We all have those hard-to-shop-for people on our Christmas list. They have everything, they don’t like anything, or you just don’t know them very well.
One frugal TikToker came up with a perfect gift solution for those people, and the best part is that it comes from the dollar store. “Dollar Tree is my Target,” says cassidy’s_corner in a number of her TikTok videos, and she’s got us convinced to hit the dollar store to throw together some cute and thoughtful gift baskets for Christmas presents this year.
What’s in the Basket?
We’re not sure about you, but our fallback gift for what-on-earth-do-I-get-them people is always food. It’s practical, it can be pretty inexpensive, and you know it’s something they’ll use, barring special diet considerations. But even then, chances are someone will enjoy the edible presents, even if it ends up re-gifted.
Cassidy’s_corner seems to agree, because she’s putting together a number of fun edible gift baskets at Dollar Tree that we just love. Our favorite is what she calls the cookies and cocoa basket, stuffed with everything you need for a hot chocolate bar and freshly baked cookies to go along with it.
She starts by grabbing a red plastic container to act as the basket — which can help organize the gift recipient’s home after the holidays (that’s more than you can say about a disposable box!).
Then she fills it with 11 festive things, which we’ve listed out here in case you want a shopping checklist:
- A box of Swiss Miss hot chocolate mix
- Christmas Funfetti chocolate cookie mix
- Christmas Funfetti sugar cookie mix
- A bag of mini marshmallows
- Chocolate stirring spoons
- Candy cane stirring spoons
- Two holiday mugs
- A box of rolled wafer cookies
- Tootsie Roll hot cocoa pods
- Junior Mint hot cocoa pods
If you’re not sure if your recipient has a pod-style coffee maker, you can always add another box of Swiss Miss or substitute with anything else that catches your fancy.
It may sound cheesy, but with this gift basket, you’re giving someone an experience and not just some snacks. Chances are they’ll bake those cookies, put together a hot chocolate bar, and have a great time with their kids during the next snow day. Who wouldn’t love that?
How Much Does It Cost?
According to cassidy’s_corner, the whole basket costs less than $20, which is pretty dang good for such a substantial gift.
By our calculations — and considering that Dollar Tree seems to have quietly raised its base price to $1.50 earlier this year — those 12 things (including the basket) would come out to $18. It may be a bit more if any of those items are the pricier $1.75 ones. Still seems like a steal to us.
Other Gifts You Can Find at Dollar Tree
If you don’t think hot cocoa gift baskets will go over well with your giftees, there are tons of other Christmas presents you can grab on the cheap at the dollar store.
For Dollar Tree gifts to impress that look expensive, we love the beautiful glass boxes they carry as a start for a beauty-obsessed tween gift. And we will never stop buying fun food Play-Doh sets for every kid on our Christmas list because we loved playing with them when we were kids, too.
It’s a great place to find endless stocking stuffers, as well, including Bluey stickers and handy magnetic notepads. And if you still have holiday decorating to do, there’s plenty to pick from at Dollar Tree, from nutcrackers to bottle brush trees.
More Holiday Content on Cheapism
- I Tried 15 Hot Cocoa Mixes and This is the Best — We took a deep dive into the world of hot cocoa and came away with our favorite mixes.
- 18 Aldi Christmas Appetizers Under $5 — Aldi happens to have a bunch of party-friendly appetizers that come in under $5, so you can fill a board and keep everyone fed without doing math in your head.
- Holiday Treats From Trader Joe’s That You Don’t Want to Miss — Here are some of the best Trader Joe’s holiday treats that we can’t wait to find on the shelves in December.
