10 Inexpensive Gifts for the Masses and Individuals

It never fails. It's getting late into December, and you've spent your entire Christmas budget when suddenly you remember a group of people - your co-workers, a local committee, your child's class or club. Trying to find gifts for 20 or more people can be daunting, especially when you don't have any money leftover. Never fear! We've got some great ideas for you that can be mass-produced for $15-$30. That's right, presents for 20 people for less than $15. Have a last-minute Secret Santa exchange at work? We've got some inexpensive ideas for that, too! Here are 10 great inexpensive ideas for both groups of people and individuals, many of which are mass produced for less than $15!

1. Stocking of Homemade Candy

You will need:

For 20 stockings - 10 pieces of felt (approximate cost $2), glue, glitter glue or fabric paint, plastic spoons ($1), 1-2 bags of pretzel rods ($2), 2 bags of milk chocolate chips ($2-$3), 2 bags of white chocolate chips($2-3),sprinkles ($1-$2), cellophane bags (20/$1), wax paper, and ribbon.

Create small stockings out of the felt, and either sew or glue them together. You can get 2-3 out of each piece of felt, depending on how big you want to make them. Alternately, you can purchase mini stockings at the dollar store, but that will raise your costs.

Use glitter glue or fabric paint to personalize each stocking with the recipient's name. Don't know everyone's names? Put the name of the club or organization on it.

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and pick out 2 pretzel rods per person.

Divide rods in half.

Melt 1 bag of milk chocolate in the microwave (in 30 second intervals on medium heat, stirring in between).

Dip the pretzel rod in the chocolate and swirl in around so all sides of the pretzel are covered. You don't need to cover the entire pretzel. I usually cover 1/4 to 1/2.

Put pretzel rod on wax paper and sprinkle with sprinkles, rotating pretzel to coat all sides. Repeat with half of pretzel rods.

Melt 1 bag of white chocolate and repeat with the other half of the pretzel rods.

You can put these in the freezer to set faster or if you don't have a lot of counter space to let them harden.

Line another cookie sheet with wax paper and count out one spoon for each person.

Melt milk chocolate.

Dip the bowl of each spoon into the chocolate and lay on the wax paper.

When spoons are nearly set, melt white chocolate and either drizzle white chocolate over the milk chocolate or dip just the tip of the spoon bowl into the white chocolate.

Let stand until hard.

Take cellophane bags and put one white pretzel rod and one milk pretzel rod into a bag and tie it off with a ribbon.

Put spoons in cellophane bags and tie off with a ribbon. You can cut off corners of bags to wrap over the bowl part of the spoons to save on bags.

Put one bag of rods and one spoon in each stocking. You also could add candy canes or packs of instant hot chocolate if you wanted to bulk out the stockings.

2. "Snowman Poop"

This is a great hit with kids!

You will need:

1 packet of hot chocolate per person, 1 candy cane per person, one bag of Hershey kisses or other milk chocolate candy (optional), 1 bag of mini marshmallows, cellophane bags and ribbon or zipper top bags, and the following poem, printed out for each person:

I heard that you've been naughty,

So listen, here's the scoop...

I'm running short on coal this year,

So here's some snowman poop!

All you need to do is place one packet of hot chocolate, one candy cane, a handful of Kisses, and a handful of marshmallows in a bag with the poem and you're done.

I jazz up the poem card a little bit by mounting Christmas scrapbook paper or wrapping paper on card stock and then tacking on the poem, but you could also make it pretty with clipart before you print it out. Total cost for this gift? Less than $3 each. Hot chocolate is almost always 10 for $10 around now and a box of candy canes is less than $1.

3. Personalized Ornaments

You will need:

Silver and gold paint pens (Sharpie now makes these, or pick some up at a craft store for about $2-3 each), plain Christmas balls (get a pack at your favourite discount store, usually 12 for less than $5), Ribbon.

Simply take a paint pen and write the person's name on the ornament in whatever style you'd like. On the reverse side of the ornament, add the year.

Thread a piece of ribbon through the top and you've got an instant personalized gift! I buy the mini ornaments and use them as gift tags on packages.

4. Peppermint Bark

You will need:

1 bag of white chocolate chips ($2-$3), 21 peppermint star mints(a large bag is $1 and has enough mints for 3 batches), wax paper, a cookie sheet, and a hammer.

Break mints/candycanes with hammer.

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper.

Melt chocolate, either in the microwave or on the stove.

Stir in the peppermint pieces.

Slowly pour mixture onto the wax paper and spread evenly.

Allow to cool, and then break into pieces.

You can give this away in cellophane bags, Chinese take out boxes, or decorative tins.

5. Homemade Cappuccino Mix

You will need:

1 cup powdered coffee creamer (usually you can get this at the dollar store), 1 cup Nestle Quick or instant hot chocolate mix ($1-2), 2/3 cup instant coffee crystals ($1-2), 1/2 cup sugar.

Place instant coffee into a zipper bag and gently roll over with a rolling pin to crush.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pour into air tight containers for gift giving.

Why not pair some cappuccino mix with a mug and some chocolate spoons?

Don't forget to include a tag telling the recipient to add 2-3 spoonfuls to one cup of hot water!

6. Reindeer Candy Canes

This is another great gift for your child's classmates.

You will need:

1 box candy canes ($1), 6 brown pipe cleaners ($1 or less), 12 mini red pom-poms ($1 or less), 24 mini google eyes ($1 or less), glue.

Cut each pipe cleaner in half and twist around the curve of the candy cane. Shape into "antlers".

Glue a pom-pom onto the end of the candy cane, and wiggle eyes partway up the short side of the cane.

7. Jewelry Boxes

You can pick up small paperboard boxes and wooden boxes at craft stores for less than $1.

Use paint, stickers, magazine cutouts, scrapbook paper, gemstones, anything you've got on hand to decorate and personalize a box for someone. If you're covering with paper, give the outside a few coats with Mod Podge to seal it all in.

Glue a piece of felt to the inside for a soft liner.

8. Dollar Store Gift Baskets

For $5 you can purchase a small basket, basket filler, body wash, body lotion, and a bath puff. Everyone loves bath stuff!

9. Mix CdsCds.

Giving a mix tape to the boy or girl you fancy may be out of style, but mCDsCDs are still cool. Create a theme CD or introduce a friend to a favourite band. Create a CD cover by hand or with Publisher. Don't want to give music? How about an audio booLibrivoxvox is a free website that offers audio books of books that are in the public domain. Or record their favourite book yourself!

10. A Photo DVD Slide Show or a Photo Collage

Send relatives far away photos of your family. Create a slide show with photos and favourite songs from the past year. If the recipient doesn't have a DVD player, get a piece of poster board and print off some photos to create a collage.

Remember that this is the season of giving, but you don't have to spend a lot of money to show people you are thinking of them. Even a simple plate of cookies and a pretty card can brightsomeone'se's day!