When I was a kid, money was always tight, especially around the holidays. My brother and I were always trying to figure out what we could do to make money or how we could make something to give as Christmas presents. We would start in October thinking about the upcoming holidays.
One year we took empty cans, painted them and added stickers and made pencil holders to give our aunts for Christmas. Not real original, but we thought it was good idea.
We took all of our old toys and games and held a toy sale in our front yard.