THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 9, 1994 TAG: 9412090063
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HOLLY WESTER, CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Long : 137 lines
IF THERE'S ONE want we all have in common, it's gotta be saving money. This holiday season should be no exception.
With car payments, insurance and gas money eating away at the wallets of today's teens, frugality and thriftiness are the keys to this year's holiday shopping. A little brain power, creativity and a few bucks can go a long way, even if your list is long - parents, siblings, best friends and that significant other.
Personal touches are the way to make your presents work. Add a note explaining why you gave a gift or pack the receiver's favorite candy with it. Whatever you do, show that you put some heart in it.
Since they are the reason for your existence, Mom and Pop should get nothing but quality. Homemade gifts are the way to go and Michaels Craft and Floral Warehouse in Virginia Beach has aisles and aisles of supplies for skilled and not-so-skilled crafters.
Handmade clocks are sure to please either parent. Michaels sells clock mechanisms for $5.27. Make your own design with a piece of cardboard and paint, crayons or clay for a total of about $9.
Ribbon-decorated baskets ($4) filled with homemade cookies, dangling earrings (under $4) and angel decorations (around $6) are a few gifts that will wow your mom.
Hand-painted ties are a cheap and funky gift for your old man. Michaels has black-and-white polyester ties for $1.59, and fabric paint is spare change at 65 cents a tube.
If art ability simply isn't in your genes, scour the warehouse for ready-made gifts awaiting your touch. Buy a sunflower-decorated mini-photo album ($1.99) and fill it with your baby pictures. Or grab a matted photo of a fish or an angel ($4.19) and plop it on a black or gold plastic easel ($1.51) to make a dresser decoration.
Michaels also has stores in Chesapeake, Norfolk and Virginia Beach.
Stick to the practical. discount stores, such as Wal-Mart, Phar-Mor and Kmart, which are filled with trusty items. And they have locations all over the place, so you won't have to go far.
For your older brother, Kmart has a phat 1995 16-month NBA calendar for only $3.99 featuring ``dunkers'' like David Robinson and Charles Barkley. If you want to get mushy, write in the important dates ol' bro seems to forget.
If you're up for a risk, pick up a pair of plaid flannel boxers ($5.99) and a head band ($1.99) for your brother's next ski or snow board trip.
For sis, the calendar ``for Women who Do Too Much'' is a smart and cheap ($6.99) way to show you care. Lap desks ($5.97) are a college girl's dream. Kmart also has shelves and shelves of address books ($2.69) and pocket planners ($2.39) for the busy women of the '90s.
For younger brothers and sisters, steer clear of trendy Barney punching bags and Power Ranger action figures. Stick with the old standbys: gifts you were given as a kid.
Revco has plenty of finds for around a buck. An activity book ($1), 10-pack of markers ($1) and a box of eight crayons (89 cents) are heaven to a 6-year-old. Walt Disney books like ``The Little Mermaid'' ($1.69), Pick-up Stix ($1.59) and drawing pads (99 cents) are some additional steals. To personalize, write a note inside a book or pad offering to hang out for a coloring or drawing session.
Best friends should come next on the list and specialty, gift and side-of-the-road shops are the best places to find the perfect presents. Taste Unlimited, a gourmet food store with locations in Virginia Beach and Ghent, is sure to have something your best buddy will drool over.
In this pasta-cravers paradise, gourmet noodles are dirt cheap. For $2.98 you can pick up almost any flavor, from Garden Rainbow Rotelle to Red and Bell Pepper Fettucine. Grab some fruity herbal tea bags ($1.29) and a few truffles (15 cents each), and you have a meal! Toss your findings in a strainer with some tissue paper and write your pal a note offering to cook one night during winter break.
Pier 1 Imports, with locations in Norfolk, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, is filled with gifts to personalize. For $1.88, you can pick up a funky journal decorated with bright orange suns, and for an additional $1.78, you can get the matching pencil set. Break open the pencils, sharpen one and write a note inside the journal, telling your friend, ``I hope our friendship lasts as long as the sun shines.''
Trouble dolls ($1.99) are another nifty idea. According to Guatemalan myth, these 1-inch dolls try to solve your troubles while you sleep. Pack them in a mini-treasure chest ($4.99) and let your friend know how much you ``treasure'' him or her.
Party City, located in Collins Square in Virginia Beach, is another great place. Pick up a gift bag (from 17 cents to $1.49) and stuff it with Christmas goodies he or she can use now and in the future. There are rolls of holiday toilet paper ($2.69), snowflake ornaments (29 cents), note pads (69 to 88 cents), plastic candy-fillable dreidels (69 cents), pencils (34 cents to $1.19), snowman candles (99 cents each) and lots more.
Comic books are a sure way to get a pal into collecting, which could become a lifelong hobby. Shops like Comic Zone in Portsmouth and Atomic Comics Emporium, with locations in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Newport News, Hampton and Yorktown, have hundreds to sift through. Some, such as ``Evila Triumphant,'' are as cheap as $1.25.
Shopping for your boyfriend and girlfriend should be saved for the mall.
For the not-so deeply in love, Barrington's, a gift store inside both Lynnhaven Mall and Greenbrier Mall, has plenty of innocent presents. Cut, colored glass is making it big this year ($1.99 to $4.95) and comes in all sizes, shapes and colors. Wine bottles and candle holders are the more popular glass pieces.
You can fill these bottles and jars with silk sunflowers ($4.95), marbles ($1.95 a bag) or gourmet suckers (99 cents) in flavors like pina colada and blue raspberry. Fragrant bath salts are another filler, and you can make them at home. Mix 2 tablespoons of liquid soap, 1 teaspoon glycerin, 2 drops of perfume or scented oil and 3 cups of Epsom salt and get to smellin'!
For your music lovin' lover, skip the CDs and cassettes and get mushy at Blockbuster Music, located in Lynnhaven Mall and Greenbrier Mall. Buy a block of 60-minute blank tapes ($4.99 for seven) and a wooden crate ($2.99) to hold them. Break open the tapes and record your favorite slow jams from your own music collection. Cut out a sexy advertisement to make a cover, and give the tape a unique title. Make a date to listen to the tape together.
Waldenbooks, with locations in almost every local mall, has even more for the romantic in you. Books like ``The Portable Romantic'' ($6.95) and ``365 Ways to Kiss Your Love: A Daily Guide to Creative Kissing'' ($9.95) will warm your honey's heart. Write an inscription inside to express your feelings. Include a groovy bookmark (99 cents to $1.25).
Whatever you do for the holidays, be sure to let your creative juices flow. And remember, your thoughts count more than your loot. MEMO: FUNKY WRAPPING
The Hershey's Kiss Wrap: Wrap your gift in aluminum foil, in the
shape of a chocolate kiss. Stick a strip of white paper in the top, with
the receiver's name scribbled across it.
The big daddy wrap: For extra-large gifts, use a paper tablecloth
instead of a whole roll of wrapping paper.
The designer wrap: Buy a roll of white butcher paper and decorate it.
Dip a pencil eraser in paint and make dots, or buy a rubber stamp and
ink to create a variety of designs.
Tubular boxes: Use a paper towel roll as a box. Cover the two ends
and curl colored ribbon around the outside.
Recycled gift tags: Christmas cards make great gift tags. Cut the
picture off, punching a hole in the corner and tie it to the package.
Greenery decorations: Use fresh holly leaves or berries instead of a
bow. ILLUSTRATION: Color photos by Lawrence Jackson, Staff
Various gifts
by CNB