- make homemade bread- deliver once a week for a month
- using favorite recipes compile a recipe book or box
- make one dinner a week for a month and deliver it
- offer baby-sitting time
- a monthly lunch date with an elderly relative (something as simple as a picnic)
- a free lesson in a sport, activity, hobby you are good at
- weed a friends garden
- offer talents such as photography, financial planning, hairstyling etc
- offer yourself as a willing cheerful worker for a day
- put together a photo album
- make a video of people the gift recipients love....(great for grandparents!)
- offer to do a chore for a month that a family member dislikes
- give frequent flyer miles
- give an experience ( a day of kayaking)
- donate something in a name of a relative or friend or donate to a charity of their interest
- give a plant or tree
- coupon books
- homemade goodies with recipe
- photo CD (poor man's digital picture frame)
- homemade mix music CD (LDS hymns & children's songs can be downloaded for free at lds.org, compile Christmas hymns for a festive gift)
- Ornament
- Journal
- personalized calendar (PAF will automatically import birth dates onto a calendar of selected relatives....Microsoft Word has FREE calendar templates)
- Theme gift basket- (bath, car care, sports, pet lover, movie/family night)
- Movie Night Box- World Market sells cute "pop corn" boxes- fill box with $5 movie rental certificate, candy, and a packet or microwave popcorn....) This is great for your kids teachers!!
- record your voice on a tape as you read a book, give the tape and book! Great for busy moms, or a gift from grandparents to kids
- "I spy bottles" use old plastic bottles- fill with rice and small items for an I spy game (safety pin, dice, buttons, penny, small shaped erasers, marble, etc. Secure lid with gluem attach a list of what can be found in the bottle. This is great for a car ride or plane ride!)
- If you are a scrapbooker- make gift tags! I got a bunch from a friend last year and I loved them, they came in so handy!!!
Service Based ideas-
- donate to and help deliver local food bank items
- salvation army angel tree
- adopt a family that you know is struggling and become their secret Santa
- send care packages to missionaries serving from your ward or in your ward
- offer to babysit so a family with young children can go Christmas Shopping
- Invite someone who may be alone to dinner with your family
- visit nursing homes- carol, and read the story of Christ's birth, send cards
- donate leftover or excess scrapbook & craft items to local children's hospital etc
- deliver goodies with an invitation to a church Christmas choral firesides
- invite neighborhood children & their family over to teach them about the nativity through doing a play with the children.
most of these ideas came from an enrichment activity our ward had last week!! Have fun and happy gift giving!!! If any one has any other ones, please post them!!!