10 Creative Christmas Gifting Ideas: Banish Stress and and Save Money This Christmas Season

It's hard to believe a year has passed since the last scramble for gift giving. "Christmas" season has freshly returned. I've never felt more relaxed about it, my shit is nearly done! I've finally got it down and for pennies on the dollar, at that! Christmas should be a time to relax, soak in delights the season can offer, and spend time with friends and family, not frantically hunt for presents at the mall with swarms of stressed-out shoppers.

Here are my 10 gift-giving ideas that are creative and inexpensive, they should help you avoid the holiday hassles, to:

1. Set a deadline and knock it out: I'm giving myself 'til the 14th to have everyone's presents wrapped up and ready to go. Then I have the rest of November and all of December to just focus on selling my own stuff and spend time with friends/family.

2. Use what you have to wrap: I love using brown packing paper and drawing on it, unique paper or magazines, colorful newspaper, toys, drawing my own gift tags, sky's the limit. You don't have to spend a cent and it's fun, too. The gifts will certainly have solidarity.

3. Wrap the presents you already have saved: a lot of us already have presents saved up in the closets. Don't forget them again!

4. Use the thrift stores/antique malls: I've been picking up bits I know friends/family would enjoy from the thrift stores all year. You can usually find something for everyone for a low price. Just remember to clean or repair it to perfection and present it beautifully!

Everything in my online shop and antique mall booth is on super clearance if you're gift hunting. Hint hint, subtle subtle ;D

5. Prioritize spending quality time: I'm mostly reserving the bulk of my gift giving for my nieces and nephews, the presents are for the kids, after all. For the rest of my family I'm focusing on spending quality time. A coffee shared with a long-missed friend is way better than any material gift.

6. Make Things: Print photos you've taken throughout the year, frame them, and send them to loved ones. Paint pictures, get crafty. I have travel and family photos I need to print for the family asap...

7.  Cook Things, Share: I'll be making and sharing healthy goodies. Printing healthful recipes would be nice, too.

8. Non-Material Gifts: Memberships (museums, clubs, gyms, bulk grocery stores), classes, magazines subscriptions, etc. can be more enriching than conventional material items.

9. Give a Service: Offer a service your good at to loved ones. Design cards/portfolios/websites. Help them design their room, write, take photos. A creative gift with loads of value that will cost you time, but not lots of up-front money.

10. Bonus: Resellers/artists/retailers, use items from your stock. I have items put aside for friends and family, like owls for my niece who collects them.

What are you doing to save money on gift giving this season? Got any crafts you'll be working on. Time to get busy!

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.