Inexpensive 50th Birthday Gift Ideas?

Time is short, but you can still pull this off.

Put together a "Pamper Yourself" basket. Use any old basket you have around the house. If it's dusty, rinse it with warm water and scrub with a toothbrush. Let dry outside or in a well ventilated area!

Now, visit your dollar store and buy a couple of instrumental CDs for $1 each. Something relaxing, according to her taste, if you know it.

Scour your kitchen and pantry for flavored teabags (it doesn't have to be a whole box), a pretty teacup and saucer, a nice cloth napkin, packets of hot chocolate, homemade cookies -- whatever you can find. If needed, put some items in baggies and tie with a piece of ribbon.

Add a nice magazine in her area of interest, a few pieces of gourmet chocolate. Or, go for nail polish, a facial cream or mask, or makeup. Again, browse the dollar store for ideas. You can get a LOT for $10 or so.

Pull it all together with a cellophane bag or clear plastic wrap. Use a 4X6 index card, or a piece of cardstock to make a big tag. Write on the tag,
"It's 5-0 clock. Time to Pamper Yourself!" Cut it out in a taglike or heart shape, punch a hole and tie it to the basket with a pretty ribbon.

Essentially, you're making something out of (almost) nothing. Use anything you have at home and add a few purchased items. Color coordinate if possible.

Have a safe trip, and give the birthday girl a big hug. That will mean even more to her than the gift.

You are right about the gas prices. How about a gift from your printer. Pull out some old family photos that your sister-in-law would enjoy, perhaps of her kids when they were younger, etc. and print on your printer.

Years ago I made "special me" cans for my sisters and each 1 of my 5 kids. I decorated a can and wrote 25 things on strips of paper about why they were special. 16 years later, they all still have their cans. As my sister turns 50, I'm making her a new "50" can, with 50 things about why she is so special in it. To this day, my family says the cans are the best gifts they received.

Everyone enjoys a nice photo album.Actually, you can't have enough.If you're pretty crafty and know how to cover one you can buy it for $1-2.00. Hotglue material on,add lace and ribbon.Is there a cake or candy she likes? Take time to make her some homemade treat. Maybe make a batch of your marshmallow fudge and when it is time to put in chocolate or peanut butter divide the batch making half chocolate half peanut butter.(Remember to use HALF AS MUCH since these will only be 1/2 batches.Instead of cutting in pieces remove from pan in a block,wrap in plastic wrap or ziplock bags, and put them in a pretty basket,tie on a bow and include a copy of the recipe.Eeveryone appreciates something you've taken time to make rather than something store bought.

Susan K. Beal

April 14, 20050 found this helpful

The previous ideas are excellent. As someone who just turned 50, I understand how many people approach their 50th birthday with dread, others with a sense of celebration. Nonetheless, there's a knawing realization in the back of one's head that they are getting OLD, and sometimes, thinking that can make a person really feel it! Put together a spa basket. That's a good idea. You could also make some coupons on your computer that would be good for various things, and since you are obviously not sufficiently close that you could pop over and babysit for a night or something, you could make something, and ship it to her -- a weeks worth of meals or something (just doubling what you would make for your family,) put together some dry or other non-perishable ingredients that she could use for a meal.... But the best idea of all is something you and your entire family could do -- but you'd have to plan it with her husband and be sneaky about it.

For my cousin's 50, I was hoping to find 50 pictures I had of her (but had to include pics of family members, too to get the 50 pics) and made a placemat covered with clear contact paper. She loves it.

You could use this in the "basket" idea or alone.... give her a magazine subscription. Roll it up and wrap it in pretty colored cello paper. The great thing about this gift is that you only have to initially come up with the newstand price of about 5.00 and get billed for the rest at a later date.

carol

January 20, 20070 found this helpful

my two brothers live a long way away too and if they turned up for my birthday i would consider THEM the gift honestly

so i wouldnt worry about a present i would just buy her a card and a token bottle of wine maybe and just turn up and spend as much time as u can with her reminiscing and telling her how much she means to you and apologise for being broke and not able to buy her a fancy present if u feel moved to tell her

she will just be thrilled to see YOU and the lack of a present will not make the slightest difference to your sister

the mere fact u are travelling all that way to see her is what matters and that is worth more than anything money can buy really and good luck and have a great time

carol

I'm faced with the same problem. How about a clear container with 50 Hershey's Hugs & Kisses and a pretty ribbon?