KEY POINTS:
A surprise visit. A far-flung relative. A new friend. Or, perhaps worst of all, you forgot your partner because you spent all your time tracking down that robot toy for the kids. Don't fret. There are plenty of gift options - even some pretty good ones - in
hiding at the local dairy, the petrol station and even in your own cupboards. And there are some cunning ways to cheat at gift giving. All you need is a lot of ribbon and some sheets of wrapping paper.
1 For the overworked
A handmade certificate that guarantees a home-cooked dinner, a spring-cleaned bathroom, help with the gardening or anything else they might appreciate help with.
2 For the foodie
You could whip up a batch of cookies or a cake for that home-made touch. Or combine feta, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary and anything else that suits in a jar full of olive oil. Voila! Marinated snacks made by your own hand. Even more cunning (and, um, possibly slightly duplicitous) would be to decant existing food products - olives, feta, jams - into old jars. Decorate with ribbon and, golly gee, they're home-made too.
3 For the casual cook or cocktail drinker
Find a notepad, decorate the cover with wrapping paper and fill it with a couple of your favourite, "grandmother's secret" recipes to start them off. Or if cooking isn't their thing, then make it a cocktail recipe book. You could even add a couple of ingredients - say, a can of lychees or some lime syrup from the dairy.
4 For the reader
Buy a magazine, any local magazine, your surprise visitor might enjoy. Then include a card telling them this magazine represents a subscription to the magazine. When businesses reopen, don't forget to buy the subscription.
5 For the good samaritan
Donate to a charity you think they'd approve of, on their behalf, over the internet. Or simply write your surprise guest a card letting them know what will be done on their behalf.
6 For the music lover
If you've got iTunes on your computer, then it's easy to make a compilation of music you think they will enjoy and burn it on to a CD. Then, using old magazine pictures or photographs, make a CD cover with a personal message. On the inside of the cover, write your Christmas greetings.
7 For the gardener
No one is suggesting you start digging up the ferns but if you've got a spare pot plant - succulents, herbs, flowers, anything will do - wash the snails and dirt off and wrap a big ribbon around it. Alternatively, pick some flowers and turn them into a pretty, rustic bunch.
8 For the child
Find an appropriate container, decorate it and turn it into a kit for fun. Old clothes make for a dressing-up box, pens and papers make an art set, and a mixture of fruit, chocolates, sweets and biscuits adds up to a sugar overdose. Depending on the quality of your food items, this last idea can also work for the average foodie. Use a good-looking mug instead and think quality rather than quantity.
9 For the man's man
A Homer Simpson gift basket - or cardboard box, if you like - filled with beer, chips and nuts.
10 For your love
Write a Christmas poem on a nice piece of paper. Seal it with melted candle wax, in which you can draw a heart and, of course, a kiss.
