Last Minute Gift Ideas

DIY materials, via Pinterest.

First off, I'd like to welcome any new readers! I've had some lovely shout-outs lately, so thanks for checking out the blog!

Secondly, if you are a member of my immediate family, my boyfriend or my boyfriend's family,

 please stop reading!

You'll ruin all the fun.

Ok, we'll proceed. Some of you may, like me, be a teensy bit behind on Christmas gifts. Some of you, like me, may be stuck in the office and unable (or unwilling) to make it to the mall.

Solution: These gift ideas are DIY, and all you really need are office supplies.

Genius? Thanks, I thought so too.

1. For Grandma:

Need: calendar, markers, printer



Via Pinterest



We always struggle to find presents for my grandparents. At that age, they really don't want that much extra stuff, that, to be honest, they're just going wonder "now who should I leave this too?" This year, my Dad said "All Grandma really wants is visits from her grandchildren." Cue the guilt attack.

So here's what you do. Take your standard office calendar-preferably for the correct year - and personalize it with all the days you plan to make the pilgrimage to Grandma's house. Mark them on your calendar too - the visits are an essential part of the gift.  I used one of the laminated, pocket kinds, circled a few days every month, and added some fun doodles, holiday reminders and notes. Then I added text to the cover:

front "Emily's Coming to Visit...."

back "So Put on Some Pants!"

Always a good reminder.

2. For the Parents (or anyone hard to buy for):

Need: Publisher or word processor, images from google, printer

From here, via Pinterest.

Gift certificates are kind of tacky and impersonal. But not if you make your own! Remember when I talked about gifts of experiences? A great way to present them is by making a cute little greeting card announcing your gift, sharing the relevant details, and opening yourself up to praise and gratitude.

So, say you were giving someone something like a segway tour of San Francisco (for example.) You might make a card like this:

Front: This Christmas, roll into San Francisco in style...

Inside: Unitard NOT Included

Enjoy two hours of Segway Touring in San Francisco!

xo, E.

They don't have to be extremely witty (as soon above) but a little chuckle is a nice addition, if you can manage it. Add some google images (this one's from here) and you're good to go! Publisher has great templates that print out all on one side (no fighting with the printer and flipping pages) and you just fold them up and you are set.

3. For your sweetie:

Need: notebook, word processor, printer.

The Boy wants practical things = boring gifts like socks and jeans. So I'm trying to spice things up (and stay within our enforced budget limitations) by making a notebook full of a year's worth of fun things to do. I've got a section for restaurants we need to visit, day trips, date night ideas, and attractions. I've been using Yelp.com mainly, plus recommendations from friends and things we've always wanted to do but haven't gotten around to. Slap some tabs on the different sections, add a cute intro and you're done. No more thumb-twiddling Saturday nights in 2012!

(PS this idea was inspired by a blog I read, but I don't remember which one. Check the ABOUT ME tab to see my list of favorites. It's one of those.)

Hope this helps with some last minute ideas!

 Oh, and BTW, like, don't steal office supplies from your employers and stuff.

That's just wrong.