Inexpensive Christmas Gift Ideas: Swaps, Exchanges, Cookies and More

Christmas should be a joyful time of year, but many people find themselves stressed out. One of the major factors of holiday stress is money. If you have a large group of friends and family to buy for, you can easily become broke or even in debt. One way to keep the cost of gift giving at a minimum is to host a Christmas Gift Exchange Party. Here are some tips on how to throw your own Christmas Gift Exchange Party.

Clothing exchanges are great. You can basically get a whole new wardrobe for free. The way a clothing exchange works is that you ask your guests to bring any articles of clothing they no longer want, fit, or need. You will search your own closet and dresser drawers as well for clothing to add to the exchange. Once the clothing has been laid out, guests will search through the clothing to find pieces they would like to keep for themselves. Any leftover clothing can then be donated to a local charity. A Clothing Christmas Exchange Party can be a great way to give and receive the gift of a new (to you) wardrobe.

You can host a "garage sale" in your own living room. The only difference, besides the fact that you will conduct business in your home rather than out on the lawn, is that all of the items are free. Ask your guests to bring several household decorative items that they no longer want or need. Scour your own home for items to add to the "garage sale" as well. Allow everyone to pick out a certain number of items which they can take home. Any leftovers can be donated to the local Goodwill. Hosting this type of Christmas Gift Exchange Party allows you to give and receive the gift of a newly decorated home.