We have those bags that can be tied or sealed with a hair dryer at the Dollar Tree.

Cute idea!

Chocolate! Lip balm, drawer sachets, cute post-its or similar things and a cute pen. How about lining each box with a pretty scarf (the way you line a gift bag with tissue paper). Have fun!

Oh yes, I'll second the chocolate.

How about - one of the free purse size calendars from Hallmark cards (you can probably pick them up in late Oct/November), a handkerchief or the purse size tissues from the supermarket - some of them have pretty prints, maybe some of the sample perfumes from the department store, a small candle or votive..........I'll have to think some more.

Definitely chocolate!!

You have such good ideas already plus the ones added above!

I know Post-its have come out with cute shaped notepads (I have heart ones) but I also saw cute stationary/paper pads at Michaels with initials on it (I think they were a $1 or a $1.50). Really cute too.

My girlfriend got me a bunch of gifts for my birthday like you are doing and one of the best things she gave me is one of those purse-hooks for using in a restaurant (so you don't have to put your purse on the floor). They have so many different charms/themes to choose from and I've seem them in a lot of gift shops and Target, etc. I don't know how I lived without it now that I have one!

I saw the "hairdryer" giftbags at Dollar Tree too, they were 2 in a pack for a dollar for the size you'll probably need.

Food and beverages can never be wrong. So if they enjoy tea, perhaps a pretty vintage tea cup & saucer and a selection of teas? Coffee drinkers could like a nice travel mug & flavored coffee. Wineglasses, opener, fancy stopper and a bottle.

I love getting free samples of lux cosmetics things from the makeup counter, maybe some of that? Nail polish, nail kits, bath poofs, sleep mask, book light. I can come up with a million things!

What is your budget?

A few ideas:
Glass nail file
Monogrammed fingertip guest towel
BloemBox www.bloembox.com
Decorative picture frame
Engraved business/credit card holder (Example linked below)
iTunes gift card

Here is a link that might be useful: Card Holder

I think I want Pesky to make me a gift basket too. :o)

What about a pretty frame, and then all of you pose together when you do your gifting? Get someone to take the pix, and then have prints made for each person to fit in the frames.

Do any of these ladies bring a lunch to work? A cute lunch bag could be fun. Land's End has a bunch of fun print and colored ones that are on sale, and can be monogrammed. Also, check out the sale colors on the small totes, which can also be monogrammed:

sale totes

If gloves work, you could buy a fun pair of those stretchy ones that come in all kinds of fuzzy fabrics or great colors.

A permanent cup sleeve would be nice. I know Caribou Coffee sells all kinds of them. There are also the permanent ceramic coffee cups out there with the silicone lids that look like the paper cups and lids.

Thanks for the tips! Believe it or not, I've given many of the things suggested to them over the years, from the teacup down to post-it notes!

I gave one a LL Bean glove with an ice scraper attached last year during dirty santa.

I like the picture frame but I want something more "uncommon."

I've given them homemade sachets before too.

Question about those bags, I want one of those HUGE plastic bags that you don't use a hair dryer on.

I've seen them but I can't find any online..yet. I was going to stuff it with paper so they can't tell what's inside.

Keep ideas coming!!

I'm going to link two different catalogs in this post and the following one. I don't know if you'll find anything you like, but I often browse these two sites when I'm looking for gift ideas.

Here is a link that might be useful: Uncommon Goods

The other gift site.

Here is a link that might be useful: Femail Creations

amazon has really cute wine charm sets. They also have a beautiful tasseled metal leaf bookmark, in a gift box, for $3. (I'm not employed by amazon, I just like it).

Thanks, For! I'm thinking about getting my DIL's mom this gift, she'd love it! She's one of the box recipients.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rock

Oakley, you have lots of great suggestions! I'll add a couple of things. $5.00 gift cards to their favorite fast food restaurants for when they are on the go. They WILL be used. One other - one nice, unique Christmas ornament. I love getting a new ornament that someone has put some thought into and the best thing about getting it in a Christmas gift is you only use it for a few days and when you get your decorations out next year, it is like discovering it all over again.

If you are close to a florist, take your box and goodies there and let them wrap for you with the nice, clear see-through paper that ties with a ribbon. My DIL's mom owns our local florist, so we let her work her magic.

Presentation is important:)

Tuesday

Tuesday, I love the florist idea! I'll ask my florist, we're facebook friends. :)

Here's what I've given in the past which is what I don't want to duplicate..which is why I'm asking for more unique items that are relatively inexpensive.

Stationary
Stamps
Pens
File Folders (decorative)
Stretch Bracelets
Sachets
Lots of food gift cards, along with cards from Amazon, B&N, Hobby Lobby, Walmart, Target.
Chocolate, but I kind of ate it before Christmas. hee.
Lip balm
Candles

As you can see, it's the usual. My idea is to buy smallish/medium size things so the box will be brimming full of goodies!

I really like the picture frame idea and ornament.

I once made a photo album for my friend of all the pictures of us over the years.

You could make take a small frame and make a monogram picture for them. I really like the ones with fabric or burlap as the background and a painted wood letter glued on. Some people don't "get" the point monograms though so you'd know best about that.

If you don't go to your florist, (I still think you can find those huge bags at the Dollar Store) I think it's always pretty to dress up Christmas gifts. I like to use ribbon with greenery, bells, picks, etc.

Oakley, That sounds like a fun project and you have some great ideas already. I'll just add my .02.

Some things that I would like:

a nice journal

a pretty bookmark or one with a great quote

a good book

those tiny books--usually 3" or 4" square--may be women's witticism's or any number of topics

refrigerator note pad sets with a magnetic pencil

an amaryllis or paperwhite bulb to plant inside after Christmas when it is so dreary --can wrap in a small silk, scarf or handkerchief

a charm for a bracelet that had some connection to all of you

Give them each a pretty card with a note about what you especially value about them.

You might also get some great ideas in an antique shop. My late MIL once gave me a small, white with gold burnishing, antique cream pitcher that I love and use for a pencil holder on my desk.

Also, don't do like I once did and enclose scented items with foodstuff--ruined a wonderful box of pricey butter crunch toffee and disappointed my son!!

Have fun and let us know what you end up doing. I love new ideas!

Oakley, Glad you liked the sites. I enjoy reading all of the sayings at Femail Creations. One time, I cut a bunch of them out of a hard copy catalog that I had and decoupaged them onto an artist's board and put in on a little easel on my desk.

I give my son and his wife a "nice" ornament every Thanksgiving so they can use it when they set the tree up.

I gave bookmarks a few years ago. lol.

My SIL is here (we're having a slumber party!) and she suggested I go to Dollar General and see what they have. Do you know I've never been in one, and there's a store close to me?

I bet they have those bags too.

I checked my dollar store today, the bags they have are only 22 x 30 or 24 x 30, I assume that's too small for your project??

One of them is the hair dryer one but the other is twist and pull (or something like that lol).

If these will help you, I'd be happy to pick them up and send them to you. I double-checked they didn't have the huge ones I saw before (big enough for a bike?? Is that what you want???). With the holidays coming, I'm sure they will refill them.

Cath, that was so sweet of you! I bet I can find a bunch of them in a month or so, those type of bags are getting popular now. The sizes you mentioned would be perfect.

Here's the page where I ordered the boxes. I bought the 2nd largest size, about $26 each.

I love this site, but a lot of the items you have to buy in bulk. Heck, they might even have those bags!

Here is a link that might be useful: Fabric Boxes

If you google for bridal shower favors, you'll find lots of inexpensive girlie things. Do you have a Michaels near you? I think they have those gift bags, and they also sell bags of that cool shredded paper to line gift baskets.

It would be my pleasure to send them to you, just say the word. And you'd be able to cross it off your "to-do" list. Christmas is, afterall, 3 months from today!

We can email each other outside of here so neither of us shares private info. :o)

p.s. I just thought of this, I'd be gifting you "empty bags". How sad is that, lol?

I made "calling cards" for my girlfriends once. Very very Inexpensive. Just an attractive background and their name, phone number and email. I used vista print, i think i ordered 2 sets for 10$ each and got the 3rd free, so it came out to be around $8 per person for 500 cards each.

Check out Michael's craft store, that's a fun place to walk around. They have bags of every shape and size.

Here's some ideas...
Fancy soap
Stickers for putting on the outside of envelopes (scrapbooking isle is good for this)
Plug in air or auto fresheners from Yankee candle,etc
glitter Nail polish for the holidays
Jelly bellies...each woman gets a different flavor depending on her favorite foods ;)

I looked at the bridal gifts and loved it! Great ideas and very inexpensive.

Kiki, I love Vista print, that's where we get dh's stationary. They're fast too. Great idea!

Cath, if I can't find them locally within the next month, I'll definitely take you up on your offer.

I showed my SIL the boxes this morning and she fell in love with them and decided to do the same for her grown daughters.

That made me happy!

I go all out for my BFF of 50+years! I look for particular things, but I like to follow a 'color theme'~last year it was everything turquoise(because it's her favorite color), and the year before it was leopard print. I get things like mittens or gloves, scarf, wallet or purse, pj's, sofa throw, velour sweat suit, sunglasses, socks, and just about anything that I can find in whatever color i've chosen. A few years ago it was everything monkey's~~this year it might be the color pink, and since she loves cats, make it a *pink* cat theme. ;o)

Patty, I'm your new BFF, remember? ;) Do you also fill a box, or do you individually wrap the gifts?

I love the cat idea! Your friend is very lucky to have you!