Besides grab bags and gift exchanges, my girls always have at least a couple of friends that they want to give gifts. It’s usually just a little something, and we have often opted for bath gels and pouf sponges, perfume, nail polish and the like.
Treats are also good. I found an adorable bottle of Coca Cola shaped like an ornament and my daughter tied candies and curling ribbon around the top. It turned out very cute and I think this will make a fun gift. Her other friends are getting cellophane bags filled with goodies and tied with curling ribbon. One child (who had a much longer list) is simply passing out special candy canes in a variety of flavors. Of course, they are dressed in curling ribbon too. Ribbon makes most anything look more festive.
Another of my daughters started a thing with socks. She and her friends go out of their way to find the most unique, funky socks and give them to each other for Christmas each year. Toe socks seem to be especially popular. It’s fun but affordable.
Gel pens and funky pens and pencils are good, especially when combined with cool note cards or stationary. Locking diaries seem popular with ‘tweens and some of the younger kids like those little address books (make sure you find the ones with space for email addresses). Some of the kids do scrapbooking, so stickers, die-cuts, and other assorted items for embellishment work too. Temporary tattoos and stick on jewels are fun.
School emblem items seem to be a good choice as well. Stickers, notebooks, pencil bags, pencils, and other small items with the school logo can make good gifts. Socks, gloves, and other items purchased in school colors work too. Some of the kids even mix and match. They grab pairs of sox or gloves, one pair in each of the two colors, and then swap to create mixed “pairs.”