|
 It’s
your best friend’s birthday and your best babysitting clients are away on
holiday. You have to get a gift, but you’re broke. What are you going to
do?
If you use your imagination and creativity, you won’t need to spend
an arm and a leg.
 Look
at the jewellery people wear in magazines and on your favourite TV shows. Check
out what kind of things your friends have on. With these ideas in mind, design
and make your own necklace, bracelet, or earrings. A lot of materials are inexpensive
and easy to find – like beads and wires, and even earring backs. Now your
friend will own an original piece of jewellery.
 With
the retro look being all the rage, it’s time to hit the second hand stores
and thrift shops to find your friend a great outfit. If you decide this is what
you want to do, start early and plan to make a few trips. These stores get new
stuff all the time, and you never know when someone has decided to clear out all
the stuff from 1970 out of her closet. (Make sure to wash clothes if they need
it before you give them to your friend.)
 For
this you’ll need to enlist the help of your friend’s mum without your
friend finding out. Get her mother to give you your friend’s favourite photos
of herself. Sort through the photos for pictures of you two together. You can
also “arrange” to have a picture taken of the two of you. When you have
12 pictures, you can take them to a photocopy shop and they will scan the pictures
and put them into a calendar. Your friend will think of you for the next year!By
substituting your time, energy and creativity for money you can give your friend
a personal gift that she’ll cherish for a long time and you won’t blow
your budget.
| 
