). Bf says we should give him a case of Corona too. His girlfriend is getting a set of martini glasses that I got for $4 at Linens and Things etched with her name and a margarita book ($4 at Amazon). We'll give her a bottle of tequila (probably just Jose) and margarita mix, as well.

I finished a jewelry box for my bff, because she has the most gorgeous jewelry but keeps it sprawled out on her dresser. I think I'll get her a super-cheesy best friends necklace, too, and keep one half for myself, just for added cute factor. Her bf is getting a shadowbox with Red Sox memoriabilia and a picture of the couple with Wally at Fenway. Together, their gifts cost around $25.

Kelly · Hermes

I have to be cheap, because I'm a poor starving student and I have a tendency to overspend during the holidays because I figure out I don't have enough time to find something reasonable, so I just buy whatever I can find.

I think my thing this year will be a little something plus a little something I make. As long as I can make things that don't look super cheesy! I picked up some gel candle kits for about $1 each (and they're supposed to make two candles each!), so I'm going to find little trinkety things or try to think of cute ways to make gel candles for just a few bucks. I think I'll hit up thrift stores for interesting glasses or little vases to put these in. I'm also going to make some scented regular wax candles (parafin wax, a few crayons, plus an essential oil), and crochet a few scarves. I'm going to probably cruise the sales at places like bath and body works, etc. when it gets closer to christmas, and give everyone something I made plus a little bought something. For my guy friends, I'll probably just make them cookies. My friends and I aren't big gift givers, so I know if they don't get me anything they don't have to feel bad because cookies aren't huge. Plus, guys love food!

I still haven't decided what to do for my BF and my immediate family. I don't want to follow a formula for them, you know? I'm going to start looking and buying soon, so my wallet doesn't take one big hit in the middle of December. I'm trying to listen for things they say they want or admire, and make mental notes to go back and get those things later. I'm doing an awful job, though. I had a few great ideas of things for my BF, but I bought them and got so excited that I just gave them to him as surprises! I have to be better about being patient and waiting until Christmas to give things

Cortney1982 · Chanel

I usually like to give clothes since I know it will get used instead of some nic nac or gadget that will get used a few times and never make a comeback.

ico · Dooney & Bourke

well...

having your family in another continent sucks, but since I am not going home for Christmas, I won't have tu buy stuff. I might still buy some body lotions for my sisters and mom, some white tea for dad and kitchen stuff for granma and send it, but that's all.

For friends here, I also buy nice lotions (not too expensive, tho) and/or candles.

And for the guy - I decided he's going to have a sweatshirt from my university (I am sure nobody will have it in Rome ) and, since he likes the pictures of landscapes I often take (I almost always take my camera with me when I go for a walk), I am going to print 3 pictures in a large format, so that he can put them on the walls of his apt! I really hope sending this stuff is not gonna cost too much.

I also used to crochet small things, like small purses or panholders. And I love to cook, so I often gave cookies in glass jar that I decorated myself.

hth