Christmas giving is a normal part of most everyone’s Christmas. We generally give gifts to those we love. As you get older, that list might grow longer each year, as new family members are born. And sometimes it goes in the opposite direction when you lose family members or friends.
Who should you give gifts to? It really only matters if they are someone you love or care for. Your family should be part of this group. And possibly your friends. Even a neighbor or stranger would appreciate a gift. It will also depend on the money or time that you have available to give.
Keep in mind, Christmas giving is more than spending lots of money and giving everyone exactly what they want. Christmas is for giving special gifts to those we love. It may not always be something they have asked for. It can be something special that you think is suited to them.
Christmas Giving: Gifts of Love
Every gift you give should be given in love. Christmas is about love. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth on Christmas Day, so that we could be saved. That is the most expensive gift ever given.
A gift of love doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, it can be without cost to you. Here are some ideas.
- Give someone a hug.
- Offer to babysit your grandkids or neighbors’ children, so that their parents can enjoy a date night.
- Donate your excess items to others in need.
- Sign up to help serve a meal to those in need. This may need to be done months ahead of time. If that is the case, you might want to put a reminder on your calendar for next year.
Christmas Giving: Gifts to Strangers
I know I said you should give gifts to those you love. Is a stranger someone you love? They can be. If you have love in your heart for children who live in poverty, girls or boys rescued from human trafficking, homeless people, and others in need, give them a gift this Christmas. Most of these ideas will cost you some money. If necessary, you could cut a few dollars from your budget for your family and friends.
Yes, I said cut the budget to allow giving to strangers. Sometimes, I find more joy in giving to strangers than I do to my family members, who really need nothing. Be honest with yourself. If you can barely afford to give gifts to your family, maybe this is not for you. At least not this year.
- Donate food or money to a homeless shelter or a community fund to feed those who are living in poverty.
- Send a gift of cash to an organization that provides education, food, clothing and money to organizations that provide for children rescued from human trafficking. My choice is New Day for Children. They have been special to me for over ten years.
- Put money in the Salvation Army’s bell ringers container. Money being dollar bills, whenever possible, not just the 29 cents change you have in your wallet. They will appreciate the change, but I encourage you to go beyond the change.
- Smile at people you see that look like they are having a tough day. A smile can go a long way toward boosting a stranger’s spirits.
- Buy a new gift and donate to Toys for Tots, Angel Tree (toy and clothing for a child with a parent in prison,) or children in the community. Check with your local social services organization. There is a Christmas tree in our mall with cards of information on children who need a gift.
Christmas Giving All Year Round
- Sponsor a child with an organization like World Vision. This will be a monthly cost until the child moves out of the area or ages out. You can give this child (or children) a birthday and/or Christmas gift as cash that allows the child to buy something they need or want. I once sponsored a boy that always got himself a new jacket and shoes with the Christmas gift I sent. A girl I sponsored used her money to buy food for the family, a gift for her younger brother, along with a new dress for herself. This can be a gift of love that your family does year round. You will receive updated pictures and letters from your child. This is a great way to show children how to love a stranger. Your children can write letters to the child. This can also be an educational experience for your children as they learn about the country that your sponsored child lives in.
Christmas Giving: Family and Friends
- Neighbor ideas can include a poinsettia plant, a Christmas cactus, a fruit basket, or something special that you baked (cookies, bread, a pie, or maybe candy)
- Gifts for grandchildren or children do not have to be everything on their list. A favorite thing that I have seen people do is to buy a child four items. These four gifts would be 1) a gift they really want, 2) a gift to read, 3) a gift they can wear, 4) a gift they need. If your children realize this is what will happen, they will look forward to seeing what they get, not expecting to check everything off their list.
- When buying something for your spouse, and even your children, you may want to consider a family gift. This could be a special vacation to Disneyland or the beach. Maybe a National or State parks trip. A train ride to somewhere, including a visit to another state where you don’t often go, to see relatives you know your children would enjoy spending time with. Maybe a family visit to the local zoo.
Handmade Gifts
Some of the most loved gifts people receive can be handmade. Depending on what you make and what supplies you have on hand, these can be inexpensive or they can be expensive.
- Knitting or crocheting a hat or scarf can be really inexpensive if you have supplies on hand.
- Make a candle or bars of scented soap, if this is something you know how to do.
- A quilt for an individual could be an opportunity to use up your stash of fabric. If there is no stash, this could be expensive. But, making a blanket for a baby doll or Barbie doll can be very inexpensive and easy to make.
- Make an ornament for each of your children. Date them so they know when they received them. This can be an annual tradition that will allow your children to have a start on decorating their own Christmas tree years down the road. My mom did this for each of her grandchildren each year, except she took them to an ornament store and allowed them to pick out an ornament they wanted.
Start a New Tradition
How about having a craft time on Thanksgiving afternoon, Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day, or maybe some other day/night, the week of Christmas, and make potholders or aprons? These can be easy and fun to make. Find a simple pattern to use at your local fabric store. My potholder pattern is a heart-shaped potholder I purchased many years ago. Fabric can be the pre-quilted variety or regular cotton. For an apron, any cotton fabric will do, and more than one fabric might be even better.
For a pot holder, keep in mind that you should purchase mylar batting or Teflon coated fabric to use on the area that will pick up the hot item. Regular batting or quilted fabric will not protect you. This is a great activity for your older children. Or your own siblings or friends. You provide the supplies and everyone takes home their completed potholder(s). You might also ask them to bring their own sewing machine.
I hope you enjoyed this list of ideas. Maybe one of them gave you another idea. If so, please share your ideas in the reply section below.
Don’t go overboard on your Christmas giving and regret it for months as you try to pay off the bills. Remember, show your love at Christmas, don’t get yourself in debt.
May you have a Blessed Christmas! Don’t forget that the best gift ever given was Jesus.
