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From: wiebe@ut-ngp.UUCP (Anne Hill Wiebe)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: What Do Women (and Men) Want For Christmas?
Message-ID: <2681@ut-ngp.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 4-Dec-85 18:03:31 EST
Article-I.D.: ut-ngp.2681
Posted: Wed Dec  4 18:03:31 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 6-Dec-85 06:20:42 EST
References: <596@bonnie.UUCP> <44000020@uiucdcs> <864@terak.UUCP> <448@gymble.UUCP>
Organization: UTexas Computation Center, Austin, Texas
Lines: 53

I've become something of an old hand at giving Christmas presents that
don't cost much and that people like.  I second the suggestion about
thinking about what people like.  But for myself and many others, the
big dilemma is, how to give gifts when you have almost no money for it?

One good one is a pretty picture frame.  Especially nice is one you
make yourself with cardboard, scraps of batting, and scraps of fabric
glued over to make a padded fabric frame.  This could be personalized
with embroidery, say in the name of the person or a favorite theme such
as a cat or whatever.  Or, even cheaper and easier, how about one of
those acrylic standing frames, see-thru and modern, with some
imaginative decoration, or the name painted on?  I like to look through
expensive shops for inspiration on something I can very easily make and
give.

Another thought:  shop stores with estate-sale, semi-antique but cheap
merchandise.  You can find things like a gorgeous satin slip, an
evening purse, beautiful table linens, beautiful old glassware, a
semi-antique long fitted dressing gown -- all under $5.  They may need
a little cleaning up and pressing, but they're really quality
merchandise and highly appreciated by those who love beautiful things.

For children (yeah, I know that wasn't the question but I'll answer it
anyway) it's really very easy to give cheap and appreciated gifts.  Buy
a little toy or doll and write a story about the child and the toy,
with the child as hero or heroine.  Write it out in a little notebook,
and/or record it on a cassette tape.  This is for kids under about 8 or
9.  For little girls, buy a very cheap jewelry box and some fake
jewels, gold braid, etc., then glue together a really sparkly treasure
chest.  For our nieces far away, my brother and I recorded a tape of
our singing and playing all the chidren's Christmas songs we could
think of.  Their folks told us they LOVED it, they played it over and
over and over and over.

Variation on the homemade picture frame:  cover a cheap photo album
with fabric and make a ruffled and padded front cover, with an oval
opening for a photograph.  Actually, in general, I love to buy
something useful and fairly cheap, then decorate it to resemble what
the fancy/expensive shops sell.  Try this with lace and ribbons or
ruffly eyelet edging sewn onto towels, for example.  Very easy, very
beautiful.

Books, when carefully selected to appeal to the interests of the
recipient, are a relatively cheap gift.  

I'd better quit -- but I'll add that having married this summer and
being extremely broke and in debt, our Christmas presents to our family
are copies of wedding pictures, albums and frames covered with white
fabric and scraps from my wedding dress.  For my nieces, an acrylic
bent-over frame with a lace motif glued to a corner, and a picture of
me and my new husband inside.  Wish me luck!

Merry Christmas, y'all!