Great Low-Cost Holiday Gift Ideas for 2024

The holidays are the season of giving. Everyone in your circle of loved ones deserves a gift that reflects how fondly you think of them all year long. Gift-giving is a chance to show how well you know someone by choosing something they would love or considerately choosing something they can enjoy for family you don’t know that well. Of course, just because giving is in your heart doesn’t mean your pockets are overflowing with cash to buy fantastic gifts for the whole family.

Fortunately, you’re not the first to be shopping for holiday gifts on a budget. There are tons of great ideas for giving truly wonderful and personal gifts without breaking the bank. You can separate those ideas into two categories: low-cost gifts and affordable DIY gifts. Low-cost gifts are store-bought but are chosen from the heart, while DIY gifts are handmade wonders that use personalization instead of expense to show your love.

Let’s dive right into our best budget gifting ideas that your family will love in 2024.

Awesome Low-Cost Gifts

– Framed Poster Print

A printed poster is one of the lowest-cost ways to decorate your walls, and you can get prints of absolutely anything. Whether you’re gifting to a teen with a favorite band or a cousin who adores nighttime cityscapes, you can find a beautiful print. Add a low-cost but nice frame, and it’s a great gift to unwrap during the holiday season.

– Journal and a Nice Pen

Have a friend who loves to write, draw, or journal? A blank journal can be a wonderful gift, showing that you support their self-expression and providing them with dozens more pages to fill with their art. Combine the journal with an elegant pen or a set of new pencils to complete the gift.

– Modern Board Games

The holidays are a time when many people disconnect from social media and digital distractions to enjoy each other’s company. Nothing is better than a board game with friends and family. Consider gifting modern board games or family-friendly tabletop games that have gained popularity recently. For relatives that love a clever tactile gift, a board game or card game can be perfect.

– Sustainable Bath Treats

Everyone loves a bit of pampering. Give a set of organic, sustainable bath bombs, bath oils, or bubble baths so the recipient can unwind in their favorite place. For multiple relatives, buy bath treats in bulk and package them adorably for separate gifting.

– Plush Robe and Slippers

Another great bath-time gift is a plush robe (surprisingly inexpensive from the right sellers) and a matching pair of slippers. Give your loved one the gift of comfortably lounging around the house.

– Stack of Puzzle Books

Have a relative who loves puzzles? A stack of puzzle books costs very little but can provide hours or even weeks of entertainment. Puzzle books can be a great gift for any age, as long as they love puzzles.

– Great Book to Read

Or you can gift a new copy of a personal favorite book to someone who loves a good read. If you know someone who is always looking for a new book to consume or might really enjoy a book’s contents, by all means, gift those pages—physical or digital.

– Indoor Smart Garden

Indoor gardening is more popular than ever in 2024. Consider gifting a small indoor smart garden kit. These kits allow even novice gardeners to grow herbs or small plants indoors with minimal effort.

– Hilarious Hat or Throw Blanket

Never underestimate the power of gifting a laugh. If you see the perfect hilarious hat for a loved one, go for it. There are also some great fleece throws made to look perfectly like pizzas, tortillas, and the like that can make hilarious and useful winter gifts.

Affordable DIY Gifts

– Home-Cooked Holiday Treats

When your budget is low, you can always show your family a little food-love. Invest your gifting budget in baking supplies and make some superb holiday treats to share. Go the extra mile by making nut-free cookies for your allergic nephew, gluten-free brownies for your celiac aunt, and triple-chocolate treats for your chocoholic cousin. Your family will know you care.

– Handmade Ornaments

Beautiful handmade ornaments can actually be made surprisingly cheaply. The two best deals at the craft store are either bead-and-wire ornaments or pick up some plain glass orbs and paint pens to draw your own tree decor. Personalize, wrap, and gift!

– Mason Jar Snow Globes

You can make some incredible snow globes with nothing but a jar, oil, glitter, and anything you think might look good inside the swirl. Personalized jar snow globes are a great way to show your creativity without breaking the bank.

– Hand-Knit Hats

If you knit or crochet, this is the perfect avenue for affordable and personalized gifts for the whole family. Look for cute, stylish, or hilarious designs depending on who you’re gifting to and let the yarn fly.

– Curated Streaming Playlists

Sometimes the most heartfelt gift is one of music. While mix CDs have become less common, you can create a personalized playlist on a streaming service and share it with your loved one. For one or two of the right relatives, a curated playlist of handpicked songs can be more meaningful than any physical gift. You might also consider gifting a subscription to a music platform they love.

– Rice-Bag Warmer Pads

Ever wish you had a pocket warmer, belly warmer, or muscle-ache heating pad? So have your family members. You can make beautiful and very cheap warmer pads with handmade bags of rice. Use low-cost fabric or even recycled fabric scraps and a large bag of rice to make warming pads for the whole family—and a few for yourself at home.

– Personalized Embroidery

If you’re handy with a needle, consider adding personalized embroidery to simple items like handkerchiefs, tote bags, or pillowcases. Embroider initials, favorite quotes, or simple designs that are meaningful to the recipient.

– Mason Jar Treats

Finally, never forget the value of simply filling a mason jar with candy or other goodies. Buy a set of jars of any size and fill them with decorative low-cost treats. These treats might be candy, hair accessories, art supplies, or anything else that will make your relatives smile when they see your ribbon-wrapped jar.

Giving wonderful and personalized gifts to your family in 2024 doesn’t have to cost a fortune. A bit of strategic shopping or a quick trip to the craft store might be all you need to make sure your warmth and love shine through happily received gifts this holiday season. In 2024, sustainable gifting is more important than ever. Consider eco-friendly options to show you care about both your loved ones and the planet.

For more great gift ideas or ways to save money during the holiday season, contact us today!