As our family's Chief Financial Officer (CFO), [yes, I am also the Chief Operations Officer, (COO) .. a person as multi-talented as I am wears many hats ...] I am always searching for frugal avenues to bless others. Birthdays and holidays can reek havoc on any family's budget. Through the years I've learned that frugal doesn't have to mean cheep. There are several penny pinching ideas that allow frugal gifts to be presented in a special and professional manner. I have a relative who is sugar sensitive and this year's Christmas candies and cookies just will not due. Therefore, I decided to build a non-sugary gift basket. My cost savings for doing this myself was more than 40%. Here's my frugal attempt to mimic fancy gift basket companies.
Step 1: Select an appropriate sized basket and place filler in the bottom. I purchased the basket from our local re-sale shop for 50 cents and used a crumpled paper sack as filler.
Step 2: Spread a small amount of raffia across the filler. My red raffia was FREE because I had saved it in a plastic bag from the packaging of a previous gift.
Step 3: Attractively arrange your gift items. I used glue dots from my scrapbooking supplies to affix the items together and prevent them from shifting. These gift items were purchased on sale from our grocer.
Step 4: Set the gift basket in the center of cellophane wrap and gather the ends together securing them with a twist tie. Trim the excess cellophane. Add ribbon or a bow. My velveteen bow was purchased in an unopened package of 4 for 25 cents from our local resale shop.
The dots are a terrific idea. I'm pinning this post to remind myself!
ReplyDeleteYes, Laura ... the glue dots are perfect for keeping those items perfectly arranged. Glue dots can be found in the scrapbooking section of your local craft store. I've also found them at the dollar discount stores.
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