No Cost Housewarming Gift (and 5 other inexpensive ideas)




photo courtesy of www.drunkengrape.blogspot.com
 

   I always say, "I don't wish moving on anyone."  Of course, I'm referring to the actual act of packing, cleaning, and practicing your Tetris skills while loading the trailer. Inevitably, everyone throws up their hands and exclaims, "I didn't realize I had so much stuff!"  However, the end result is usually very thrilling; a new & different living space is always emotional and exciting. 

 

When loved ones move, it's always nice to help them celebrate by giving a small housewarming gift.  But unless your kindness is a monetary gift to pay the first month's mortgage, there's really no need to spend a ton of cash.  Here are a few tips to create a thoughtful, no-cost/low-cost gift to say WELCOME HOME.

 

1. Folder of Local Take-Out Menus

Bring friends 'in the know' on
the best places to dine on the go.

If the recipients are moving to a new town, a folder with the local take-out options is my favorite housewarming idea.  It's a great way to allow for the home dweller to become familiar with their new town and the local fare. It's especially awesome if you are more familiar with the area than the recipient; you can bring them 'in the know' on the best places to dine on the go. There are a plethora of ways to go about this; customizing and investing as much or as little time & money as you'd like. 

 

2. Welcome Mat

Photo by www.housesittingvancouver.ca

Everyone needs a place to wipe their feet while welcoming their guests.  A brand new mat is always great for a new home; it sets a great tone for the new chapter in their lives.   

 

Check your local home-goods or big box store.  For less than $15 you can easily find a welcome mat that reflects the personality of the homeowner.  For a high-end look without the high-end cost, you could make a monogrammed mat for the same price, or less.

 

3. QR Code for Home WiFi

 

photo by www.tixeretnre.wordpress.com

 

I haven't yet done this, but it may quickly become my new favorite.  A framed print-out of the home's Wi-Fi info, how genius and fresh?!?!  The caveat to this: you'll need to know their Wi-Fi info and password.  And also be the type of people that don't change that info frequently. 
 

4. Fire Extinguisher

photo by www.swiss-miss.com

OK, OK... this isn't a very sexy gift.  But if you love your loved ones, perhaps you should consider it.  According to the National Fire Protection Association, less than half of American homes have fire extinguishers. The International Association of Fire Chiefs recommends keeping a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, in the garage, and on each level of your home. Fire extinguishers should be kept in the kitchen, but 10 feet away from the stove.  Nothing kills the buzz of a new home like a fire!  For less than $20 you can give the gift of piece-of-mind. 

 

Make it fun!  You can always decorate the extinguisher!  Now, depending on who you ask, this isn't a good idea.  The Nay-Sayers Position: this is an emergency apparatus and should be treated as such by keeping all instructions in plain view on the canister for when it's needed.   My Position: if it's ugly, it's going to be hidden under a cabinet and forgotten.  If it's stylish enough to be hung in plain sight, isn't that a good thing? 

 

I wasn't able to find any ideas for decorating the extinguishers, but perhaps spray painting the red with a complimentary color of the home would be a nice personal touch.  For further inspiration, there is a company in France that creates designer canisters (at designer prices...yikes!).
 

5. Make a Meal

photo courtesy of
www.foodnetwork.com

Almost every life event is made better with a home-cooked meal, moving to a new home is no exception.  Whether you simply offer a batch or your famous cookies or you go as far as making a 3 course feast, it will be welcomed my weary, hungry movers. 

An alternative to this is to provide the base ingredients to a meal that they can prepare, such as soup in a jar so they don’t have to worry about their first dinner.

 

6. A Christmas Ornament



photo by www.dollarstorecrafts.com
 

Another place where milestones are often documented in on the family Christmas tree.  Handmade ornaments are treasured by all.  You can spend as little or as much as you'd like, but it's a shoe-in to be a favorite housewarming gift.







Big or small, expensive or free, a gift given from the heart is a treasured present, indeed!  Leave a comment and post your favorite housewarming gift idea.

 



DIY Take-Out Menu Folder

Here is a great way to create an organizer for your home or as a gift for others

 

Step 1: Choose how much you'd like to spend (or not spend)

This is the best part!!! It can totally be FREE, aside from your time putting it together.  Using repurposed materials  for the organizer and picking up the take-out menus while out doing other things is a perfect way to make keep it no-cost. Alternately, you can spend some cash and purchase a gift card or two to coincide with the menus you give. 

Step 2: Decide what restaurants to add and how you will get the menus

Depending on the location, this could be a snap...or a challenge.  My preferred method is to stop by each restaurant and pick up an authentic paper menu. This may not be feasible depending on your distance from the town, timeframe, and your patience.  And because most restaurants have some sort of website, I've found lately many restaurants don't offer a paper a take out menu.  And nowadays, you can print menu from almost any eatery; which may be the way to go. 

Step 3: The Organizer

There are tons of possibilities for the chosen vessel of your restaurant propaganda.  If you have the time and funds, there are notebooks made specifically for this.  But most of us have a few gently-used folders or binders lying around: unused school supplies, that HR binder collecting dust on your desk, even the well intended (but never utilized) accordion coupon organizer.  You can dress it up as much or as little as you want. Keep in mind any leftover craft décor supplies you might can use: ribbon, markers or paint for labeling the cover, stickers, etc.

Step 4: Assemble and give

Have fun with this project.  And maybe make up a few extra to have on-hand as last minute gifts, and one for yourself, too!