Top 5 budget Christmas gift ideas

Cake in a jar

Debbie, Sponsorship Specialist

Every year I choose one of my favourite cake, biscuit or brownie recipes (or my friend Google’s) and layer all the dry ingredients into a jar. I decorate the jar with ribbons and add a personalised tag with baking instructions. I have made all different ones over the years – and everyone loves them. An extra bonus is getting to taste the finished product!

P.S.- I try to use SA ingredients where possible to support local!

Plant babies (aka propagated plants)

Sonia, Accounting Manager

Succulents are super easy to grow and, let’s face it tiny succulents are downright adorable. So I use cuttings from my own collection of succulents (or indoor plants) and re-house them into nice pots with lovely bows and hand them out as gifts. It’s easy, cheap and always a crowd pleaser!

Sauces and jams

Dominic Newcombe, Fraud & Disputes Manager

It might be cliché but I absolutely love handing out my homemade sauces and jams, not only because I have some pretty tasty creations but also because it helps me make the most of all my homegrown fruits and veggies that would otherwise go to waste! So it’s win-win for everyone!

Surprise lunchboxes

James Vinicombe, People Learning and Development Consultant

If you’re anything like me and leave birthday present shopping to the last minute, then you’ll love my “surprise lunchboxes”. Basically you run down the isle of your local supermarket, grab a lunchbox from the general merch aisle, then fill it with all the SA goodies you can think of like Beerenberg chutney, Perrymans Gingerbread Cookies, Tuckers crackers, Fruchocs and nifty little kitchen gadgets. It’s low effort and low cost but is always a winner!

Playdough sets

Courtney, Marketing Communications Specialist

I could never come up with any good gift ideas for my nieces and nephews until I stumbled upon homemade playdough sets. Now every year, I make up my own playdough (sometimes edible- Nutella and peanut butter) and load them into Tupperware containers. In a basket, I add the homemade playdough, a rolling pin, cookie cutters, alphabet beads, stones, pinecones etc. and throw in the most important part of the present which is “playdough tasks”! Not only do the kids love these sets but their parents do too! #ThankMeLater