Candybar Wrapper Favors & Gifts

According to the calendar countdown on this site there are 3 days, 9 hours and 40 minutes left until Christmas!  And that means you only have a couple of days left to get those last minute gifts.  We all seem to have those 1 or 2 that either we simply forget or we thought it was marked off our list!  I know I’ve been in that situation many times througout the years and this year I can proudly say, I’M DONE!  I laugh when I type that becuase I truly do hope it’s all done. 

So what are some last minute gifts to give?  In the last couple of days I’ve been given a few new ideas and then there are the safe super easy options.

You can go the super quick route or get a little more creative with the same amount of time.  For instance if your last minute gift is for a movie buff get a plastic popcorn container, the red and white striped that resembles the retro popcorn bags (you can get a set of 4 for $1 at the Dollar Tree), fill that with a new DVD they haven’t see yet, a bag of microwave popcorn and a box of movie candy or large chocolate bar and soda so when they get ready to watch it they will have all the food items they’d get at the theater.  If you don’t find or don’t have the time to get the retro popcorn bowls just use a gift bag.  You could even get a plain white craft bag and color it with red stripes and write popcorn on the front as well as To: and From:.  You could do this similar thing with just about any gift such as cosmetics or hair items.  You could place some cosmetics in a clear plastic cosmetic bag, add some ribbon and a tag and viola you have a great looking gift!  Another variation for the creative kid is to get a clear box from the storage container section and fill it with crayons, pencils, beads, paints, along with accessories such as brushes, sharpener, etc include a pack of paper and use a permanent marker or paint pen to decorate the box with their name, add a bow to the top and watch their eyes light up. 

The most common last minute gift and where you cannot go wrong most times is the gift card.  Now you can stop in Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Target and other similar stores and get gift certificates for just about anywhere including dining, movies, or just the regular AmEx, MC or Visa that can be used at any store.  Those work out especially well when you don’t know where their favorite store.  Spice up the gift card giving by getting one of those very small Christmas stockings, add a candy cane or gum or chocolate treat.  Even add their name to the stocking with some glitter glue which you can usually find next to the regular size stockings.  If you can’t find glitter glue use fabric paint or the old fashioned craft glue and sprinkle glitter on the glue and let dry, it will look just as good!

Another easy idea that will save you time is to go to the section of your favorite store where they keep the seasonal stuff.  They always have the gift sets like hot chocolate, coffee, candy, hot sauce, and even accessories for ice cream sundaes.  Usually with those the boxes look so great you really don’t need to wrap them or even put them in a bag.  Add some ribbon and tag or a bow and it will be a gift to give!

Here are several more unique ideas that actually just popped in my head.  I’ve done this before and people usually love it.  One is to go online and purchase a subscription for their favorite magazine or one you know they’d like to get.  Buy them the most recent issue since they won’t get one in the mail for a few weeks and give them a card stating that they now have a 1 year subscription to the magazine!  Who says wine bottle bags are just for wine bottles.  Have a last minute giftee that loves Mountain Dew and funyans?  Get a wine bottle bag and fill it with a 16 or 20 oz Mountain Dew bottle and a snack bag of funyans!  That sounds great to me right now, heehee.

Now for the precious and so meaningful gifts that cost little to nothing to give.  Make a coupon for someone stating you’ll give them free baby sitting services.  If you own a business give them a GC for a free item you know they’ve been wanting, a free haircut, manicure or other service/product you can give.  My 5 year old made one of these at school and brought it home to us and it is just so cute and I will definitely keep this one in the memory box.  It is a 5×7 card with a Christmas border and in the middle there are the words:  “This is a very special gift that you can never see.  The reason it’s so special is it’s just for you from me.  You never can unwrap it, please leave the ribbon tied.  Just place it somewhere close to you, it’s filled with love inside.”  Then there was a little faux gift box taped to the side and my son signed it “Love, Zack” and drew hearts on it.  The most adorbale thing I’ve ever seen and one of the best gifts I have ever received.  A perfect example of how money CAN’T buy love. 

More last minute gift ideas/options:

• gather some of your holiday baked treats and give them as gifts
• fill a jar with the dry ingredients to make chocolate chip cookies and include your favorite recipe
• Fill a mug with Hershey kisses, add a little ribbon to the handle and a tag/card “Cup of Kisses from me to You”
• Print your favorite family or child digital picture and put in a frame
• Netflix gift subscriptions http://www.netflix.com/GiftPurchase
• iTunes gift certificates (you can buy them just about anywhere and even buy/print from their website www.itunes.com)
• A virtual Visa debit gift card delivered by email!  http://www.giftcards.com/consumer/virtualgift.html

Hope you have a wonderful last minute shopping experience and I hope I’ve sparked an idea for you that will save you time, money and stress!

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Keeping it Unique,

Kristal