Creating Something Fabulous from "Nothing"

One of the most exciting things for me, personally, as a frugal person, is to take on the challenge of creating a really great gift for next to no cash. The baby gift I've been writing about lately is a prime example. I needed something extra special to celebrate the arrival of my dear friend's baby (we have been friends for almost 25 yrs!) Here's a photo of how the whole thing came together:















I've already written about the contents of the gift earlier (the wrapped gift is the hat/mittens/booties). The embroidered linen cloth in front of the basket was draped over the basket when the gift was presented to the proud new parents.

The whole thing was a big hit when I gave it to my friends yesterday (and the baby was adorable, of course!) I love the fact that, even though finances are particularly tight for us right now, I was able to pull together a fantastic gift for very little cost. I spent less than $5.00 cash all told. The time investment was considerable - several hours, including the knitted gifts. I also added a few fancy finishing touches (the handmade tag on the wrapped gift, as well as a handmade card). I keep a box of old greeting cards, scraps of fancy paper, etc around to draw upon when I create these sorts of items. I also have a great pair of craft scissors that produces a fancy, rippled edge effect, which I use a lot when working on these types of projects.

The most satisfying part is knowing that I have really put a piece of myself into the gift, rather than just walking into a store and slapping down my credit card for the first item I see. Frugality at its finest!