Easter Gifts - any ideas?

[rach912]

hi,

I want to make friends and family some small easter gifts this week, however I don't want to make edible gifts as everyone I know is either on a diet or still finishing off the ton of chocolate they received for christmas!! any ideas for some small presents that don't break the bank and arent too tacky?

Big thanks as always!!

[WendyS]

How about a nice pot plant (polyanthus or primroses) which can be planted outside in their garden once they have finished flowering. (Or some interesting dietary cook books !)

[mimififi]

quick, easy and effective presents:

1. small cross stitch pictures in tiny frame
2. Book marks
3. fabric envelopes (you can use scraps and rag bag fabric, decorated with ribbons, or flowers, bows etc) filled with pot pourri. You can also include ribbon hangers to hang from coat hangers.
4. kits, eg: purchase some herb seed packets and some small pots from the pound store etc and people can grow their own herb garden.
5. salt dough ornaments/wall plaques etc: get book on salt dough from library and follow instructions. Paint and varnish before giving.
6. home made book beautifully decorated with hand drawn pictures, or decoupage pictures photocopied or printed off net of inspirational quotes/bible verses/ etc
7. If of a Christian persuasion, make a beautiful box from paper or paper mache or purchase one from a gift shop or stationers or pound land etc and fill with individual tiny scrolls each with a different bible verse on, hand written. You could also include personal notes to the person.
8. Purchase a small story for a child you know, and then video yourself reading the story and some of the pictures. Press onto a Dvd (or just read the story into a tape player and record onto a tape) and give a book and audio book as a gift.

as with all things it is in the presentation that home made gifts come into their own. I purchased a bag sealer from ebay before last christmas for about a fiver and now I heat seal my gifts in bags before giving them to people. it makes a big difference. Also making cardboard boxes/baskets for gifts make them seem more beautiful.

Don't forget also that you can just about put anything into a make your own kit for children, just include all the bits to make a book mark or a box or a brooch or whatever and present with a list of instructions and a picture of the finished article. Bobs your mother's brother.

Happy easter.

[Plocket]

Bead bookmarks? Mobile phone charms?

[CompNut]

mimififi,
you sound like a super gift-giver, with so many thoughtful and great ideas, I'm sure your friends and family are delighted to receive them. It takes imagination and time to come up with a 'just right' gift for each person, but their appreciation is worth the effort, I'm sure.
I'm afraid I've given Gift Tokens for Boots, Marks & Spencer and Debenhams etc. in the past but you are inspiring me to put more thought into present-giving. You should write a book on this subject, to help people like me!

[Bohne]

I made some easter cards with my niece and goddaughter recently.

Took a lot of work, but they turned out lovely.

Other than that, I could imagine, coloured (blown-out) eggs.