Give a Gift

While window shopping last weekend, I came across 2 items in Crate and Barrel that I thought would make great host/hostess gifts for any holiday parties you may be attending this Christmas season. And the bonus part is that with a little effort and time, you could put these gifts together yourself and save some moolah in the process!

The first gift was a Holiday Nut and Berry Mix - one of Crate and Barrel's glass canisters filled with the nut/berry mix and tied with a red ribbon around the top. The store had this item listed for $19.95.

However, if you purchased the glass canister by itself (or any glass jar from another store), you would only spend around $6 for the small canister and $8 for the large canister...



The nuts and berries could be bought at a grocery store for a few dollars. And you could use any Christmas ribbon you already have packed away with your Christmas items to tie around the top of the container.

All this could be put together for well under $20.


The second item Crate and Barrel showcased for a holiday gift was a Christmas Cookie Mix - a glass jar filled with the dry ingredients needed to make Christmas cookies. The dry ingredients were layered for a pretty visual effect. Again, a ribbon was tied around the top to dress it up. Lastly, a little card was attached to the ribbon with the cookie recipe.


The item sold for $11.95 at the store, but assuming you already have most of the ingredients in your pantry along with a ribbon, the only item you would need to purchase is the jar/canister. So, this gift could be done for around $5. Not too shabby when gift-giving can quickly add up around this time year.

And if you have a little extra time, you could make a batch of the cookies to give along with the jar of ingredients. Yum!

So, what kinds of inexpensive gift-giving ideas do you have to share? Anything that you've given in the past that people love? Do tell!