15 Easy Gift Ideas for $15 or Less

I'm a dollar store junkie. There, I admitted it. What's not to like? Thousands of items just waiting to be purchased for the bargain price of $1 each. If you're at all familiar with stores like Dollar Tree or Only Deals, then you know what I'm talking about. When the economy began its downward spiral recently, I decided that this Christmas I needed to be smart and efficient with my seasonal purchases. I turned to the dollar store for inspiration. The challenge was how to make $1 gifts look savvy, unusual and most importantly, unlike they had come from a dollar store.

Since dollar store items on their own don't make for very fun and exciting gifts, I designed a strategy: gift baskets organized and arranged with dollar store and other low-cost items. Even if you don't have access to a dollar store, chances are you can find a lot of these items dirt cheap at a department store. Read on for some unusual gift ideas that will make you look like you spent a million bucks without breaking the bank.

Spa Basket

Total Cost: $14

Items: 1 medium sized basket, 1 pkg cellophane wrap, 1 pkg colored straw (to fit in bottom of basket), 1 loofah sponge, 1 pkg bath beads, 1 bottle lotion, 1 container sugar scrub, 1 washcloth, 1 fancy soap, 2 candles, 1 inflatable bath pillow, 1 spa sounds CD (many dollar stores have CD's for sale that are just a few songs in a cardboard CD-shaped box), about 3 feet of ribbon

Presentation: When buying items, try to purchase them so they're color coordinated (for example, purple bath beads, purple straw, purple candles...you get the idea). Place colored straw in bottom of basket. Inflate bath pillow (just throw away the box if there is one) and place against back of basket. Place the CD over to the right side of the basket in front of the pillow. Place lotion over to the left side of the basket in front of the pillow. Cut two 1 ft pieces of ribbon. Tie one ribbon around each candle and place the candles in the middle. Place the bath beads, sugar scrub and soap in front of other items. Place loofah in front off to left side. Fold washcloth over, roll up and then tie with a 3 in piece of ribbon. Place basket in middle of cellophane wrap. Gather wrap around basket and bunch at top. Tie with a ½ ft piece of ribbon.

Manicure Basket

Total Cost: $14

Items: 1 small basket (or a small plastic container color coordinated with nail polish color would work too), about 1 ft of ribbon (coordinate with one of the nail polish colors), 1 pkg cellophane wrap, 1 bag of cotton balls, 1 pkg cosmetic cotton pads, 1 manicure set holder (or small cosmetic bag), 1 bottle nail polish remover, 1 bottle or tube of hand lotion, 1 nail brush, 1 nail clipper, 1 emery board, 2 bottles nail polish in different colors, 1 bottle top coat polish

Presentation: Open bag of cotton balls and pour into bottom of basket. Open bag of cosmetic cotton pads and stack around back side of basket. Place manicure set holder (or small cosmetic bag) off to right side of basket on top of cosmetic pads. Place nail polish remover, hand lotion and nail brush over to left side of basket. Place remaining items across front of basket. Place basket in middle of cellophane wrap. Gather wrap around basket and bunch at top. Tie with a ½ ft piece of ribbon.

Book & Puzzle Lovers Gift

Total Cost: $10

Items: 3 Books (hardback books are just $1 at Dollar Tree - they buy liquidated stock and sell it dirt cheap), 2 bookmarks, 4 puzzle books, about 10 ft of ribbon, 1 pkg cellophane wrap

Presentation: Stack hardback and puzzle books on top of each other with the heaviest book at the bottom. Cut a 3 ft piece of ribbon and a 4 ft piece of ribbon. Place ribbon on floor in a cross with the longer ribbon going vertically on top and put books right in the middle (where middle of cross meets); then, pull horizontal ribbon together at top and tie a tight bow across books. Pull vertical ribbon together at top and tie a tight bow across books at a slightly different angle so you have two bows going in two different directions. Place one bookmark facing one direction and the other facing the opposite direction (so they make an X) and place under bows so they stay in place. Place books in middle of cellophane wrap. Gather wrap around books and bunch at top. Tie with a ½ ft piece of ribbon.

Cook's Basket

Total Cost: $14

Items: 1 Oven mitt, 1 hot mitt, 1 chef's apron, 1 wooden spoon, 1 rolling pin, 1 ladle, 1 large cooking spoon, 1 pair of tongs, 1 large fork, 2 napkins, 1 large steel or plastic bowl, about 5 ft of ribbon, 1 pkg cellophane wrap

Presentation: Unfold and place napkins into bottom of bowl so they're overlapping one another. Stand oven mitt vertically against back of bowl. Fold apron and place next to oven mitt and then place hot mitt next to it. Cut six pieces of ribbon, ½ ft each. Tie in a bow around each handle of rolling pin. Then, tie the remaining ribbon pieces around the handle parts of the ladle, two spoons, and fork. Place rolling pin vertically against oven mitt (you'll need to hang on to the front of the bowl so it doesn't tip backwards). Place remaining items inside bowl with the handle side up. Place bowl in middle of cellophane wrap. Gather wrap around books and bunch at top. Tie with a ½ ft piece of ribbon. (Due to the weight of the rolling pin, you may need to experiment with different ways to display the gifts in the basket so you can ensure the bowl doesn't tip over.)

Tween Make-up Lover's Basket

Total Cost: $15

Items: 1 large make-up bag, 1 scarf with a fun design, 1 pair of socks, 2 quad eye shadows, 2 different colored nail polishes, 1 blush, 1 powder, 1 foundation, 1 bag of powder pads, 1 lip gloss, 1 container of make-up remover, 1 pkg cellophane wrap, about ½ ft of ribbon

Presentation: Place scarf and socks in bottom of make-up bag. Starting with the biggest items, stack make-up into the bag. Place make-up bag in middle of cellophane wrap. Gather wrap around bag and bunch at top. Tie with a ½ ft piece of ribbon.

The Woman's Mini Mergency Survival Kit

Total Cost: $10.95 plus shipping

Items: This pre-made kit from the Happy Woman Store® includes hairspray, clear nail polish, nail polish remover, emery board, lip balm, earring backs, clear elastics, sewing kit, double-sided tape, stain remover, deodorant towelette, pain reliever, tampon, breath freshener, dental floss, and adhesive bandages.

Presentation: Just wrap it up!

New Parents Basket

Total Cost: $15

Items: 1 bottle baby lotion, 1 bottle baby shampoo, 3 small washcloths, 1 bottle baby oil, 1 pkg baby tee shirts, baby socks, 1 baby spoon, 1 baby bottle, 1 stuffed animal, 1 medium-sized basket, colored straw (choose blue for boy, pink for girl), about 5 ft of ribbon (choose blue for boy, pink for girl), 1 pkg cellophane wrap

Presentation: Place colored straw in the bottom of the basket and drape one of the baby washcloths in a diamond shape against back of one side of the basket. Arrange lotion, shampoo, baby oil and baby bottle against back of basket. Place baby tee shirts off to the left side of the basket, a little bit in front of the other items. Cut a piece of ribbon about 1 ft long and tie a bow around the socks. Place baby socks off to the right side of the basket, a little bit in front of the bottles against back of basket. Cut another piece of ribbon about 1 ft long and tie a bow around the neck of the stuffed animal. Place stuffed animal in the middle of the basket, a little bit in front of the bottles against back of basket. Cut another piece of ribbon about 3 in long and tie a bow around the top of the baby spoon; then, place it off to the right side of the basket. Cut two more pieces of ribbon about ½ foot long each. Fold each washcloth in half, roll up each washcloth and tie each washcloth with a ribbon. Arrange the washcloths in front. Place basket in middle of cellophane wrap. Gather wrap around basket and bunch at top. Tie with a ½ ft piece of ribbon.

Gift Card Tree

Total Cost: $8 (with home-made certificates); alternatively, you can buy real gift cards and attach them to the tree but the cost is much higher.

Items: Small 1 ft Xmas tree, five small home-made "gift cards" (use Dollar Tree scrapbook craft kit to obtain five 2X3 white paper scraps (which you will cut from an 8 ½ X 11 piece of paper), five 3X4 colored paper scraps, a word processing program (such as MS Word® or WordPerfect®, glue stick, about 1 ft of ribbon, a paper cutter or pair of scissors, a ruler, cellophane, and small clothes pins (Dollar Tree usually sells Xmas themed small clothes pins).

Presentation: Using your word processing program, insert a table with two columns and three rows. Make the table lines visible. Change your font to 14pt and type in your 'gift' (note: turn on your rulers so you can stay within a 2X3 boundary). Some ideas include: This certificate entitles you to... one cup of coffee, ...one night of cooking, ...a free dinner, ...a free dessert, ...a 30 minute massage...the possibilities are endless. Print out paper and then measure and cut each certificate into a 2X3 piece. If your colored paper isn't already cut into 3X4 pieces, measure and cut them. Using glue stick, rub back of paper and place each 2X3 piece in the middle of the 3X4 piece of colored paper. Then, using paper clips, attach certificates to tree. Place tree in middle of cellophane wrap. Gather wrap around tree and bunch at top. Tie with a ½ ft piece of ribbon. If you're using real gift cards, simply pin them to the tree and wrap it up with cellophane as directed above.

Chocolate Lovers Basket

Total Cost: $15 (Dollar Stores usually sell candy 2/$1)

Items: (These are just suggestions - depending on your recipient's favorite kinds of chocolate, you'll want to customize.) 1 Snickers® bar, 1 Reese's® bar, 1 KitKat® bar, 1 Mr. Goodbar®, 1 Crunch® bar, 1 Hershey's® bar, 1 pkg plain M&M's®, 1 pkg peanut M&M's®, 1 Rolo®, 1 box chocolate chip cookies, 1 box Oreo's®, 1 Whitman's Sampler®, 1 packet hot chocolate, 1 chocolate spoon (pick up 1 bag of chocolate chips and 1 container of plastic spoons), 1 box wax paper, 1 box small sandwich bags, about 3 ft of ribbon, 1 pkg colored straw, 1 pkg cellophane wrap, 1 small brown plastic container or metal bucket

Presentation: Using a small (but tall) microwave-able container, pour in ¼ cup of chocolate chips, 1 T of milk, and ¼ t butter. Heat for 20 seconds and then stir. Continue heating and stirring until chocolate is thick and can be stirred easily with spoon. Dip spoon into hot chocolate and twist slowly to remove excess. Place spoon on wax paper to dry. Meanwhile, place colored straw at bottom of plastic container or bucket. Arrange candy inside container. When chocolate spoon is dry, cover with plastic sandwich bag. Use a 6 in piece of ribbon to tie a bow right under the base of the spoon. Place spoon at the front of the basket, spoon side up. Place container in middle of cellophane wrap. Gather wrap around container and bunch at top. Tie with a ½ ft piece of ribbon.

(College) Student's Basket

Total Cost: $15

Items: 1 box macaroni and cheese, 1 bottle liquid laundry detergent, 1 bottle fabric softener, 1 pkg dryer sheets, 1 bottle dishwashing liquid, 1 air freshener, 1 laundry basket, 1 small desk organizer, 1 package cookies, 1 pkg tea bags, 1 box microwave popcorn, 1 dish towel, cellophane, colored straw, about ½ ft of ribbon

Presentation: Put laundry detergent, fabric softener and dishwashing liquid against back of laundry basket. Put desk organizer in front of bottles in back of basket and drape dish towel over the top. Use colored straw to fill in remaining gap of space in basket. Arrange macaroni and cheese box, dryer sheets, air freshener, cookies, tea bags, and popcorn on top of towel and straw. Place laundry basket in middle of cellophane wrap. Gather wrap around basket and bunch at top. Tie with a ½ ft piece of ribbon.

Health-Lovers Basket

Total Cost: $15

Items:Dollar Store Items: 2 Power Bars® (or equivalent), 2 granola bars, 2 bottles of Gatorade® (or equivalent), 1 water bottle, 1 dish towel (which is "un-kitcheny" enough to pass for a sweat towel), 1 medium sized basket, cellophane and about ½ ft of ribbon. Grocery Store Items: 1 apple, 1 banana, 1 orange, 1 small bunch of grapes

Presentation: Pad bottom of basket with "sweat" towel. Put the water bottle in the middle back of the basket and lay one Gatorade® bottle on each side of it. Arrange fruit, Power Bars®, and granola bars in front. Place basket in middle of cellophane wrap. Gather wrap around basket and bunch at top. Tie with a ½ ft piece of ribbon.

Movie Lover's Basket

Total Cost: $14

Items:Dollar Store Items: 1 box microwave popcorn, 1 pkg M & M's®, 1 pkg Reese's Peanut Butter Cups®, 1 pkg Sweet Tarts®, 1 pkg Starburst® 1 hard plastic reusable popcorn container, 1 picture clip (this might be something like a flower that has a clip at the top meant to holder a picture), cellophane, ½ ft ribbon Other Items: $5 movie gift card

Presentation: Remove packets of microwave popcorn from box. Place packets across back of container. Stack the remaining candy in the container. Place picture clip in the front (standing up) and clip movie gift card to it. Place container in middle of cellophane wrap. Gather wrap around container and bunch at top. Tie with a ½ ft piece of ribbon. (If you want to get really creative, you can tie this with an old filmstrip instead of a ribbon.)

Make a Mexican Meal Basket

Total Cost: $13

Items: 1 bag of flour tortillas, 1 bag of corn tortillas, 1 jar of Salsa, 1 jar of nacho dip, 1 bag of tortilla chips, 1 jar of olives, 1 jar of jalapeno peppers, 1 packet taco seasoning, 1 Mexican or southwestern themed glass or clay bowl, 1 Mexican or southwestern themed napkin, 1 Mexican or southwestern themed snack plate (small enough to fit inside your bowl), cellophane, about ½ ft of festive ribbon

Presentation: Turn napkin so it is shaped like a diamond and drape it over back side of bowl. Stand tortilla chips up in the back of the bowl. Tuck flour tortillas standing up behind the chips (so the chips can help keep it in place) off to the right and tuck the corn tortillas standing up behind the chips off to the left. Place jars of olives, jalapeno peppers and taco seasoning in front of other items. Lay snack plate in front. Place bowl in middle of cellophane wrap. Gather wrap around bowl and bunch at top. Tie with a ½ ft piece of ribbon.

Make an Italian Meal Basket

Total Cost: $12

Items: 1 jar of spaghetti sauce, 1 pkg spaghetti, 1 jar of garlic, 1 can parmesan cheese, 1 bottle olive oil, 1 box of roll mix, 1 large strainer (aka colander), 1 pasta spoon utensil, 1 red and white checkered napkin, red straw, cellophane, about 1 ft of red or white ribbon

Presentation: Turn napkin so it is shaped like a diamond and drape it inside colander. Spread red straw out over bottom of colander. Place spaghetti vertically in back of colander in the middle. Place spaghetti sauce off to the left of the pasta and the can of parmesan cheese and olive oil to the right of the pasta. Place roll mix in front of standing spaghetti. Tie the top of the pasta utensil with ½ ft piece of ribbon. Wedge pasta utensil between spaghetti and roll mix to hold it in place. Place colander in middle of cellophane wrap. Gather wrap around bowl and bunch at top. Tie with a ½ ft piece of ribbon.

Coffee Lover's Basket

Total Cost: $

Items: 1 tall coffee cup, 1 container flavored coffee, 1 chocolate spoon (pick up 1 bag of chocolate chips and 1 container of plastic spoons), 1 pkg sugar cookies, 1 pkg flavored coffee creamers (the small packet size), 1 box wax paper, 1 box small sandwich bags, about 3 ft of ribbon, 1 pkg colored straw, 1 pkg cellophane wrap

Presentation: Using a small (but tall) microwave-able container, pour in ¼ cup of chocolate chips, 1 T of milk, and ¼ t butter. Heat for 20 seconds and then stir. Continue heating and stirring until chocolate is thick and can be stirred easily with spoon. Dip spoon into hot chocolate and twist slowly to remove excess. Place spoon on wax paper to dry. Unwrap sugar cookies and remove two from package. Dip one side of each sugar cookie into the melted chocolate and place them on the wax paper to dry. Meanwhile, scoop about 1 c of coffee into one of the sandwich bags and secure it with ½ ft piece of ribbon. Place coffee in bottom of cup. Unwrap package of creamers and remove three packets. Place them across the back of the cup next to one another. When sugar cookies dry, put them inside a sandwich bag and secure it with a ½ ft piece of ribbon. Place them in front of creamers. When chocolate spoon is dry, cover with plastic sandwich bag. Use a 6 in piece of ribbon to tie a bow right under the base of the spoon. Place spoon at the front of the cup, spoon side up. Place container in middle of cellophane wrap. Gather wrap around cup and bunch at top. Tie with a ½ ft piece of ribbon.

With a little bit of time and imagination, you can assemble unique gifts on a budget without looking like you were on a budget. Happy shopping and have a wonderful holiday!