For the perfect pressie, it's the thought that counts, not the price tag. Don't bow to the pressure if you're cash strapped as you don't have to spend a fortune to express your love. The GIN Lady has hunted around to gather some thoughtful Christmas pressies that don't cost the earth and can be gifted for £10 and under! Read on to find the ideal gift for your family and friends.

Best Girl Friend...

For your bestie you want to give her something she'll cherish, but something she doesn't already have. Look no further than this super clever Beauty Blade by animal friendly retailer DuWop. This make-up pencil sharpener is touted as a cult product. And for good reason. DuWop only creates products that are missing from your make-up bag, and this little beauty is anti-bacterial, offers professional sharpening and sanitizes the tip of your eye or lip pencil with every turn. And it gets better. The hinged cover catches pencil shavings for easy, mess-free sharpening and the duel sized holes mean it works for any pencil size.

Give your girlie friends something that's missing in their lives! Buy DuWop's Beauty Blade for only £9!

 
Another little beauty is this fresh pot of lip balm by organic beauty retailer, pai skincare. Lip balm is a beauty essential for any lady's handbag and this pot of love will go down a treat. And it's different from the others, as each batch made is small and mixed fresh by hand. Made from beeswax and sweet almond oil it softens and protects dry, chapped lips and is beautifully packaged to delight your girl friend. If she hasn't heard of pai, then you'll be doing her a favour by introducing her to this 100% organic bergamot-infused lip balm. You can't ask for better than that!

Give your friend a pai handbag essential lip balm for just £6!

For the Men In Your Life

Okay, I know what you're going say, socks, how unoriginal. But these are no ordinary pair of socks! These socks are made from bamboo. Sustainable? Tick. Comfy? Tick. Anti-bacterial? Huge tick. Because bamboo has anti-bacterial properties, these super soft socks will keep smelly feet at bay, and for only four quid, that's a whopper of a pressie for the man in your life.

Don't believe me? Bam's owner wore a pair of these for a month without washing them and he promises that they didn't smell!. I'd personally buy two pairs just to be on the safe side!

Bam wham thank you mam socks for only £4!

This present will be music to his ears. It's a vintage original 1954 EP of two tracks by John Lewis, a pianist who wrote several jazz standards, including Django – a tribute to Django Reinhardt. The Modern Jazz Quartet captivated jazz and classical audiences until the death of their drummer Connie Kay in 1994. According to Shop Curious where I found this treasure, the record is in good condition and is in its original, slightly worn, cover.

Jazz up your man's Xmas with some Django for only £10!

I can hardly believe this funky shoe bag retails at just £5! Made from eco friendly canvas, this will hold a pair of shoes/slippers/trainers and is the perfect bag to transport shoes in a case to spare messing your packed clothes.

Bag this for canvas check holder for men's shoes!

For Mum

 
I'm loving these cute tapas bowls made from recycled glass. They come in a subtle range of colours: turquoise, ocean grey, brown and black, and they're the perfect size for dips, sauces or nibbles. These will no doubt delight a mother or friend at Christmas.

Spoil mum with this colourful set of 3 tapas bowls for only £4!

 

I hope my Mum isn't reading this, as this delightful gift is heading her way for Xmas. It's a beautifully scented handmade soap wrapped in Florentine paper and sits pretty on this lovely vintage saucer. Made from natural ingredients and scented with essential oils, this soap will add a touch of class next to a kitchen or bathroom sink.

Give ma a vintage saucer with soap for £8.95!

For a Teen Girl

If you're a parent of a teen, you may have succumbed to the pressure to have her ears pierced. If so, she'll love this pair of star drop stud earrings made from fair trade solid silver with beautiful glass stone detail. She followed the herd to get her ears pierced, now she can lead the pack and show off her fair trade sense of style!

Your teen will go starry eyed over these studs and they're great value at only £10!

For the little guy in your life

This funky little book will entice your little guy to green up his act while keeping him amused and doing what boys love to do... solve problems! Along with Spud, he'll learn how to recycle, plant and grow food, and look after wildlife. With lots of fun interactive ideas, this book will keep him entertained for hours while saving the planet.

Turn your little guy into a green superman with Spud for just £5!

You can't go wrong with a gadget for your boy's Xmas and he'll love this torch which he'll wind up to power its bright LED light. Perfect for after lights out and camping adventures.

He'll be in gadget gizmo heaven with this eco friendly wind-up torch and it's available for just £9.95!

For a little princess

Little girls just love little bags and purses and this cute elephant felt purse fairly traded in Nepal will keep her pennies safe in style. It also has the big eco friendly thumbs up as it's been azo-free dyed.

This pretty little purse will be the perfect stocking filler for just £5!

From one of my favourite online mummy stores, Mimimyne, you can buy this gorgeous Jewellery Making Set by Creative Charlie. Your little girl will have so much fun making her own jewellery pieces from an assortment of 35 recycled paper beads, old fashion magazines, and a metre of elastic thread.

Get your princess making jewellery over the Xmas hols for only £4.99!

For tots & bubs

Anything colourful and mobile is bound to be a hit with the little ones and I fell in love with this Bug Whizzer that whirls around on the floor when you pull its string. With the choice of either a ladybird, beetle or bee, this wooden bug toy will have your cherub in giggles over Xmas, that's for sure!

Get this Bug Whizzer for your bubs this Xmas for only £4.50!

Another wonderful wooden toy for Christmas and beyond is this fab stripy Swishy Spin Toy. My little one has a spinner that doesn't perform well, but from all accounts, this Swishy Spin Toy does the job splendidly. Your little one will be playing with this toy for hours. Myriad Online offer an incredible number of natural toys & crafts and have umpteen toys on offer at incredible prices. I highly recommend a visit.

Get your little ones a wooden rainbow spinner this Xmas for only £2.90!

Before I sign off, I would love you to consider the boys and girls with nothing this Christmas. From Oxfam you can buy 100 bars of soap to improve conditions for people in emergency situations. Your special gift for just £9 will help raise standards of hygiene to prevent the spread of disease. It's a simple idea that can make a world of difference to children and adults alike who are much less fortunate than ourselves.

Happy Xmas, and remember you don't have to fork out a fortune to express your love!