Best Gift for a Tenner

Published on Tuesday 2 December 2008 19:37

LET'S HAVE A QUIET NIGHT IN: A simple "quiet night in" package is always a good gift, especially for those who put themselves at the bottom of the priorities list.

Try a DVD plus a bag of popcorn; a book and a box of chocolates; toiletries (choosing a few miniatures and make your own kit is both cheaper and more personal); a nice coffee mug and some posh biccies or just a decent bottle of wine with a large label saying "prescription: to be used only by the named recipient".

DOWN UNDER: A voucher or gift card for the local cinema can be used on Boxing Day or saved for later in the year, and can often be used to buy food and drink as well as tickets.

For anyone trying to avoid further conversation with in-laws, Baz Luhrmann's latest lush epic, Australia, starring Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman and some amazing Antipodean landscapes, is due to open in the UK on Boxing Day.

NOW AND ZEN: For the stressed executive in your life, what could be better than a desktop zen garden kit? Or perhaps a tiny gong, to be banged in frustration after dealing with yet another nightmarish client?

Pop into Borders and peruse the racks near the tills and you'll find all manner of nifty ideas housed in wrapping-friendly square boxes and with wallet-friendly prices.

GREEN FINGERS: Got anyone with green fingers to buy for? Try a gift that keeps on giving and buy a plant pot and seeds (flowers or herbs), or bulb vase and bulb. You can get ready-packaged versions from garden centres, some DIY stores and high-street chains such as Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury, or create your own combination.

Bulbs planted on Boxing Day will flower in early spring, reminding the recipient of your thoughtfulness for months. Watching a shrivelled bulb turn into a three-foot amaryllis will appeal to plenty of kids, too.

AN ECO-FRIENDLY XMAS: For anyone interested in nature or the environment, check out the Natural History Museum products (available from some big high-street names, with the full range online at www.nhmshop.co.uk).

From recycled beer glass goblets to notepaper made from elephant poo to a flower pressing kit, there's an eco-friendly something for everyone.

CHILD'S PLAY: For the bloke who has everything – or the bloke you have no idea what to buy for – give them an excuse to regress to their childhood and build something to play with.

WH Smith is a stockist of Science Museum kits or you can get them direct from the source at www.sciencemuseumstore.com/mall/index.cfm.

There you can find a DIY rocket that runs on baking soda and vinegar or a kit to create a robot duck among many other fascinating items.

A KITSCH CHRISTMAS: On a similar theme, check out high-street stores such as M&S, Next and Boots or dive into the hugely addictive www.iwantoneofthose.com website to find a whole host of gadgets and kitschy items.

These range from the useful (book lights, travel alarm clocks, Starship Enterprise bottle openers) to the slightly unhinged but hilarious. How do you fancy a wind-up racing Royal Family, a Psycho-inspired shower curtain with bloodstained handprint design or a "Sat Nag", which will fill the recipient's car with such crackers as: "I know you're a man, but it's been 35 minutes now, so can you please admit you're lost and ask someone the way"?

A DELICATE GIFT: Your auntie loves to cook, your brother loves to eat out – you have no idea what to buy. Get yourself to a delicatessen (such as Valvona & Crolla in Edinburgh or Heart Buchanan in Glasgow) or into a decent supermarket: boozy jams, posh chutney, herb-infused oil, high-end spices… the choice is endless. Pick a couple of things, get a nice gift box and you're sorted. Again, plenty of high-street stores (Boots, Next, M&S) do this kind of thing if you are short on time, and no cook will sneer at chunky Kilner jars of sea salt and black pepper, even if they aren't Jamie Oliver fans.

PICTURE THIS: Even if they aren't into photography, everyone likes a nice picture around the place, and if it comes in a carefully chosen frame, then so much the better. Whether it's an ancient snap of you and your mate from university, a nice shot you took of their pet or a postcard of a painting you know they like, get a print and find a frame they'll want to have on the mantelpiece or their desk at work.

10STOCKING UP: Absolutely no idea whatsoever of what to buy? Whether it's your department's gift to their boss or something last-minute for a friend's child, you can't go far wrong with a stocking.

A few basics – a tangerine in the toe, a couple of sweet nibbles (must include chocolate coins), silly things with no other purpose than to make a noise/make the wearer look stupid, socks, a pointless gadget or something related to their hobby (pen with a built-in light, golf balls). When they're all individually wrapped and stuffed into the stocking, you've got something memorable without having to spend a fortune.