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It's that time of year. People are tying the knot, and you're poring over registry lists trying to find a lovely gift that won't break the bank. So what's a budget-conscious gal to do? Borrow one of these ideas from savvy TCW readers just like you!

One of the more unique wedding gifts my husband and I received was a box filled with pancake mix, a jar of honey, flavored jams, hot cocoa packets, and a bottle of sparkling grape juice. It was everything we needed for our first breakfast together at home!

—Michelle Connell, Illinois

The wedding gift I still consistently use after 20 years of marriage is a lovely etched-glass vase. It's perfect for when my husband or a friend gives me flowers, or if I buy some for myself. You typically can purchase these vases for $10 to $20 at stores such as T.J. Maxx or Tuesday Morning.

—Claire Totten, Florida

This idea was a hit during last year's wedding season: I gathered together an inexpensive cookie sheet, a mixing bowl, a spatula, a timer, a couple cookie cutters, a potholder, and a cookie recipe in an inexpensive basket. You can buy a lot of these items on the cheap if you shop at discount stores. And you can get clever with the wrapping, too.

—Karen Dill, Oklahoma

Post-Christmas sales offer a great opportunity to pick up holiday items at really low prices. Why not create a "First Christmas Together" box for the newlyweds? Fill an inexpensive plastic tub (with a lid for easy storage) with a variety of tree ornaments, strings of lights, personalized stockings, holiday books, and other decorative items.

—Jill Lippiatt, Pennsylvania

The best low-cost gift my husband and I received was a picnic basket packed with plastic plates, paper cups, a cheap tablecloth, and some chocolates. It proved to be a handy gift because for the first few weeks after we were married, as we moved into our new home, we couldn't get to any of our dishes or flatware. We ate every meal off those plates for weeks!

—Anna Aquino, Florida

I like to cross-stitch a reproduction of the wedding invitation, the bride and groom's names and wedding date, or a pillow with the last-name initial of the happy couple. I put the needlework in inexpensive frames I purchase at local discount stores, or buy a simple form and stuffing for the pillow at my local fabric store. There's just something special about receiving a handmade gift.

—Sharon McKay, Canada

Copyright © 2005 by the author or Christianity Today International/Today's Christian Woman magazine.
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May/June 2005, Vol. 27, No. 3, Page 6

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