PEDESTRIAN.TV has teamed up with Instant Scratch-Its to help zhuzh up your gift-giving.
Friends, gift-giving season is almost upon us once again. For some of you, that might spark a million-and-five amazing ideas you can’t wait to whip up. For others, it might send shivers down your spine that eventually make their way to your wallet as it whispers helplessly, “No, pls.”
I know it’s been said a million times, but a great gift doesn’t have to cost you an arm and leg. It is always the “thought” that counts. But alas, sometimes that “thought” doesn’t come easily, no matter how much you love and adore the person you’re buying for.
So, here are a bunch of low-cost gift ideas that won’t send you broke but will let your nearest and dearest know you love ’em.
Give The Gift Of Lil’ Treats
Lil’ treat culture has taken over in the last few years, and for good reason. It’s tiny, daily doses of pleasure — instead of waiting a few weeks to save up for a really nice big thing you get every so often, you get a tiny little taste of it every single day.
Now, there are a few ways to give the gift of the little treat. For example, my mum makes bulk biscotti and rocky road every Christmas, which she wraps in festive little bows and paper to give as prezzies for pals to enjoy. It’s a thoughtful gesture that takes a lot of time and heart to carry out — and let’s be real, I think we’d all rather get a delicious box of bickies than another impersonal and overpriced candle or diary.
If bulk baking isn’t your jam, you could opt for a Lil’ Treat Box instead. All you have to do is head to a dollar store, find a gift box and fill it to the brim with your giftee’s favourite chocolates, lollies, tea bags, face masks, lip balms — you name it. Heck, even a few Instant Scratch-Its tickets wouldn’t go astray in one of these as they may quite literally be gifts that keep on giving (if you’re lucky, and over 18).
Be Overly Sentimental
This is probably for you if you tend to tear up over toilet paper commercials with cute dogs and babies. Going overly sentimental with a gift is always a great option to show someone how much they mean to you. It can be scary because it is vulnerable, but it’s worth it 99% of the time.
Whether it’s finding a nice photo of you and your bestie, framing it up and writing a little note on it to commemorate the occasion, or putting together a scrapbook of memories from a holiday, it’s a cheap way of saying you appreciate the time you’ve spent with someone — which is truly the meaning of gift giving after all.
If you can’t physically put something together, we are ‘uge advocates for writing a heartfelt letter. I know, I know, it sounds old-fashioned, but we should bring back putting our feelings on paper!! It’ll help you romanticise your life more, which we’re all trying to do amidst these crazy times anyway.
Get Crafty
A few years ago, my bestie handpainted a skateboard deck with blink-182’s logo in my favourite colours as a birthday gift. I still have it in my room to this day because it’s probably one of the most thoughtful things anyone has ever made/given me. So, if you’ve got a skill like painting, drawing, knitting, etc., use it!!!
Honestly, I think if someone ever painted me a portrait as a gift, I’d melt/die on the spot. (Hint hint, nudge nudge, secret admirer).
Do A Group Prezzie
I know this technically isn’t cheap, but sometimes a milestone comes along where you just have to really spoil someone. Getting a group present is usually the most cost-effective way of going all out with a gift, and it brings people together.
The best kind of group presents are usually ones that you know the person you’re giving it to would never get for themselves — for example, an airline voucher to literally force them to take a break or a gift card for a luxe store so they can finally buy the bag/wallet/sunnies they’ve been eyeing off for months.
So, the moral of the story is that present giving time doesn’t have to have you considering selling off an organ on the black market. There are plenty of ways to go about it — all it takes is a bit of time and creativity, and you’ll be putting a smile on all your loved ones’ faces in no time.
Image Credit: Barbie / Warner Bros
