DIY XMAS: Stack of Books

In honor of faithful reader, Karen, today's DIY XMAS is for the book-lover on your list.  The Frugal Hostess herself is a voracious reader, and she would absolutely love a gift like this.

Cheap and easy, as you've come to expect from FruHo, is the name of the game when giving a Stack of Books.  Here are the steps:

1.  Identify four or five interests of your intended giftee.  For TFH, this would be: entertaining, old-fashioned preserving, etiquette, 1960s left political movements, art - well, she could go on and on, but you get the idea.  If your recipient isn't forthcoming about her interests, you might list some key characteristics like national origin or heritage, hometown or home state, or profession.  You'll need to have at least a few options for each person,because you can't count on finding everything you need in one store.

2.  Go to the thrift store or used book store and pick out volumes that relate to the interest(s) you've identified.  In The Frugal Hostess's opinion, it's better to buy four books about gardening than one each about gardening, cooking, yarn, and pet rocks.  There's just something more appealing about a stack of different takes on one subject.

3.  Be sure that the books you choose are quite obviously old, rather than appearing to be your own cast-offs.  While this may seem counter-intuitive, the point of this gift is that you selected several old books on a subject the recipient likes, rather than that you had a stack of books lying around and felt like you could pass them along.  Make sense?

4.  Wrap them individually but tie a ribbon around the whole package.  That would be fun to open.

5.  Bonus options: 
- Add a card that says something like, "I know you love to knit, so I found a bunch of interesting old knitting books for you to look at." 
- Decorate the package with something that hints at the contents, like a pair of knitting needles or something.  That would be cool.  Although perhaps a bit dangerous if they're sharp.  But, as an adult, The Frugal Hostess is certain you will make the right decision.
- Create a bookmark to go with the theme of the books.  Just make sure it's not too dorky.  Bookmarks walk a fine line.

Voila - cheap and easy, just like we like it!

The Frugal Hostess has read everything. Would you like to challenge her to a speed-reading contest?  If so, please comment. You can also join the Frugalistas on Facebook for exclusive content, follow on Twitter @frugalhostess, or subscribe so that you always know when a new post appears.