Cheap creative gift ideas

We love the idea of participating in a Secret Santa exchange — that is, until we unwrap something less than creative, like a bar of pharmacy-bought soap, or a bag of potato chips (these are real-life examples that we've encountered, swear!). As much fun it is to give (and get) surprise goodies, it can be a high-pressure situation, with one wrong move resulting in public displays of awkwardness. (Gee, thanks, George from accounting...)

The difficulty of hunting for low-cost gifts shouldn’t be a reason to give up before you even start, so be sure you're doing your part when you sign up for the exchange. To put the pep back in your shopping step, we’ve rounded up gifts that are more than worthy of holiday exchanges — and completely in your budget (yes, they all ring in under $25). Say goodbye to lazy, last-minute finds, and hello to affordable but still totally awesome presents anyone would want to receive.

• Creative family gift ideas
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• Cheap Christmas Craft ideas