by erin thursby
You’re pondering what to get a relative or a friend and you want to get them something unique, but you haven’t got the green to spend. Fortunately there’s a whole world of gifts out there on the internet. You can even find some fairly fun stuff for under $10-just make sure you take a look at shipping costs!

under $10
Crate and Barrel is expensive but stylish. That’s where Crate and Barrel 2 comes in. Less expensive and more urban, their website (cb2.com) is the first place you’ll want to drop in for some interesting but low price dishes and cups. Some of the appetizer plates go for as low as 99 cents to around $3, so you can put together a set of 4 at a relatively low cost. I love the pop-saturated Marilyn plates at just $1.95.
Etsy (etsy.com), of course, remains one of my favorite sites when searching for something distinctive but not incredibly pricey. Their searchable items are fantastic, unique and mostly handmade. Whatever design a person likes, whether it be retro owls (I found an adorable pouch for $8) or Japanese Waves (earrings for $9) you can find something for them on Esty.
Prices on Etsy vary by the artist, cost of supplies and the difficulty of making the item, but you can find items from $10 and up that you won’t find anywhere else. It is a much better place to find gifts for women than men, but if you look you can find a few gender neutral or even manly or tech items. Do snatch up what you can, as many of these items are often one of a kind or take time to make. Just because you saw it on the site yesterday doesn’t mean it will be there next week.

under $20
For the crafty friend who loves pretty paper goods, take a look at paperstudio.com. They’ve got great gift packs of origami paper for under $20 and even less. Many of the packs are under $10, in which case you can buy two!
Uncommon Goods has some worthwhile items in this range such as their Slang Flash Cards ($12), Curl Kabob Set ($18), Recycled Glass Bottle Platters ($18) and more. They make it easy to search by price.
If you’ve got a friend who’s into gardening and nature, the under $20 selections at gardeners.com might be worth looking at. I like their fruit slice ornament set ($19.95), their bumble bee garden ($13.99) which comes in a charming package with seed tapes to start your own bee attracting garden. From usual bird feeders to pet gifts, I found this site most useful this holiday season.

under $30
Red Envelope has a few things under $30, but if you know someone who has just had a baby, I have to recommend the baby’s first Christmas ornament set. The baby’s hands and feet are used to make plaster ornaments and are stored in a tasteful box that you can spend a little extra money to personalize.
GiftTree.com has all kinds of interesting baskets. Search for him, her or just go to the baskets under $50 to get started. If you can put it in a basket, they’ve got it. I like the Bath & Body Invigoration Basket for just $29.95 because it’s filled with Burt’s Bees products, but there are other baskets from about $20- 30 to choose from-including a seed planting basket, a chocolate sampler and a basket full of candy.