Give not amply but aptly with gifts under $25

Generosity shouldn't mean giving amply, but giving aptly. Show how thoughtful (not how thrifty) you are by giving a truly distinctive gift, while still staying within your means. These fun goodies were all found in stores around town, and all cost less than $25.

BRITT OLSON

Ugly Dolls
Monsters aren't so scary. The fangs, horns, cyclopean eyes and batlike wings on Ugly Dolls really are darling. But these delightful critters aren't all looks. They've got strong personalities. There's Moxy, the hyperactive partier; OX, Moxy's brother and a kleptomaniac; and the shy Peaco, who loves to dance. The dolls come in smaller versions for tinier tots, and are equally appropriate for adults with an unconventional appreciation of cute. $10-$22 at Gifted.

BRITT OLSON

Rain Parade umbrellas
Equip the kids -- or your Francophile friends -- in style during Seattle's rainy days. The French company Pylones makes sweet Rain Parade umbrellas, each dressed as sophisticatedly as a Parisian. Each character is covered in a different color, topped with a unique painted face and dressed in lovely little boots that serve as a handle. These umbrellas are compact enough to be stored in a tote but sturdy enough to take a beating. Give a Seattleite un meilleur ami for the winter. $25 at the Olympic Sculpture Park gift store.

BRITT OLSON

Seattle Art Museum gifts
Want to show your support for the arts? The SAM Shop sells funky T-shirts featuring the Hammering Man ($14) or a graphic of Cai Guo-Qiang's imposing car installation "Inopportune: Stage One" ($15). Even your philistine brother or beer-guzzling bud would dude up in these cool T's. For the true connoisseur, "Bridging Cultures" is a guide to the museum's many exhibits ($7.95). The tiny book can easily be carted around while touring SAM, but it's loaded with enough information to make a visitor feel like a champion cicerone.

BRITT OLSON

Sake
This year, instead of wine, give the hostess on your list a bottle of sake. The seemingly endless varieties of this divine drink at Uwajimaya could give you vertigo. Cody Burns, proprietor of Umi Sake House in Belltown, suggests Hakutsuru's Superior Junmai Gingo as an exceptional bottle at a prudent price. Its smooth balance, floral aroma, ice blue bottle and colorful label leave only a festive bow and guinomi (a sake cup) left to be desired. $17.99 at Uwajimaya.

BRITT OLSON

Tipper Jackson cosmetic bags
Tipper Jackson's cosmetic bags are where Twiggy would have kept her fake lashes. These psychedelic vinyl pouches are just right for the girlfriend or sister who's always grabbing her lip gloss to go. The pouches come in a variety of patterns and colors, so you can give everyone a different one, or someone special a snazzy set. But with so many groovy options, you'll make everyone feel like a hot mod. $21 at Burnt Sugar.

SAM ANDERSON/B-BAM!

Customized apparel from B-Bam!
Sometimes it should come direct from the horse's mouth. This season, that old nag is you. Tell them how you really feel by customizing a piece of clothing. Print a naughty message on a pair of boxers or a thong. Blaze your buddy's childhood nickname across the chest of a T-shirt. Or put your sweetest sentiments on a cozy scarf. B-Bam! Custom Apparel will help you craft your gift. And if you order online, everything is marked down 15 percent, so most artistic endeavors start below $25.

TIM MAR/CHEFSHOP.COM

Gourmet goodies from ChefShop.com
Yours is a family of gourmands -- chowhounds, really. You all convene in the kitchen, and no one is late for dinner. Bring something special to the table this Christmas with exotic eats from ChefShop.com. Give your aunt a bottle of Styrian Pumpkinseed Oil ($22), your cousin a can of escargot ($15.99), and your soon-to-be sister-in-law some Champagne Cookies ($7.99). The store is stocked with rare spices and vinegars, so this year should be even zestier than last.

BRITT OLSON

Make-believe sushi
That nephew of yours is quite precocious. For a toddler, he's a bit of a foodie. Introduce him to the joys of sushi with toy wood blocks shaped like your favorite rolls and sashimi. The Melissa and Doug set comes with a wooden knife (perfectly safe, Mom and Dad), chopsticks, three types of rolls, some shrimp, tuna, a little salmon roe, ginger slices, wasabi and soy sauce -- quit drooling, they're all wooden. But if your plan works out, you may finally have a sushi chef in the family. $23 at Uwajimaya.

BRITT OLSON

Tool-shaped bottle openers
Give these tool-shaped iron bottle openers, crafted by an artisan in Japan, to the people on your list who like to crack open a cold one. Choose the wrench for the friend who always has an iron grip on his beer bottle, or pliers for your gal pal who gets a little "clingy" when she drinks. For your brother who likes to get hammered, well, need we say it? $20 each at Kobo at Higo.

BRITT OLSON

Rope animals for dogs
Dog eat dog -- or monkey or lion or squirrel. These colorful Jax & Bones rope characters ($12-$15.50) from Urban Beast are so cute that it might be difficult to give them to Fido. Though they come with cute names like Elton the Octopus, they're still well equipped for some serious roughhousing.

BRITT OLSON

Stocking stuffers from Archie McPhee
Admit it, your favorite part of Christmas is the stocking. While dumping its contents out on your lap you feel literally showered with gifts. This year, give everyone a stocking. Archie McPhee has fabric stockings ($1.25) that can easily be filled with treasures such as Variety Meats Pencil Toppers ($4.50), a compass ring ($1.25), a Star of David stress ball ($1.50) or Machismo Bubble Gum Cigarettes ($1.29). Our stocking of their quirky inventory totaled just under $25. You'll save some bucks by removing the cigarette paraphernalia for the kids -- and most other items for the humorless.

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