Special Events Tips

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What are some creative ways to give money as a gift?

Creative Ways to Give Money

This is an article about how to give money as a gift, in creative ways. http://www.pioneerthinking.com/rwmoney.html

   
What´s a thrifty gift that the whole family would enjoy?

A Gift Idea for Anyone

Buy some microwave popcorn and/or dollar store candy and arrange it in a big bowl. Buy a video that the person would like, put the video in the middle of the bowl and cover everything with cellophane. If you're uncertain what sort of movie to get, you can always give a gift certificate from a local movie rental store instead. Be careful of this one though - my mother did this as a gift for my husband and I, and we had to become members of the video store first - which is FREE, but then we got addicted to renting movies - that's not thrifty!

   
What do I need to know about starting Thanksgiving traditions?

Thankful Thanksgiving Wreath

Make a Thankful Thanksgiving wreath. Use construction paper, and have guests trace their hand and cut it out. Then have each guest write something that they're thankful for on their "hand". Once you have everyone's, make a wreath out of it.

   
How can I save on gift bags?

Gift Bags for All of Your Special Events

Go to http://tinyurl.com/1d0d to purchase, in bulk, gift bags for all of your special events.

   
What types of Christmas centerpieces can I make?

Gilded Christmas Centerpiece

Spray pinecones & whole walnuts with gold/silver spray paint - arrange them in a bowl to make a festive centerpiece. Get creative and add other items inside the bowl, as well as outside of the bowl.

   
Where can I get a discount on Easter crafts and candy?

Candy and Crafts

Go to http://tinyurl.com/1d09 to purchase Easter crafts and candies in bulk to help save you money.

   
Where can I find some good help for Thanksgiving planning?

Ocean Spray Cranberry Plan-It

Check out great ideas at Plan-it Thanksgiving, a new feature of www.oceanspray.com dedicated to Thanksgiving. This special section features out-of-this-world holiday solutions to help you plan and enjoy your celebration. From favorite holiday recipes to cranberry crafts to tips for planning the perfect feast, Plan-it Thanksgiving has everything you need this holiday, available 24 hours a day.

   
How can I make an inexpensive Christmas centerpiece?

Christmas Centerpiece

Group a collection of nutcrackers, teddy bears, or favorite ornaments together for a simple centerpiece.

   
How can I help my kid write a letter to the Easter Bunny?

Printable Form to Make a Letter to the Easter Bunny

Here is a form to help your kid write a letter to the Easter Bunny. http://members.tripod.com/~grambk11/LetterToEasterBunny.html

   
How can I save on party supplies?

Party Supplies for All of Your Special Events

Go to http://tinyurl.com/1d07 to buy your party supplies for all of your special events, in bulk, and save money and time.

   
What can I do to help my kid write a letter to Santa?

Printable Letter to Santa Form

Print out this page to help your kids make their own letter to Santa. http://members.tripod.com/~grambk11/LetterToSanta.html

   
How can I jazz up paper chains and carboard stars?

Jazz Up Paper Chains and Cardboard Stars

To make an ordinary decoration stand out, jazz it up a little. Paper chains and cardboard stars can be dressed up with glitter and fancy (leftover) paints.

   
How can I save money on party supplies?

Birthday Party Supplies

Go to http://tinyurl.com/1d07 to purchase party supplies in bulk, and save money too.

   
Where can I get a free list of songs?

The Gift of Song

Go to www.tinymixtapes.com for a FREE list of songs that go with a theme that you specify. Whether it's a specific decade, songs with the name Mike in it, and so on and so forth. Once you get the list of songs, all you need to do is find them, put them on a tape or CD, and then you have a personalized gift for the recipient.

   
What can I do with my fabric scraps?

Wrapping with Fabric Scraps

Fabric scraps can be used for wrapping presents. Use it like paper, or make into gift bags. You can make a more formal, structured gift bag, or simply make a drawstring bag. Or, cut out shapes from the design of the fabric, and use to decorate gifts wrapped in plain brown paper. You can also tear the fabric into strips, and use it as ribbon.

   
What would be a thrity gift to make for Grandma?

Birthday Gift for Grandma

A great thrifty gift for grandma's closet: make your own pomander! Start with an apple, orange or lime and make random holes in it with a skewer. Insert a whole clove in each hole. Roll the clove-studded fruit in a mixture of equal parts arrowroot or orrisroot and ground cinnamon. Wrap in tissue paper or cheesecloth and hang it in a warm, dry place to age. After about three weeks, the fruit will dry and shrink. Finish it off with a pretty ribbon for hanging in the closet.

   
How can I save on having a New Year´s party?

Have a Potluck Party

Make a list of everything that you need for your party, and have guests bring at least one of the items. This way you aren't paying for everything.

   
What other alternatives are there to Christmas tree garland?

Christmas Tree Garland

Go beyond the traditional Christmas tree garlands of popcorn and cranberries and try stringing pasta or cinnamon sticks instead. With the pasta, use different types (shells, elbows, etc.) and try painting them different colors as well. You can also dry orange and apple slices and string them for a country holiday garland.

   
How do I wrap odd-shaped gifts?

"Wrapping" Odd-Shaped Gifts

Look for and save the large holiday tins that popcorn comes in. When they're empty, rinse them out and use the tin as a package for a large or odd-shaped gift that may otherwise be too difficult to wrap.

   
What can I do with broken garland?

More Broken Garland Ideas

Use broken or worn out garlands to make wreaths or stars. Make the shape you want from a wire hanger, then twist garland around it. Decorate or leave as-is.

   
How can I save on having a New Year´s party?

B.Y.O.B.

Have a B.Y.O.B. party, so that everyone brings their own booze. This way the host/hostess doesn't have to turn their home into a liquor store to please everyone, and everyone knows that they will get their favorite! In the end, everyone is happy!

   
How can I save on having a New Year´s party?

Take Turns

If you have a lot of friends, neighbors and/or family that you like to celebrate the holiday with, why not take turns? You can have it one year, then someone else. This year it's always at a different location, and people won't feel put out that they always have to drive far. This way, everyone wins in the long run.

   
What is an alternative to giving baked goods?

The Stuff that Cookies are Made of

Take a Canning jar (new or old) and layer cookie dough ingredients (1/2 the white ingredients [flour, baking soda, salt, sugar], 1/2 the brown sugar, all the chocolate chips or M&Ms, the other half brown sugar, the other half white ingredients). Then, between the lid and jar ring, put a piece of muslin or a doily and stamp pretty Christmas stars or use stickers to decorate. Tie raffia around the jar with a tag telling what to add (1 egg, 1 cup butter, 1 tsp. vanilla usually), and how to cook them.

   
What can I do with broken garland?

Garland Pieces

If your Christmas tree garland breaks, use the broken pieces to drape over doorways or windows. You could also use it for Christmas crafts/ornaments.

   
How can I make a natural Christmas centerpiece?

Natural Christmas Centerpiece

Put some bare twigs in a vase and insert gumdrops or cranberries on the ends of the branches for an unusual tree centerpiece.

   
How can I make a Christmas card list?

Printable Christmas Card List

Here you can print a one-page Christmas Card List for free. Don't forget to keep this list for next year to help you start another list. http://members.tripod.com/~grambk11/ChristmasCardList.html

   
How can we have an inexpensive Valentine´s Day?

Make Your Own Gifts

A fun way to save money is to make each other a Valentine's Day gift. The best part could be in the actual making of the gift, then of course would be the look on the recipient's face when they see your masterpiece. If you're not very crafty, try making a collage of all of the things that remind you of your mate, cut out from magazines, catalogs, etc.

   
How can I make a thrifty Thanksgiving centerpiece?

Cheap Centerpiece

Buy several cobs of Indian corn, roughly the same size. Place a very large candle (preferably in colors to complement the Indian corn) in the center of a plate, and arrange the Indian corn around the candle, alternating the ears tip up, tip down. This makes a perfect thrifty centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table!

   
What can I do with old Christmas cards?

Christmas Card Tags

Use old Christmas cards as Christmas tags by simply cutting out the design on the card. Get creative and use scissors that cut in different shapes too.

   
When should I wrap my holiday gifts?

When to Wrap

Wrap gifts as soon as you purchase them to avoid last minute gift wrapping rush and stress. This is more of a time saver than it is a money saver, but as they say, "Time is Money!"

   
What do I need to know about starting Thanksgiving traditions?

Prepare Your Guests

When you invite your guests to your Thanksgiving meal, ask them to think about something that they are thankful for. This will give them the time to think about it, and not be put on the spot when you go around the table and have everyone say what they're thankful for. Believe me, your guests will appreciate this gesture!

   
How can I make a Christmas things to do list?

Christmas Things To Do List

Here is a printable one-page form to use to create a Christmas things to do list. This type of list is very handy during the hectic holiday season. http://members.tripod.com/~grambk11/XmasThingsToDoList.html

   
What do I need to know about starting Thanksgiving traditions?

Thankful Thanksgiving Tablecloth

Get a nice cloth tablecloth (light-colored) and have everyone write what they're thankful for on the tablecloth. Keep this going every year. Use different colored markers for each guest. Or, if you don't have enough colored markers for that, have everyone use the same colored marker for that year, a different one for next year, etc. You'll want to put a clear plastic "tablecloth" on top of this one so that you don't ruin it.

   
What´s an inexpensive way to celebrate our anniversary?

Get a Babysitter

You don't need to spend money on expensive gifts or dinners out to enjoy your anniversary. If you have children, you could drop them off at a sitter's house and just spend a romantic evening alone, together. There are many sexy foods that you could have, have a candle-lit dinner, have dessert in bed, watch a romantic movie, etc. No kids, go crazy!

   
How should I give baked goods for the holidays?

Giving Baked Goods

Collect tins for holiday baked goods during the summer at garage sales and thrift shops. People tend to get rid of off-season stuff in the summer so it's a great time of year to get ornaments, tins, and decorations for holiday gift giving.

   
What do I need to know about starting Thanksgiving traditions?

Thanksgiving Day Game

Have everyone write down what they`re thankful for on one side of a piece of paper, and put their name on the other side. Have everyone put their piece of paper into something (hat, jar, container, etc.). Then have someone pull out each piece of paper and read it out loud for everyone to guess who wrote it.

   
how can I store my Christmas lights?

Storing Christmas Lights

Empty wrapping paper tubes are perfect for storing strands of lights. Simply coil the strands around the tubes for an easier decorating job next year.

   
What is a good idea for a gift for a kid?

Craft Kits for Kids

A cheap gift for kids: put together a "craft kit" with everything needed to make the craft. Include the printed directions on a sheet of paper, and have it all in a big Ziploc bag. You could also promise to make the craft with the child, as a special treat.

   
How can I make an inexpensive Christmas centerpiece?

Christmas Present Centerpiece

If you are handy with wrapping paper, wrap up some empty boxes with holiday wrapping and pile them in the center of your table.

   
How can I make a Christmas gift idea list?

Christmas Gift Idea List

Here is a two-page form to make a Christmas gift idea list. Page one: http://members.tripod.com/~grambk11/PrintableChristmasShopList-3.html

Page two: http://members.tripod.com/~grambk11/PrintableChristmasShopList4.html

   
How can I have a luau party?

Let's Have a Luau Party!

Have you ever wanted to have a luau party, but didn't know where to start? Well look no further. Go to http://tinyurl.com/1d0b to see all of the different things that you can purchase, in bulk, for a great luau party.

   
Where can I find wreaths for all seasons?

Christmas Wreaths

Go to http://tinyurl.com/pdzz to check out TONS of great wreath ideas for Christmas. Now, being a thrifty person, you could take these ideas, and expand on them, by using items that you already have laying around the house. So, give it a try, and see what you can come up with! Have fun!!!

   
Where can I find wreaths for all seasons?

Fourth of July Wreaths

Go to http://tinyurl.com/pdw9 to check out 2 great wreath ideas for the Fourth of July. Now, being a thrifty person, you could take these ideas, and expand on them, by using items that you already have laying around the house. So, give it a try, and see what you can come up with! Have fun!!!

   
Where can I find wreaths for all seasons?

Valentine's Wreath

Go to http://tinyurl.com/pdw9 to check out a great wreath idea for Valentine's Day.

   
Where can I find wreaths for all seasons?

New Year's Wreath

Go to http://tinyurl.com/pdw9 to check out a great wreath idea for New Year's. Now, being a thrifty person, you could take these ideas, and expand on them, by using items that you already have laying around the house. So, give it a try, and see what you can come up with! Have fun!!!

   
Where can I find wreaths for all seasons?

Thanksgiving Wreath

Go to http://tinyurl.com/pdw9 to check out a great wreath idea for Thanksgiving. This is a very thrifty wreath already, but being a thrifty person, you could take these ideas, and expand on them, by using items that you already have laying around the house. So, give it a try, and see what you can come up with! Have fun!!!

   

Halloween Wreaths

Go to http://tinyurl.com/pdw9 to check out 4 great wreath ideas for Halloween. Now, being a thrifty person, you could take these ideas, and expand on them, by using items that you already have laying around the house. So, give it a try, and see what you can come up with! Have fun!!!

   
Where can I find great Halloween information?

Pumpkin-Carving Websites

www.pumpkin-carving.com
www.pumpkinmasters.com
www.pumpkinnook.com/hween/carve.htm
www.thepumpkinfarm.com/carvemenu.html

   

Halloween Crafts

Go to http://tinyurl.com/ng2o where you can shop for over 700 Halloween items at BOO-tiful prices!!! They have the following Halloween items: Candy & Pinatas, Costumes & Accessories, Crafts, Decorations, Novelties & Assortments, Novelty Jewelry, Party Supplies, Small Toys & Games, and Stationery!

   
Where can I find great Halloween information?

Halloween Candy

Go to http://tinyurl.com/ng2o where you can shop for over 700 Halloween items at BOO-tiful prices!!! They have the following Halloween items: Candy & Pinatas, Costumes & Accessories, Crafts, Decorations, Novelties & Assortments, Novelty Jewelry, Party Supplies, Small Toys & Games, and Stationery!

   
Where can I find great Halloween information?

Halloween Decorations & Party Supplies

Go to http://tinyurl.com/ng2o where you can shop for over 700 Halloween items at BOO-tiful prices!!! They have the following Halloween items: Candy & Pinatas, Costumes & Accessories, Crafts, Decorations, Novelties & Assortments, Novelty Jewelry, Party Supplies, Small Toys & Games, and Stationery!

   
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