Suggestions for tasteful yet affordable holiday gift bags?

Question

I am traveling to MI for Christmas with my boyfriend to spend it with his family. It will be my first Christmas doing so (we've been together a couple of years now).

I don't have a TON of money, but would like to make some little gift bags or something for his extended family (grandma, aunts, uncles, etc).. those people I don't know too much about but would still like to show them I appreciate getting to see them and all. I will be buying gifts for his parents and brother, so that's not an issue.

Does anyone have any suggestions for affordable gift bag ideas that won't be cheesy, and will give a nice impression? Thanks!

Answer 1

You can make a nice gift bag with robes and slippers. They can be found cheap at discount stores, like Value City, Big Lots, and Walmart. These are things that will not spoil and are one size fits all so you will not have the issue of them not being able to return it to the store.
For his Grandmother Im pretty sure she probably cooks, or likes to. So A kitchen style gift set would be appropriate, Pot Holders, dish towels, cookie cutters or other accesories for the kitchen. Coffe maker, Mixer, Timer, etc.
Fleece Blankets
Sweater
You could get some bath and brody products for the women.
How about coffe and coffe mugs for the couples. If you think that seems to bland, and want it a bit more spiced up, then buy a tin of those christmas cookies to add with it.
They would appreciate that.
Or you could make a basket for breakfast for a couple, get a bag of jiffy or bisquick pankcake mix, Try a few different kinds (usually about 50 to 75 cents a bag at grocery stores)They have different vairieties including blueberry and cinnamon.buy a few different jars of jams/jellies/perserves and honey. Add a jar of apple sauce or Apple Butter. A set of coffee mugs, coffee and or tea.
Clock
A Picture of the two of you in a frame
One of my all time favorites to make are coffee mugs with Packets of hot chocolate, a bag of Marshmellows, and a bag of peppermint sticks. This with a small blanket (you can get them for 3 dollars at walmart) and a cheap dvd (some are as low as 2.96 at walmart) Makes it very creative and thoughtful for the cold weather. Of course you could either add this to a gift bag or go to one of those everything is a dollar stores and get a baket, display them in there and put it in a baket bag tied off with a bow.
You could get a big popcorn bowl and add several different varieties of popcorn (butter, caramel, Cheese, White cheddar), add a movie and a few of those boxes of candies you can buy at the movie theater. They can be bought at grocery stores and elsewhere for less than a dollar, like milk duds, gummy bears, mike and Ikes.
These are great gifts b/c they would be for Mr and Mrs so and so or for Mike and Mary. You wouldnt have to buy two seperate gifts.
Good luck and happy Holidays. If I think of anything else I will edit.

Answer 2

Well, what about cookies? You could either home bake some, or cheat and buy a few boxes at the supermarket or local bakery. Then go somewhere like Christmas Tree Shop or Michaels and get those cute little plates they always have for like $2, and fill each plate up. Everyone likes cookies, it's thoughtful and looks like you put tons of effort into it, and then they each have a nice plate to keep afterwards as well. Plus you don't have to worry if it's for a male or female, young, old, etc. And you can make them cute with some nice Christmas themed plastic wrap and ribbon. I really think it would be a hit. I've done this for employees a few times, and they always thought it was great.


Oh - one year for all the teachers at school we got little Angel pins from the Hallmark store that were really cute. They could be used as a pin, but also came on a little ribbon so you could tie it somewhere like a sun catcher, and those were only a few dollars, but seemed nice and special as well .Although for the men in the family it may make things harder.

Answer 3

I strongly suggest candles for the women. Holiday soap and holiday cookies are always good, too. Hit up a dollar store or something, as they always have some nice stuff. Spend maybe 5$ for the stuff in each bag. When you're done, jazz it up with some ribbons, and sprinkle in some Lintdor Truffles, or other things. If you want it to be very special, then go to the MnM website, and order personalized MnM's for the family. Maybe they'll say something like "Merry Christmas" on one side, and your names on the other side. To put in the bags, I suggest:
Candy
Soap
Yarn (for the women)
Cheap jewelry
Candles
etc.
I always like making duct tape roses, and sticking them on pipe cleaners. They're good for valentines day, but you can make them a little wider and call them pointsetta's.

Answer 4

You could do a coffee mug and fill with candy for each of them. You can get Christmas ones from Walgreens for a dollar or so and then fill with little chocolates wrapped in Christmas foils like Hershey kisses. Maybe add a Christmas pen for guys and candles for females. Also go to Walmart and get an ornament from the jewelry area and have engraved with each of their names. Put this on the outside of the bag for the name tag. This will show you were thinking of each of them and they are really cheap.

Merry Christmas!

Answer 5

Maybe for the ladies you can put together a little goodie box.Get like shoe boxes and put in a hankie,small chocolates,hair clips,frame or just lots of tiny things,that way whichever lady you give it to would be pleased.For the guys ,same thing only guy stuff.Include a few hand made cards with telephone numbers on it so they can call you,long distance cards,scratch off lotterty tickets,etc.

Answer 6

I am getting married in July and we also did not want to spend a lot of money on wedding favors, so what we did was bought the smaller packs of gum, the Extra kind and bought Avery labels 11/2" x 3 and printed our names, date of our wedding and we put "thank you for joining us on our extra special day", people will use gum and not just throw it away our date was on one side of the gum, our thank you message on the front and our names on the other side and then the back was not covered but it said extra total it only cost us $60 for 350! if you like the idea add a comment and i'll respond!

Answer 7

•scented votive candles/votive candle holder
•individual packets of cocoa (not Swiss Miss, but ones that are sold individually, like Land o' Lakes)
•holiday colored/flavored chocolates (For example, buy a bag of Peppermint-flavored Hershey's Kisses and give each person a few.)
•Fun designed Post-It notes (They have all different shapes, colors and designs now, including Christmas designs)
•flavored lip balm

Answer 8

You could get the girls something like those "angel to watch over you" pins.
Other ideas: hard sugar free candy like Werthers, or those striped pillow candies (just in case there are diabetics in the family, and trust me, sugar free candy is still good), or mini Christmas ornaments?

Answer 9

you could make cute cookies for everyone like chocolate chip or something and maybe for the women you could go to bath and body works and get some nice smelling spray or lotion and put it in the gift bags. for the men you could put little flashlights or something small and inexpensive in their bags and attach a candy cane to all of them.

merry christmas *<<<=