$200 Sears Gift List Challenge (plus a giveaway!)
(Scroll down for details on how to win a $50 gift card!)
This month, Sears came to the folks at Curbly headquarters and challenged us to find gifts for everyone on our gift list for $200 or less. My first thought was, "Crafty goods at Sears. Huh?"
But I love a good challenge, and after doing a little searching, it turns out that Sears has everything. EVERYTHING! Shopping there on-line was a breeze, and I was able to find something for all of the DIYers on my list. Here's how I did it:
Gift 1:
To: My Sister-in-Law, the Tee-Shirt Queen
My sister-in-law is the queen of original tee-shirts and she has a knack for finding unique shirts with vintage patterns and simple silhouettes. She's a budding DIYer, searching for a good entry-point project. She also owns an iron. I spotted these amazing Iron-Ons from Chronicle Books ($11.65). The set is called "Sukie" and includes 30 fabric transfers that have beautiful patterns that fit the vintage vibe of my dear sister-in-law. I purchased this set along with a 3-pack of Hanes undershirts ($16.00).
Total: Iron Ons + Tee Shirts = $27.65
Gift 2:
To: My Dad, the Tinkerer
My dad has a mechanical mind and the patience of a turtle. He's capable of dedicating hours of meticulous work to projects, and he loves to build stuff.
For him, I found the Make Your Own Working Paper Clock ($15.29), a book that, when cut into 160 pieces and glued togther, transforms into a paper clock (operated by weights)! The clock keeps perfect time, and can be wound and regulated. So cool! I'm including a pair of scissors ($11.99) and a bottle of Elmer's glue ($2.49), and planning on slipping all into his stocking on Christmas morning.
Total: Book + Scissors + Glue = $29.77
Gift 3:
To: My Mom, the Artist
My mom is an amazing artitst who can do it all. As a new grandmother, she has been busy knitting everything from bibs to booties. I found the book, Natural Knits for Babies and Moms ($19.95), and some beautiful skeins of organic cotton yarn made by Sprinrite ($5.39/skein).
Total: Book + 3 Skeins of Organic Yarn = $36.12
Gift 4:
To: My Brother, the Historian
My brother is not a crafty dude, but he is a history buff. When I came across the Peabody Award-winning PBS series, Craft in America, I purchased two episodes for my historiphilic kin. The DVDs are broken into 5 episodes based on the themes of Memory, Landscape, Community, Origins, and Proces. Each theme takes you on a historical and modern journey as you are introduced to artists and their techniques. I purchased Episodes 1 and 2 at $17.99 a piece.
Total: 1 DVD + 1 DVD = $35.98
Gift 5:
To: My Cousin, the Potter
My 8-year old cousin is a budding and emerging artist who loves to dabble in new mediums. Recently, she's become interested in pottery. She's pretty apt with the make-and-bake clay, and I was thrilled when I came across the ALEX Deluxe Pottery Wheel ($55). The set includes a moving wheel and a variety of tools to position and sculpt the clay. The ALEX company makes a slew of crafty items for kids (everything from jewelry kits to fully-stocked artist easels) at several different price points.
Total: 1 Pottery Wheel = $55.00
GRAND TOTAL: $184.52 (just enough to buy a roll of gift wrap and some ribbon)!
I'll admit; I was a little surprised how well I was able to do with just $200. The average family plans on spending over $700 for holiday presents! In these difficult economic times, it's pretty cool to know you can buy crafty, creative, thoughtful gifts for everyone in your family for way less!
AND NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!
The nice folks from Sears have given us two $50 gift cards to give away! These babies are good at Sears, Land's End, and K-Mart. So we're going to give them away to you in a random drawing!
To enter:
- Comment on this post (one comment per person)
- Get additional entries by tweeting, Facebooking, or blogging about this giveaway (each one counts as another entry; make sure your comment includes links to your tweets, blogs, etc.)
- Giveaway ends Tuesday, December 15th at midnight (central time)
- Open to U.S. residents only
So what are you waiting for? Enter today!!!
Tagged : Sears, giveaway, gift, holidays, Christmas, giftlist
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