quiltlin

What a neat idea. I am going to try and remember this!!! We really don't buy Christmas gifts anymore as everybody really has too much and no where to put it. During the year I do sometimes buy something that has called out to me for a certain person. And, I do always try to give a gift that is consumable. Creative gift giving....you have it right!!!

Moon Holiday

My family did this as well.... the only rule was it had to be the ugliest thing you could find (we always could re-gift what we received in the future). One year I gave my sister a poorly executed chalkware bowl of fruit, the colors didn't match the fruit (believe me it was U-G-L-Y!). Over the years it got passed around to several family members... then it disappeared and no one could remember what happened to it. About 10 years ago I was in an antique shop in Maine and there it was (or its twin) with a price tag of $400... the dealer referred to it as Capo di Monte... believe me, it wasn't Capo di Monte... it was cheap chalkware... similar to what you'd get at a carnival. And it was still the ugliest thing I ever saw! Over the next 6 years when we visited the shop we'd see it was still there!

CarrieAnne

Oh, thats so funny! $400!!!!!!

Katts 14

One year both my daughters in grade school I went to Goodwill and bought two real wood desk and refinished them then bought everything to go with it even had thier names done on name plates.

aliaslaceygreen

The movie one is a classic standby for me.... it used to be a gift card to Blockbuster, a pack of microwave popcorn and some boxed candy in a popcorn treat bag for all my staff!
Now, I do it for family and such, but add a DVD or two...This past year I found popcorn printed bowls, so I am wrapping it like that...
The Monopoly money...I LOVE it... Gonna have to figure out how to implement that here !!!!!

Jo Mama

I gave my daughter "jammies of the month". I made a certificate and gave it along with home made Christmas jammies. Then I made and sent a set every month for a year.

Aunt Fanny

RaptureReady, those are fabulous Ideas & they go right along with traditions we already have in my family! LOVE LOVE LOVE the gift auction idea!!! We do something similar with ornaments and then again with gifts (everything must be hand or homemade). The kids love it & it gets everyone to together for something fun. Thanks for sharing these ideas!

IBQUILTIN

When I was growning up, we shared Christmas Eve Gifts at a family gathering. They were always gag gifts of some kind, and still all the talk at family gatherings. Guess we should restart the tradition. I certainly was fun.

steelecg

This has been a great thread - Christmas means so much more when people put fun into the gift giving process and creat traditions.

Katz13203

When I grew up and moved out on my own my aunt started giving me a present know as a "goodie box". It contained all kinds of personal items: soap, shampoo mouthwash, etc. Boy that gift came in so helpful! That was the present that I most looked forward to each year. I have now started that with my niece and she loves it!