With the current economy, it seems everyone is cutting back on spending this Christmas. Having a smaller budget may be daunting, but spending less can actually lead to more thoughtful gifts. When money is tight, one has to get creative to find or make just the right present. Here are a few gift ideas for just about any budget.

Cutting back from what you spent last year:

• For the kids: They are harder because they often want specific toys. Used toys can be found at resale and consignment stores or online at eBay or Craig’s list. Most kids won’t care that the toy isn’t in its original packaging, and you’ll save.

• Gift sets: You can imitate what you’ve seen in stores but make yours personal. The trick is not spending too much on the vessel. If using baskets, look for inexpensive ones at thrift or craft stores. Or get creative – try a plastic bucket for a kid’s gift set or a unique serving bowl from a discount store for a soup gift. Build sets around themes such as soup (packaged dry soup mix, gourmet crackers, bread mix and collection of favorite soup recipes. Another great addition – a “Chicken Soup for The Soul” book, movie lovers (a gift card to a movie rental store or their favorite DVD, packages of microwave popcorn, the recipient’s favorite candy and soda), spa package (bath salts, fancy soap or bubble bath, bath puff and a CD of soothing music).

You are on a seriously tight budget this year:

• If you have growing children, relatives often would like nothing more than pictures of the little darlings. Photo gifts are always appreciated, and you can put a photo on just about anything. Check out online photo services such as Snapfish.com, or stores that do photo processing, for options. I make a photo calendar every year for the grandparents, chronicling our family’s activities over the past year. These take time but are relatively inexpensive. Other ideas: Mouse pads, coffee mugs, pen holders ... the list goes on.

• Gifts in a jar: Layer the ingredients for a recipe in a pretty jar, decorate and include recipe instructions on a tag. A good resource for these is http://www.allfreecrafts.com/giftinajar/index.shtml

Pretty much no extra money for gifts:

• For the seamstress, the possibilities are endless. Use fabric remnants or scraps to sew scented trivets and many other small projects. Great ideas at http://home.att.net/~DLeddy/Sewing.html

• Memory quilt: Hand out quilt squares to family members and have them write a message with fabric pens. You can also have photos of family members printed onto squares to intersperse with the written messages. Sew together and quilt to create a throw or wall hanging. This makes a memorable gift for grandma or a new baby.

• Family recipe book: Gather family recipes and create a unique cookbook. Include everything from grandma’s special cake recipe to your 5-year-old’s favorite lunch. This can be done as simply as writing the recipes in a nice spiralbound journal (cheapest) to creating a professional-looking book on your computer with photos of the contributors (cheaper). Note: If you have a recipe card from a family member who has passed on, photocopy it for the book, even if it’s difficult to read. You can always provide a typewritten version below it, but the preservation of grandma’s handwriting is a beautiful memory. Include notes on family history or funny stories associated with recipes.

• Homemade play dough: Big batches can be made for pennies. Use decorator “paste” food coloring for bright, unusual colors. Package three or four colors in plastic resealable bags and put in a Christmas tin along with a few cookie cutters from the dollar store.

• Create homemade coupons for things like one free lawn mowing or one night of babysitting.

• Give services. If you are a great cook, offer to cook a gourmet meal for the recipient. If your talent is photography, offer to take family pictures and put them on a disc.

These gifts are only cheap in the sense of money spent. Time and thought – both valuable commodities – are spent, instead, resulting in gifts that will be remembered for years to come. After all, it’s the thought that counts.

Tiffany Doerr Guerzon, a homemaker and freelance writer, lives in Maple Valley. She can be reached at homespun@reporternewspapers.com.

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