Author Topic: Frugal bday gift ideas for 1-year-old twin girls?  (Read 4321 times)

CloserToFree

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Frugal bday gift ideas for 1-year-old twin girls?
« on: June 13, 2017, 08:31:33 AM »
Gearing up for a 1st birthday party for two twin girls, the daughters of a friend of mine.  These are the most girly girls you can think of (and so is their mom) - think princess and tutus galore.  The parents also are super spendypants (dual luxury car family) and have everything one could possibly want for two toddlers.  Any ideas for pulling together a really frugal gift that doesn't come off as being cheap?  These are not the kind of people you can give used toys to.

I was thinking of putting together some sort of basket with a bunch of small but cute things -- stickers? some home baked treats for the family? maybe a cheesy picture frame I can get at a discount store like TJ Maxx?  It would be amazing to spend $10 or less on this. 

Trying to avoid putting this off to the last minute and feeling compelled to buy a $40 toy or something to compensate for lack of planning.  Hit me with your ideas!

Millennialworkerbee

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Re: Frugal bday gift ideas for 1-year-old twin girls?
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2017, 09:34:21 AM »
If I were you I'd do an arts and crafts kit.

My son is almost 1 and he is starting to grasp the concept of coloring. We have the jumbo size crayons for him but we also just bought this which he loves (and it's a 2 pack!)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B017OW251I/ref=psdcmw_676721011_t1_B00CPHX9JK

I'm sure if you look around they've got a girlier set. The pages are reuseable, I can see this being a staple in  the car for restaurants and road trips since the pen is just filled with water.

Stickers are a great idea too, and those window gel clings can be used on a window or in the bathtub.
« Last Edit: June 13, 2017, 09:40:06 AM by Millennialworkerbee »

joonifloofeefloo

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Re: Frugal bday gift ideas for 1-year-old twin girls?
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2017, 09:39:28 AM »
I generally stopped getting gifts for other people's kids, unless there were a very specific circumstance that said it would be a great idea :)

I would just show up with a big smile, lots of hugs, help the parents out with facilitating and cleaning up, celebrate. Switching to this has been a lifesaver for me in raising a kid.

Kapiira

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Re: Frugal bday gift ideas for 1-year-old twin girls?
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2017, 10:16:31 AM »
I'd get some helium balloons and big lollypops.

brycedoula

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Re: Frugal bday gift ideas for 1-year-old twin girls?
« Reply #4 on: June 13, 2017, 02:10:40 PM »
Sidewalk chalk, crayons (they make egg-shaped crayons & triangular crayons for toddlers), foam stickers, colouring books. The stickers & colouring books can be found @ a dollar store for super cheap.

+1 to helium balloons. I gave my godsons balloons several years running & they were a hit.

Sandbox toys (small bucket, shovel, etc) can also be found for not much $$$, and the bucket could also be used as your gift basket.

dandiewind

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Re: Frugal bday gift ideas for 1-year-old twin girls?
« Reply #5 on: June 13, 2017, 03:27:28 PM »
You could find some super cheap nail polish for sure. Bubbles are always a hit with young kids. I tend to buy books for my friends' kids, too.

TrMama

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Re: Frugal bday gift ideas for 1-year-old twin girls?
« Reply #6 on: June 14, 2017, 02:18:34 PM »
Books. Even spoiled kids can't have too many. If you write a nice inscription inside the front cover, it becomes meaningful.

I'd be super tempted to give them a copy of The Paper Bag Princess, but that might come across as passive aggressive. Although you could give them a nice hardcover anthology of Robert Munsch stories, where this one is included.

Dee18

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Re: Frugal bday gift ideas for 1-year-old twin girls?
« Reply #7 on: June 14, 2017, 08:07:09 PM »
Board books.  Our TJMaxx has a good selection.

TabbyCat

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Re: Frugal bday gift ideas for 1-year-old twin girls?
« Reply #8 on: July 29, 2017, 03:45:56 PM »
Bit of an older thread now, but responding in case this is still helpful - I keep a box in the closet of $1 or less gift items for kids. I buy extra and add to it when I find something great, and pack a gift right from the closet as needed. My kid's gift budget is under $10, but most often about $5.

From the dollar store or Target dollar spot (which now has lots of $3 and $5 things too so be careful): kid band aids with cartoon characters on them, bubbles, crayons (check the grocery/home store for these too - I got a bunch of Crayola crayons from Fred Meyer a few years ago for .30 a box), stickers, sidewalk chalk, coloring book, glitter glue (for an older kid who will use it carefully), rainbow popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, craft pompoms, finger paint, construction paper, ball, balloons or water balloons for an older kid, inflatable pool ring, pinwheel, etc.

For wrapping, I skip the card (add a diy one if you want, but cards cost money and kids don't care). I have a small stash of gift wrap bought on sale after Christmas - there is usually lots of paper that doesn't look Christmas-y in blues and other colors, or with kids cartoon characters on them, as well as tissue paper, boxes and bags. For a spring/summer birthday, I pack the gift into a $1 bucket and shovel set from target with some tissue paper.

A dollar store gift basket won't look like you spent $30 the way happening to score some toy on a major markdown will, if you're trying to impress, but every time I have gifted one of these, the kid has been very excited about it and starts playing with the stuff right away. Bonus for the parents - most of the items get used up, so you aren't adding clutter to their lives.

Sibley

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Re: Frugal bday gift ideas for 1-year-old twin girls?
« Reply #9 on: August 07, 2017, 07:10:46 PM »
A couple hours of free babysitting.  - Be realistic people, wouldn't you like a break from 1 year old twins?

formerlydivorcedmom

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Re: Frugal bday gift ideas for 1-year-old twin girls?
« Reply #10 on: August 10, 2017, 12:02:38 PM »
One of my friends once gave my kids the best gift- she bought cheap baking sheets, painted them with chalkboard paint, used real paint to put their names on the top, and gave them that with colored chalk.  I'm sure it was less than $10 (assuming you'll reuse the paint), and the kids LOVED it.

I also second books and bubbles.

CNM

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Re: Frugal bday gift ideas for 1-year-old twin girls?
« Reply #11 on: August 10, 2017, 12:06:49 PM »
For 1 year olds, I would not bother with a present.  They will not understand the concept or care.

DollarDominatrix

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Re: Frugal bday gift ideas for 1-year-old twin girls?
« Reply #12 on: August 22, 2017, 08:05:39 AM »
Try a box of tissues for each girl. They will LOVE pulling the tissues out of the box. Add sparkles if it's not fancy enough.

Alternatively you could also check out DIY montessori crafts for 1 year olds on pinterest.

chouchouu

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Re: Frugal bday gift ideas for 1-year-old twin girls?
« Reply #13 on: August 23, 2017, 05:58:44 AM »
I don't understand how a one year old can be girly? They kind of just sit there and laugh and babble.

I would get them books, maybe nursery rhymes or ones with pictures of other kids, they were popular with mine.  Ikea is good, I often buy their stacking cups, soft ball and sippy cups as a present along with a book.

TVRodriguez

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Re: Frugal bday gift ideas for 1-year-old twin girls?
« Reply #14 on: August 23, 2017, 07:53:25 AM »
I don't understand how a one year old can be girly? They kind of just sit there and laugh and babble.

I would get them books, maybe nursery rhymes or ones with pictures of other kids, they were popular with mine.  Ikea is good, I often buy their stacking cups, soft ball and sippy cups as a present along with a book.

ALL of this. 

 

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