Second-hand shops and consignment shops can net you big bargains that look and are terrific. Clothes, jewelry, movies, music, books...

Cheaper, more obviously worn but nevertheless attractive items can go in a banker's box for the best dress-up box ever.

A trip to the local arts and crafts store can result in a home-made art kit for a little kid, or even a bigger kid who likes to draw or paint. Some of these shops offer free or low-price classes in knitting, calligraphy, crochet or needlepoint, for the gift that will go on forever. (Our library is offering lace-tatting classes for the cost of materials, and participants walk out with a decorative piece of lace for the table.)

The jewelry findings section of that same craft store will yield the cords and wires for backpack or cell phone charms, along with an assortment of inexpensive glass, ceramic and metal beads to make personalized pieces. OK, so you have to buy a couple pair of jewelry pliers. No investment in a tool is wasted at my house.

Stock up on mason jars and make some of those "cookie in a jar" recipes to give away. They're fun and tasty.

Flowers are never amiss. Think you can't afford it? Get a simple, smallish, inexpensive glass vase and a bunch each of miniature carnations (color of your choice) and baby's breath at the grocery store. Look for carnations that have many buds just beginning to open, because they may last as long as 10 days with care. They come with plant food; dissolve it in warm water according to the instructions and put some of it in the vase. Cut the flowers to different heights on the diagonal with a knife (NEVER scissors!) and put them in the vase. If you feel daring, get two varieties of flowers, plus the baby's breath. Make sure the vase is full. The flowers shouldn't be able to move around.

Little kits:
-Pumice stone, foot refresher lotion, heavy-duty foot cream and 100% cotton socks in a small basin, wrapped prettily = foot spa in a bag.
-Six-pack of microbrewery beer (or a really good soda), a summer sausage, some good favorite cheese, crackers or chips, and two DVDs (one a feature film and one of "short subjects") = guys' night party.
-Same idea with hot chocolate mix, fuzzy slippers, an aromatherapy candle, and chick flicks = girls' night in.
(You can substitute a gift card at a local rental place for the movies if you want to give them their choice. It's also cheaper, but the choice makes up for the money.)

And, if you're looking for something for a family, board games are back! (Well, they never left, but they are cool again.) My oldest daughter and her friends highly recommend boardgamegeek.com for its rating system, breadth of selection and description of games.

Don't forget the library for more ideas from cookbooks and craft books. And you can make really good playdoh with stuff from the grocery store. I can post the recipe if you want it.