Gifting ideas..

Gifts can be anything, sometimes it's just a helping hand when someone needs it. Or a hug or a smile. The best gifts were something i really needed at that point in time, like getting caught in a dust storm and forgetting my mask and someone handed me a disposable one. Or one night out deep and someone watched with envy as I applied chapstick on my lips so I handed them a brand new chapstick spare that I had. Once when I was feeling down someone gifted me their time and we walked the playa together for a few hours.

Gifts don't have to be something you can touch...

Custom lighters!!!!!
Useful and creative!

Go to Big Lots or similar outlet/overstock store the sell for <.20 each. Pressed flowers, slickers, paint, pictures clipped from magazines (porn!!!), affix to lighter. The items that don't stick use clear packing tape (also found dirt cheap at outlet store). $20 and a few hours later, bag of fire starting goodness.

BTW i've never been to burning man. This idea was stolen from street rats at gay pride selling them for $3 each. All they had was porn lighters and for that crowd it was well received. I bought one!!!

Hope that helps.

Really though, i like the sippy cups idea.

I hand crafted several items for BM..
1. I tie dyed about 3 doz white cotton bandana's (dharmatrading.com).. made a BM 07 w/camp logo on iron ons. cost me about a $1 each, and came in handy when the sand monsters appeared.
2. I had some old photo keychains not being used.. I made a BM logo on one side.. my contact info and some calender events on the other side.. bought some leopard leather shoestrings and made lanyards.
3. lighters I bought a box of 50.. slapped a home made BM sticker on it... who hasn't needed a lighter in the middle of the desert?
4. flashy blinky things
5. bottle cap art pins..

none of these take up a lot of room or space... not too expensive and with a lil thought you can turn some inexpensive kitsch into a keep sake treasure. oh the home made BM jewelry is nice.. but beware of those made with lead.

you can find some great idea's and how to make them on www.instructables.com/home

pornography

It's going to be REALLY dark out there this year. The new moon is the night of the burn! Imagine going into a porta potty at 3am Saturday night, and realizing you forgot your flashlight. Bad news.

So how about giving little photon style lights? Maybe like these www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1253

You could personalize them by attaching something you made yourself.

in addition to gifts of myself (standard) I've been going for the practical side of gifting. I'm making a jumpsuit with tons of pockets and rings so I can clip on lots of useful things like travel size sunscreen, hand sanitizer, lip balm, lotion, eye drops, wet wipes, baggies, markers, batteries. That way if someone needs something I can quickly unclip or unpocket it and gift it over. Basically, merging costume and gifting into a walking playa vending machine. :)

I figure I can also use that as an opportunity for a dialog on self-reliance or playa-prep for some. Sometimes we just forget things or have a bag lost/stolen, but other times people didn't bother to read the survival guide before showing up. So while I'm handing someone a bagging at the porto potty I can explain why we can't/don't put wet wipes or trash in the potties. Or I can just help out someone who's having a rough time. :)

I've also been trying to keep track of things that I no longer like or use, then filing them away to gift out. Arm warmers I'm tired of wearing, earrings that never looked good, things I've sewn that were testers, extra tent stakes, tins that can be used for ashtrays, etc.