Christmas gifts for 24 nieces & nephews?

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-26-2004
Christmas gifts for 24 nieces & nephews?
12
Wed, 09-21-2005 - 1:08pm

Ok, what should I do about this? Money is a little tight this year, and my family keeps on growing! Not to mention, I have a new DD this year myself.

DH has 18 nieces & nephews that range in age from newborn to 26. Last year, I just bought the 5 older kids $5 gift cards to Blockbuster. I spent about $10 or less on each of the rest of them. At least his 7 brothers & sisters decided to draw names last year! Any ideas on gifts for them or should I approach the family and see if they would be willing to draw names for the kids too? I don't have much interaction with his family and only see some of them once a year!

I have 6 nieces & nephews, but one of them is my nieces DH so I guess he really doesn't count? My niece also has a 9 month old. I am pretty sure that I can swing gifts for all of them though. I am going to ask my sisters if they want to draw names for the adults.

I also have 6 new step-nieces & nephews. My dad bought gifts for them last year from me but I don't think that I should have to get them anything this year.

What would all of you do? I don't want to take away anything from my DD first Christmas but I am going to institute the 3 gift idea that I have heard. (since Jesus only got 3 gifts)

Thanks! Joy

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Wed, 09-21-2005 - 1:20pm

I think drawing names for the kids is a terrific idea. Heavens--24 kids is WAY too many to be buying for. And what do they need gifts from all those relatives for, anyway? It can't possibly mean much to them. Even at $5 a pop, your commitment is $125, and for something they likely won't remember a week later. Draw names, and each person can spend $15 and some time and creativity getting something for the child that they'll really appreciate.

If you *must* get something for each and every one of them, go for something cheap and thoughtful, but easily mass-produced. Sit down one afternoon and make 24 cute bookmarks, and buy a used children's book at a bookstore (or, better yet, yard sales where you can get good books for 10 cents to 50 cents apiece) for each one. Or make 24 sock puppets (start now and you can complete this by Christmas--maybe!). Choose yarn the color of each child's hair, and buttons the color of each child's eyes, and embroider his or her name on the "neck" of the puppet.

Good luck! My dh also has a large extended family and we're fortunate in that they had instituted name-drawing years before we had children of our own. It works great, and it's a lot less pressure on everyone. I'm sure many of your relatives will thank you for suggesting it!

Blessings,

Heather

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-24-2004
Wed, 09-21-2005 - 1:58pm

Don't know if this helps but here's some ideas:

1. make everyone a tree ornament. Can you sew at all? You can sew up litte ornaments and either sew or embroider their names on each one.

2. Make food gifts, 1 big box per family***:
a. popcorn mix: Plain popped corn drizzled in chocolate mixed with a caramel corn and some nuts are mixed in too. I have seen this sell for about 3.00 per (little) bag.
b. Candy -- you know you can only get this at the holiday!: Fudge, peanut brittle, divinity, all the fiddly candies that no one makes any more but that are sooooooo oooooo oooo nummy. If you sent me fudge I would love you forEVER. If I were a kid and you sent me fudge I didn't have to share, I would love you until the sun fell from the sky. Oh, got distracted there...
c. Cookies!!!: 7-layer bars (these ship well), "gourmet" kinds (choco-chunks w/nuts, just buy big candybars on sale or use halloween candy when it goes on sale), peanut butter kisses or pick a special kind that only you make and send. This can be your trademark and you can do it every year.
d. Cookie mix in jars (good for the little ones, cause it guarantees one batch of cookies just for them. You layer all the dry ingredients into a jar, and then label the jar w/the type of cookie and the remaining wet ingredients that need to be added.
e. Drink mixes, like homemade cocoa

3. This is better for adults, but bath gifts, like bath salts (you can make these)

I think it might be helpful to give one gift per family. A big box of cookies is a nice gift, because people hardly ever bake anymore. You can buy the ingredients right around thanksgiving (they go on sale then) and you can make/freeze the dough ahead of time.

*** my great grandma used to do that. She would make, for each family, one big box of gingerbread/jam cookies from her secret greatgrandma recipe. We kids would literally BEG the adults for these cookies and the adults had to really remember how much they loved us, because they really LOVED those cookies and didn't want to share! :P Get the tins from goodwill, or you can pack them in baggies and make a pretty label (break out the crayons and glue!)

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-24-2004
Wed, 09-21-2005 - 2:01pm
when I say per family, I mean per house.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-05-2004
Wed, 09-21-2005 - 2:08pm
My husband's family is very large (10 kids + spouses + many many kids), so we have a hatpick each year. Each adult gets the name of one other adult to buy for ($20 limit). Each child gets the name of another child to buy for ($10 limit). We have been doing this for at least 15 years, and it works great! The kids love it because they get to do their own "shopping" for their special hatpick-cousin. :-D I just take my son to the store, give him ideas about the cousin he is to shop for (age, interests, etc), and hand him $10, and I follow him all around the store as he tries to decide on the perfect present. It really works great, and we've never had any complaints. :-D
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-23-2005
Wed, 09-21-2005 - 2:23pm

I think you should suggest a name draw IF everyone still thinks that all family members still "need" a gift. My family is huge and we've always done a name draw for the kids ($10-15) and a grab bag for the adults ($10-15). Participate if you want- we don't hold it against anyone for bowing out at any time. Our biggest thrill is getting everyone together and hoping we all still fit in my grandma's house (we have 4 new babies since last Xmas). The gifts are just an added "extra" for tradition-sake. I think it's a bit much for everyone to expect to exchange gifts individually. Why do that to yourselves??

Another approach is for each family unit to donate to a charity in place of gift-giving. You would only donate what you can truly afford- if any. When you gather as a family, everyone can tell which charity they've chosen and why- not necessarily how much.

Good luck!! I'm sure it will all work out for you.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-26-2004
Wed, 09-21-2005 - 2:32pm
Thanks! All of you have great ideas. I'm definitely going to see about drawing names. And maybe in addition making some cookies or something for the family. (I have to learn how to bake first!)LOL
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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Wed, 09-21-2005 - 7:08pm
Hi, Joy. Good question. DH has lots of brothers and sisters (4) and there are 7 nieces and nephews. We just buy for his parents, and for those nieces/nephews less than two. We usually get a gift card. $25 max. A long time ago, we bought for everyone (wives, girlfriends, etc) and had everything shipped and wrapped. No more. We e-mailed everyone that we were starting a new tradition and just buying for the little ones. One year, we didnt do anything. Why? I had gotten laid off before Christmas, wasnt working. Another time, I had been in the hospital and wasnt working. Sooo-that year, we didnt do anything, but donated a small amount to DH's mom's favorite charity. WHiz.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Wed, 09-21-2005 - 7:18pm
Hi, Joy--I just thought of something. Go to the hallmark cards website. There is a section there for FREE e-cards under "products". Click on that. Go to hoops and yoyo site (or, whatever you like). The cards are interactive, funny, all occasions. I got one of these as a thank-you and it was great! Kids would LOVE this. Whiz.
Avatar for sohappilyme
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 09-22-2005 - 9:19am

I have 12 kids to buy for and this year I'm making baskets for each family (about four) and putting home-baked goods in them. For the kids, I'm getting craft kits sold by the dozen from "OT" and for less than $20 total, I'm getting four individual crafts for each kid that are separately prebagged with instructions. Everything they need but glue is included, and as much as my kids love crafts, I'm expecting them to be a big hit! Most of the crafts they sell, all by the dozen, are less than a dollar per craft, and often just a few cents each. (You can get a dozen for $1.95 in many cases).

Sarah

Sarah
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 09-22-2005 - 9:30am

The basket idea gave me another idea--last year, some friends and we exchanged "family baskets," where we each chose a name at random of a family, and made up a basket for them. The challenge was to fill the baskets with gently used but carefully chosen items. I found candles and a pocket knife around the house for the adults, and then for the kids I put in yard sale finds. In my case, it was girls, so I purchased costume jewelry and some other things I've forgotten. For boys, hot wheel cars can be had for a quarter a piece at yard sales, and there are always bins of 25 cent-each miscellaneous toys at yard sales to choose from. I filled out the basket with some home-baked things and some packets of herbal teas and flavored coffees I purchased for cheap at a salvage store.

The basket itself was a yard sale find for 50 cents. The basket looked lovely, the children and adults alike loved it, and I think my TOTAL cost for the entire family came in under $5.

HTH,

Heather

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