Go for the box filled with thought

Do you remember when hampers were all the rage? Back in the 80s, when a giant cane case was filled to the brim with imported delicacies like chocolates, nuts, sauces, pickles, wines, liqueurs, and other items calculated to impress the daylights out of the recipient?
Well, the 80s coincided with a period of poverty for yours truly, so I devised my own version of the hamper.
One grumpy bachelor uncle, who thought gift-giving was a waste of money and time, was about to turn 60. I bought a practical plastic bucket, filled it with small hardware items like screws and tape, threw in sensible things like socks and vegetable seeds, and topped it with a homemade cake on a paper plate.
The grumpy uncle was so chuffed he even grinned.
The success of my lateral thinking spawned a new wave of prezzies that delighted recipients ranging from nieces to great-aunts.
One of the latter was a wonderful cook who was trying to lose weight. I bought a cheap but pretty fruit bowl, piled it with yummy seasonal produce, placed a cookbook like a base underneath, and wrapped the whole lot in green cellophane gathered at the top.
A niece who'd discovered DIY was given a tool bag filled with the basics like a hammer, screwdrivers, wrench, nails, and pliers, each wrapped individually. To soften it a bit, there were also girlie extras like nail polish and lipstick.
You get the idea - think of a container that can be filled with bits and pieces you can buy really cheaply.
Don't be too proud to make regular raids on two-dollar shops and bargain emporiums. You'll be amazed what you can find if you look at the shelves with a the recipient's interests in mind.
If you've got a handcrafts fanatic on your list, get a plastic box with plenty of compartments and load the spaces with beads, buttons, safety pins,
needles, a thimble, and whatever else fits. It's fun thinking of what to put in.
A gardener can get a planter containing seeds, a hand trowel, gloves, and gardeners' soap. Or to economise, put in a plant you've propagated or a find from a flea market.
A foodie would love a casserole dish with a casserole cooked in it as part of the present, or a funky cookie jar filled with homemade biscuits. Write out the recipe on a small card and attach it around the jar's neck with ribbon as a finishing touch.
For the family's fisherman, hunt around junk shops for a traditional creel and add lures, flies, a spool of line and maybe even a daggy hat.
For the dad who's impossible to buy for - and so many of us have one of those - you could try something completely different like a "Family Holiday Survival Kit".
Get a container that he can use - an under-bed storage roller, a lunch box, or even an icecream container - and give him a supply of slightly ridiculous items - a trashy novel, Best Bets, toenail clippers, a joke book, a mirror, a roll of toilet paper, a comb, earmuffs, and a really loud whistle.
All will come in handy at some point in a holiday, and there will be many other possibilities depending on your circumstances.
Have a happy Christmas.

Tips to keep inside the Christmas budget
* Keep an eye on the two-dollar shops and bargain emporiums.
* Bake some cookies, make preserves and place in a nice container.
* Don't buy expensive Christmas wrapping, use a container the recipient can keep.
* Produce from your garden can be added to a nice fruit bowl or vege bin.