I've been invited to a party where you bring 8 identical items to exchange in some way with the other guests. I've never been to a party like this so I don't quite know what to expect. It is all women, and I am friends with most of them or at least see them on a weekly basis. Could you all please help me with gift ideas? Like I said, they should be identical. They can be baked, homemade crafts, or store bought. There is no spending limit on this, but since I am already buying for my 4 children, and other family members and friends, I don't want to spend a lot of money on these. I'm not crafty, and don't have time for baking that many things right now. I'd like suggestions of things about $8 or less. I know you ladies will have some great ideas! Thanks so much!
EDIT*** I forgot to add that these have to be Christmas items.
Thanks so much for the great ideas, ladies! I went with the scratch off tickets. At first no one realized what they were. As soon as I told them, the tickets were gone fast! It was a fun party with lots of neat homemade things. If I'm invited back next year I'm making mini loaves of pound cake. :)
Try Bath & Body Works. They often have a 4 for $10 deal and this time of year they usually have some sort of special holiday scent. Old Navy has $5 fleece gloves or scarves. Pretty holiday candles also are good.
yankee candles are always yummy smelling and they have small glass ones. Kohls last year sold 3 in pack for like $10. The dollar store has great stuff too, plus cute gift bags.
I love the idea of giving everyone a lottery ticket. That's brilliant!
What about bringing everyone a little sprig of mistletoe? Or a small poinsettia plant? Those are both part of the holiday season without being specific for Christmas.
Good luck to you!
How about different kinds of lotto scratch tickets? You could do 4 $2 tickets wrapped in a small box....
I did that for a Chinese Auction/Secret Santa, it was a huge hit.
Have fun at your party!
I agree- that lottery ticket idea is good! How about one big, homemade Christmas cookie with a $5 lottery ticket attached? (Wrap it all cute in colored saran wrap, with a big bow!)
Honestly, EVERYONE loves the chance to win money! :) My husband and I put scratch off tickets in everyone's stocking each year, and even my ill tempered mother in law loves it...
Hi Kathy!
I come from a HUGE family and just went through this. What I ended up doing was to buy a ginger bread house kit at Bed Bath and Beyond. They were $9.99 each which I thought was a pretty good price but then with the 20% off coupons, you can't beat the price. It's a really cute x-mas present and gives families a little project to do together. Good Luck and have fun at the party.
E.
I do this with a group of women every year too! Here are some ideas based on what I've received in the past:
You could get a box of those clear glass ornaments and fill them with something, like little candies. At my exchange a woman made us each a pair of inexpensive beaded earrings and presented them in an ornament.
You could make notecards--you can get a pack of 50 or 100 at Michael's for less than 10 dollars, and rubber stamp them, or make mini-collages with words, photos from magazines, and give each person 5 or 6 tied together with a little ribbon.
You could go to the dollar store and get Christmas mugs and fill them with candies, or with a hot cocoa mix, or bath salts (in it's own plastic bag) and a votive candle, or tea bags. One year a woman gave us each a dollar store mug she had decorated with our names using a ceramic marker so it is permanent filled with homemade bath salts.
Hi Kathy! I have the perfect idea for you! Scentsy wickless candles offers car candles for $3 each in over 80 scents or they also offer room sprays for $8 each! The sprays are great and will keep your house smelling great!
Visit www.scentsy.com/onecoolcandle to see them and order!
They even have multi packs to save you some money!
6 pack of car candles runs $15 and a 6 pack of room sprays runs $40!
There are plenty of christmas scents available!
I give art parties and have found S& S, Colchester, CT a great source of these kinds of projects. Children can draw or paint and their work can be sealed in a lucite place, cup or mug. Last year I had to give a party for 400 children, and I got white porcelain piggy banks for the children to paint. The young ones scribbled on them (and got lavish praise) and the older ones painted details. They have frisbees, kites, boxes, cloth back packs. The prices are very reasonable...just $2 or $3.00 for a very impressive project I think their web site is ssworldwide.com. If I am not correct, send me an e-mail and I will get you the address when I am at work tomorrow. ____@____.com
