Getting Creative with Everything in Common: Adding a symbolic token to your gift card

Creative ideas for $10 gifts |  Creative ideas for $20 gifts |  Creative ideas for $35 Gifts |  Creative ideas for $50 gifts

Some people like the idea of giving a little ‘symbol’ or small gift to the recipient of their gift as well as the card explaining the gift that will be given to communities on their behalf. This can be as simple as a small token that symbolises the gift in practice. A small gift can create a lot of laughter and over Christmas lunch and can get your family and friends thinking about and discussing issues such as poverty and injustice.

If you are struggling to think of a small gift to add to your card, have a think about what country the project that your gift will support takes place in. You might like to match the Complete a Course and Fatten a Pig (West Papua and Bali) with a small Balinese piece of art or some tasty Indonesian treats. Or complement Turn it On and Construct a Loo (Zimbabwe) with African food; African jewellery or small artisan crafts.

You can be as creative as you like, spending as much or as little on the gift as you please, but we’d advise keeping it simple, in keeping with the idea of simplifying our lives and being generous to those in need.

Here are some of our ideas:

$10 Gifts

Lay an Egg: Some egg cups; An egg whisk or egg flip; Recipes for chicken; A small chicken toy

Turn it On: Hand wash soap; A water bottle; Hand lotion; A set of glasses or a tea cup

Lend an Ear: Earrings; Small toys for children; Indian foods or jewellery

Insure A life: Box of Bandaids; A small first aid kit; Toys related to travel; Small figurines

$20 Gifts

See Again: A pair of reading glasses; A pair of sunglasses; A magnifying glass

Complete  a Course: Basket weaving A small wicker basket; Weaved placemats or coasters; Anything woven!

Set the Table: A set of placemats or other table decoration; Nice napkins; Cutlery; Glassware

Dress a Child: Small item/s of clothing such as socks or underwear

$35 Gifts

Throw out a Line: A foam esky; A hand held fishing net; Fishing line; Sinkers; Floats (or any other piece of fishing equipment!)

Co-ordinate a Meeting: Peace Workshop A peace dove pin; A clipboard, coloured pens and some brainstorming paper; A small olive plant or bag of seeds; A piece of jewellery, stationary or clothing with the ‘peace’ symbol on it.

Get ready for School: Necessary item of a school uniform (socks, ribbon); Item of school stationary

Feed a Volunteer: Selection of your favourite recipes or a cook book; A cooking utensil; a small hamper of fruit or vegetables; a bag of nuts

$50 Gifts

Fatten a Pig: A small soft toy pig; Recipes for bacon or pork; A small piggy bank; Stationary or small items (such as a rubber) with pigs on them

Construct a Loo: Some recycled toilet paper; An attractive toilet brush or fragrant toilet freshener; Medicine for an upset stomach

Care for an Orphan: Bottle of antiseptic or other medical supplies; A story book or toy; Health food

Reconnect a Family: A framed family photo; stationary for writing letters and cards

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All photos used with permission.

Photograph Sources:

Eggs: http://weblogs.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=weblogs&cdn=compute&tm=8&f=00&su=p284.13.342.ip_p504.6.342.ip_&tt=3&bt=0&bts=1&st=11&zu=http%3A//www.sxc.hu/

Nets: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1263522

Toilet paper roll: http://weblogs.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=weblogs&cdn=compute&tm=8&f=00&su=p284.13.342.ip_p504.6.342.ip_&tt=3&bt=0&bts=1&st=11&zu=http%3A//www.sxc.hu/

Woven Basket: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/401710

Piggy Bank: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/348608

First Aid Kit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/545391