unique (budget-minded) bridal shower gift ideas?

[WE<3MICKEY]

I posted this in the wedding forums, but I thought the "budget board" might have some great economical ideas

My cousin's bridal shower is coming up and I am looking for a unique gift to give. I come from a large family and have been to so many showers lately with the same family members and am bored of the same old gifts. I was thinking of doing one of those towel cakes that are similar to the baby shower diaper cakes, but someone beat me to the towels on the registry.

So my question is- what is the most unique or your favorite gift that you've given/received at a bridal shower???

Thanks for any ideas!!!!

 

[eeyorefan74]

A friend of mine was telling me how she planned to give her new daughter in law a book/box of family recipes. I would have loved to have received something like this as a new bride. I also like the idea of giving a marriage devotional book or family Bible for the two of them.

 

[redshoes]

Target has some neat planters on clearance right now. They are made by Smith and Hawken. They had a salad ingredient set, a strawberry planter set, and a pizza ingredient set. I bought the pizza one- it has Basil, Oregano, parsley and green pepper seeds, and the planter. It would be cute to make a gift basket with the planter and include a pizza stone and a pizza cutter. The planter itself was 7.98 and you could probably buy the other items for $10 to $15 or cheaper depending what items you decided to include.

The kits were located on an end cap near the camping goods section in my store.

 

[loveabargin]

One of my best gifts at my wedding was my invitation framed for me. It hangs in my bedroom. I love it. I've given it as a gift several times myself.

 

[loco4dis]

It's definitely old school, but I love the family recipes idea. Since you say you come from a big family, there must be tons of favorites you could include. Type them up nicely, put them in a nice recipe book, and leave room for her to add more.

And regarding the framed wedding invitation. My maid of honor gave me that, but she had someone paint a lovely water color scene over it. You can read the invitation, but the scene just makes it pop like a piece of art. She had the painting done by a a talented family member who is an amateur artist. I don't think she had to pay anything for it. I treasure it.

 

[scillacc]

I decorate a scrapbook and have everyone sign it, (leaving places blank for pictures to be put in) and then go around and take pictures of everybody and lots of her opening presents. Then you finish the scrapbook and the bride has a nice remembrance, plus the advice and best wishes of the guests.

 

[awdfan]

A friend of mine was telling me how she planned to give her new daughter in law a book/box of family recipes. I would have loved to have received something like this as a new bride.

This was one of my gift's from my mom--she put together the most wonderful book and included recipes from a lot of my relatives and friends of the family, people I've known my whole life. A lot of them are hand-written, and I look at them and know immediately, "Oh that's Renee's" or "Yep, I'd know Joy's handwriting anywhere". I use that book regularly and cherish it.

 

[WE<3MICKEY]

great ideas so far!... I like the invitation one, I've seen that done before and love it, but their invitation is one of those tri-folded thingies. I think it might look weird.

 

[Ember]

I got a scrapbook from my best friend that I loved. I also got a little silver tube thing to keep my wedding certificate in, it was pretty unique.

Oh, and I got a gift card for gas. It doesn't sound romantic or wonderful, but the little note attached said it was "to help with all the running around I had to do." I really appreciated that one!

 

[bunny213]

for two showers that I went to..
I bought a calendar and listed all the birthdays, anniversaries and such on it. Then I bought birthday cards, get well cards, anniversary cards, etc...added a pen and some stamps and ordered some return labels with the new name and address of the couple. I made a nice box out of it and decorated it. Everyone thought it was such a good idea.
The other thing I did was - I made a big box...decorated it again...and filled it with "party goods" - several paper table cloths, matching napkins, plates, balloons, and plastic knives and forks. I usually stock up after holidays when the prices are really cut - so this box also had sets for different holidays. On the tag of the box...I wrote.. .."may you always be ready to party!"
They were fun to put together...and it wasn't a gift that was duplicated!!
Barb

 

[Luvdancink]

I made a travel bag for her honeymoon and filled it with free stuff I got from CVS. Shampoo toothpaste razor ect.

~Kristy

 

[pilgrimage]

My friends in grad school gave me a picnic basket--complete
with food storage containers, plastic plates and forks and matching
cloth napkins. It probably cost $20 at most, but I've used it dozens
of times in the 22 years we've been married.

Another gift was hand embroidered pillowcases with our initials
and hobbies on them. Much love went into that gift and we
still treasure it.

 

[WE<3MICKEY]

double post oops

 

[tzolkin]

A friend of mine was telling me how she planned to give her new daughter in law a book/box of family recipes. I would have loved to have received something like this as a new bride. I also like the idea of giving a marriage devotional book or family Bible for the two of them.

a friend of my mom gave us a family bible with illustrations. she also wrote me a really nice letter (she and my mom met when she was in lamaze class with me) and gave me a recipe book with clear slots to hold index cards. she wrote out by hand about 100 recipes and even included little notes on them. this was the most meaningful gift i received and it has been greatly appreciated.

 

[WE<3MICKEY]

thanks for the ideas!
I have started her gift, I will probably be making more stuff so keep the ideas coming..
Here's what I did so far- I turned a colander upside down and hung all the kitchen gadgets (tongs, whisks, etc.) from her registry on ribbon through the holes and tied a handle to the top so that when she takes it of of the box, all the gadgets will hang sort of like a wind chime. I think it looks pretty cute. I put a silk rose on top to make it look pretty.

 

[Aliceacc]

When we got engaged, my soon-to-be-inlaws wanted to get us something special, but weren't sure what.

I asked them to get us a Nativity Set.

I knew I would want a nice creche for Christmas time, and that I never have spare money at that time of year.

We got engaged in 1987. I still treasure that set and pack it away carefully each year.

 

[tinytink]

great ideas so far!... I like the invitation one, I've seen that done before and love it, but their invitation is one of those tri-folded thingies. I think it might look weird.

Put it in a shadow box.

 

[bumbershoot]

I like the idea you came up with, as I was going to suggest buying all the little things from the registry and putting them together.

A friend of ours bought all the little cheapie "barware" stuff, the champagne bottle closer thing, the foil cutter, all those $3 items, and that was our present. Very very helpful! They also got us some little vodka-style shot glasses to sort of wrap it all together. DH doesn't drink, and I rarely drink liquor anymore, but it's still a memorable drinks. Actually the only one who has used the shot glass for anything was our son, who one day saw them and wanted to drink water from them. Talk about a weird moment!

Nowadays I'm all about registries.

But when I wasn't, I put together a BBQ basket for a friend. Cute summer plastic cups for outside, tongs, the whole thing...they seemed to like it.

 

[ZPT1022]

I was also going to say the calendar thing- when my brother moved away with his girlfriend, my mom bought a calendar for the next year and filled it in with all the family birthdays & anniversaries, and then called the girlfriend's mother and added all their family info too. I've been moved out for a while but I'd still like to get this gift! My mom is one of nine kids and I have over 50 cousins- I have no clue when everyone's birthday is

 

[JandJ]

I made a friend of mine a framed "Recipe for a Happy Marriage." I put it in Word and added some cute clip-art and then printed it on nice paper and put it in an 8x10 frame. She loved it and it still hangs in her kitchen (after 8 years of marriage!). Since you're doing sort of a kitchen thing already it might be a cute addition and will only be as expensive as the paper and frame.

Here is the "recipe"
RECIPE FOR A HAPPY MARRIAGE

1 cup of consideration
2 cupfuls praise
1 reasonable budget
2 cupfuls of flattery carefully concealed
2 cupfuls milk of human kindness
1 gallon faith in God and each other
A generous dash of cooperation
3 teaspoons of pure extract of “I am sorry”
Children (more or less, to taste)
1 cup of confidence and encouragement
1 large or several small hobbies
1 cup of blindness to each others faults
1 cup of courtesy
1 small pinch of in-laws
1 cup of contentment

Flavor with frequent portions of recreation and a dash of happy memories. Stir well and remove any specks of jealousy, temper, or criticism. Sweeten well with generous portions of love and keep warm with a steady flame of devotion. Never serve with a cold shoulder or a hot tongue.