Christmas ornaments - for your tree and for your car!

HEART-TO-HEART SPIRAL TREE

Wear your heart on your christmas tree. Showcase your loved ones in these 16 double-sided heart-shaped photo frames adorning this unique miniature christmas tree by Things Remembered.  

CAR LANTERN

Carry warm and fond memories of christmases past as you go about your way making more memories of christmas present with this parol in your car.

PERSONALIZED CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENTS

Look for small picture frames (which can house 2"x2" pictures) to which you can attach the string or cord (for hanging on the christmas tree). Put in a picture of a family member per frame. Embellish to give it a christmas feel. Not the arts and crafts type of person? No sweat! You can opt to order your personalized SNOWFLAKE NAMES instead. Great for hanging on your tree, your wreath, even your rear view mirror. Pre-laminated, it comes with a string already for instant hanging upon delivery (which takes 3 to 7 days).

Embellish away! But remember, ornaments help set the mood. The making of a meaningful christmas is all up to you :)

Low budget + unique christmas gifts = sweet surpises!

PERSONAL SERVICE GIFT CARD

Before you get any naughty ideas (remember, Santa is taking note!),  let me identify some of the services you can pledge to offer your loved one for the coming year. If you're into shopping, you can guarantee to be the recipient's personal shopper for the next yuletide season. If you're the last person in the house to help with the chores, you can undertake to take charge of the clearing and storing of the Christmas tree and all christmas decors after this season’s festivities, as well as the setting up of the same every year (for X number of years). If you have transferrable coupons to a spa or salon establishment (the kind that Granton Marketing offers), add in a  free massage or pampering service so your beloved can have some R&R while you shop or clear away! This is perfect if your beloved's love language is Acts of Service. Just remember to make good on your promise.

TIMELY GIFT CERTIFICATES

If, however, your beloved's love language is Quality Time, this GC would be more apt. Depending on the recipient's age and interests, set a date for a zoo trip, a museum sight seeing, a camping adventure, or a star gazing experience at an observatory. If it's for your spouse, the gift certifcate may be for a guaranteed weekly date just for the two of you. The dates don't have to be in fancy places. What's important is you would get to spend quality time with each other, giving each other undivided attention (if possible) or sharing memorable experiences together. Just search for any free gift certificate template and customize away.. Place in a nice envelope and throw in the tickets to wherever you promise to bring him/her on your (first) date for good measure. If tickets are inapplicable (because you have to use them on the purchase date, or no ticket is required for entrance), use anything that would symbolize the place or activity (magazine cut-out or clipping, the event ad in a newspaper, etc.). Then watch and see the unfolding of a memorable experience this Christmas and beyond.

CHRISTMAS POOP, ANYONE?

Your recipient too young to appreciate the low budget gift ideas suggested above? Check out Craftbits.com which suggests giving away some REINDEER POOP using chocolate drops, chocolate raisins, or just pure raisins. Place inside cute little pouches or bags. Attach the funny Reindeer Poop Poem found in the site. I can almost hear the recipient kids‘ giggles with this one. You can also try the ELF POOP using multi-colored candies. You can find the Elf Poop Poem here or you can make your own. :) If you prefer SNOWMAN POOP, you can use mini marshmallows.. Forecast: a sure hit with the little ones (and the kids at heart too)!!

Go and get creative!

Picture This! Personalize gifts for christmas with your photos

PERSONALIZED CASH GIFT CARDS

For those thinking of giving cash gifts to their loved ones, put in a little more effort. Check out banks or institutions which offer cash gift cards, the design of which is left to your discretion. Put a favorite photo of yourself  with the recipient on the card.  In the Philippines, the Bank of the Philippine Islands offers BPI express cash gift cards. Minimum card value is Php500, while maximum is Php10,000.

CUSTOMIZABLE GENEALOGY CHRISTMAS SHIRT

Filipinos are big on associations – from national to regional to provincial and down to filial. That’s why this genealogy shirt is the perfect way to greet your family this holiday. A great idea for family reunions which are customary in Philippine Christmas celebrations!

PERSONALIZED CUSHION COVER

FOTOshow offers personalized cushion covers.  Print your adorable photos on a white satin fabric, and help your loved ones adorn their rooms with wonderful memories.

MAKE YOUR OWN PICTURE BOOK
Gather your most cherished pictures and put them together into a picture book. PictureBooks powered by Central Books offers coffee-table book quality picture books to preserve your priceless moments.

Take it a step further to come up with your very own storybook via Cliomag.

MAKE YOUR OWN JIGSAW PUZZLE

Jujups offers Christmas designs for jigsaw puzzles, but you can upload your own pictures and add texts to make your own puzzle design. For those with entrepreneurial spirit, it would be of interest to you to know that if Jujups includes your original design in its posted selections, you could get a percentage from the sale of items carrying your very own design!

DESIGN YOUR OWN WATCH OR WALL CLOCK

Jujups also offers customizable watches. Just like for the jigsaw puzzles, customers can upload their own pictures and add texts to the watch design too. Got a big family and they can't all fit into a watch?  How about designing your  clock instead? FOTOshow shows you how.

YOUR PHOTO IN A MASTERPIECE
Let your beloved know she is the most beautiful woman in the world for you. Put her face in a Mona Lisa painting. Check out myDaVinci’s In Masterpieces series, and choose your own personalized masterpiece. Just make sure your recipients would be comfortable being depicted in the nude before you give them the Adam and Eve painting ;)


I hope this post proved both useful and entertaining to you. For tomorrow's blog, I will feature easy, naughty, and nice Do-It-Yourself gifts for the budget-conscious readers out there.