Charlie Brown Christmas

Ahh Christmas. The time of year we remember our loved ones with gift giving. The time of year we stress over the perfect present, we interpret a persons worth by how much money is spent on them, we turn violent for Black Friday deals, and rack up our credit cards with intentions of paying them off with our tax returns all in name sake of giving a gift. Sounds just like the spirit of commercialism and bad credit.

My sister, in an effort to help everyone save money on a particularly financially strapped Christmas several years ago, came up with a way for us to celebrate Christmas in a more meaningful, less commercialized fashion. Our mother had joked that year that our Christmas would be as bare as a Charlie Brown Christmas tree and thus my sister coined, this new approach to gift giving, the 'Charlie Brown Christmas'.

HOW IT WORKS

All gifts exchanged between family members must be White Elephant or DIY. Money is only allotted for materials needed to complete a gift. Nothing is to be bought as the whole of the gift. While this might just sound like another way of being frugal it is actually a way to give more personalized thoughtful gifts.

White Elephant- Usually one would think of this as a clever way to get rid of something that no one wants but one has or just a gag gift. While already having it is a key factor it should be something that the other person needs, wants, or may enjoy. My sister learned one year that my grandmother was planning on giving me a food dehydrator. She begged my grandmother to take it back so that she could give me the one she received as a wedding gift but did not use enough to make it worth storing. My sister spent nothing and I received a fairly priced gift I really wanted.

On a separate occasion my mother, knowing my love for root beer freezies, gave me a never-been-used shake mixer that she had sitting in the box for years.

DYI (Do It Yourself)- Numerous gifts can be made cheaper yourself than bought from a store. Plus finding an item customized to fit unique color, size, ect can be daunting. My husband is very tall and likes to wrap scarfs around his face multiple times thus finding a scarf adequately long enough for him was a challenge. This made making him one the perfect idea. I had recently learned how to knit and now could custom make him a scarf that would not only be the right color but also the right length. I even had enough yarn left over to make a hat to match the following year.

My husband, one year, bought me a couple of pillows I had been admiring at a thrift shop. Upon bringing them home he threw them in the washer for a good clean only to find that the stuffing had exploded from inside the cases. With the help of his mother (purely instructional), her sewing machine he made new custom fit pillows, out of old pillows sitting in the back of the closet and spare fabric, to go inside the cases (as in he actually used the sewing machine).

Other DIY Ideas that my family have made-

• My brother made my father a saw horse.
• I fixed several of my sisters broken, childhood necklaces for her daughters.
• My husband cut, sanded, painted, and decaled a 2x4 into wooden blocks that spelled 'love (heart)' on one side and 'laugh' on the other. (Pictured above)
• I sewed my husband a pair of flannel PJ's.
• My brother-in-law cut, sanded, and stained a set of blocks of different shapes and sizes for his children.
• My grandmother crotchet a Christmas tree skirt for each grandchild's family.
• My husband and I quite frequently make chocolate covered pretzels and marshmallows to give to friends.
• My sister this year made pure vanilla extract to give away and little jars of chili spice mix for those who would have no use for vanilla.
• My husband is taking the concept of a homemade heating bag and is going to make our 1 1/2 year old daughter a teddy bear from jeans, filled with dry beans. Before we leave we warm it in the microwave and she will have something she can play with and stay warm.
• I'm making washable makeup pads out of bamboo fabric for my mother.

'Charlie Brown Christmas' isn't just about saving money.

At the end of the movie 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' the beautiful Christmas Tree was the same tree that Charlie Brown thought would be a good one; it just needed a little time spent decorating it. A gift that has thought and time put into it will mean more than a price tag. Its no longer just a good deal, something that we happened upon that matched qualifications, or an item requested off a wish list. It becomes personable.

My father went to a recording studio and recorded a few of the songs he had wrote and gave each of my siblings a copy. While this gift did cost quite a bit, a price tag could not have been placed on it. We all cried hearing his voice and guitar on something that will continue to play after he is gone.

Of all the Christmas's I have participated in, as an adult without mom/dad doing all the work, I have enjoyed the 'Charlie Brown Christmas's' the most. So much in fact that we, my husband and I, celebrate gift giving in the same manner now. The stress from finances and expectations are not missed. And it is so much fun to see, not only the thought and time spent on us, but also the talents our loved ones posses.

TIP- DIY gifts are great and meaningful for all occasions. My siblings and in laws love when I make them jam for their birthdays. And a friend made me a car seat cover for my baby shower that I love.