A light touch with Christmas gifts

For some reason Christmas presents tend to be bulky and not much fun to carry home on the bus. You might set out with good intentions and plan to buy nothing bigger than a CD, but before you realise it you've bought a giant CD rack, an expresso maker and a child's carpenter's bench, all of which come in the obligatory enormous boxes.

Having an assortment of large presents means buying yards of wrapping paper, spending hours on the floor wrestling with the wrapping paper and Sellotape, and then finally hiring a removal van on Christmas Eve to transport the goods to your family home.

Of course there is another way - the paper way - and those who choose this way will be able to fit all their Christmas presents into one little slimline folder.

From scratchcards to tree certificates to blue chip shares, there is a huge array of imaginative gifts available that can be slipped into a Christmas card.

The National Lottery has brought out a special seasonal scratchcard called Christmas Magic, which pays out on one-in-three cards. There are three games on the £2 card, with prizes ranging from £2 to £5,000.

As almost every teenager knows, pre-paid mobile phones are expensive and phonecards are a good idea for a gift for someone on a small budget.

Gift vouchers may be a bit hackneyed but you don't have to go for the obvious store voucher and there is always room for a personal touch. Almost every service or form of entertainment can be sold in gift voucher form.

There is also the possibility of booking tickets for an event in the New Year that you know your friend or relative would enjoy. But beware of booking ahead for someone else in case the date doesn't suit. Learning to drive is a costly venture and some learners have to give up because they can't afford to either start or keep up lessons. Driving lessons are a useful present, which can be arranged over the phone. January can be a long, dark month after the Christmas splurge, so how about giving someone a present of a weekend away anytime they like?

Bord Failte sells Discover Ireland vouchers, which can be bought at all the main tourist offices. They are redeemable at any hotel or guesthouse that is approved by the Irish Tourist Board. Discover Ireland vouchers are sold in denominations of £50 and there is a handling fee of £5 per voucher. If that seems a bit steep, you could always make an arrangement directly with your favourite country hideaway.

There are certain presents that may not go down well with the more materialistic members of the household.

The Tree Council of Ireland and Crann both offer trees planted in someone's name for £25. The Family Tree scheme, run by the Tree Council, offers a choice of three sites - Mucross Forest in Killarney, Birr Castle Demesne and Strokestown House in Co Roscommon.

Crann, an organisation that was created to increase broadleaf tree cover in Ireland, plants trees for its sponsored scheme in Coolbawn, Co Tipperary.

With all these projects, the sponsor is sent a certificate that bears the name of their choice and a reference number on the forest grid. The name of the person the tree is dedicated to will be entered into a record book and kept for inspection, usually at the site.

Staying on the altruistic track, Trocaire has come up with an excellent marketing idea this Christmas called "A Global Gift". The charity is selling gift certificates that can be bought in someone else's name for Christmas.

Every certificate carries an illustration and description of the project it has paid for in a developing country.

The certificates range from £10 to £100, although the value of the gift does not appear on the certificate. So you can buy a medical kit, a plough, a pig or schoolbooks in the name of your friend or relative and both of you will have the satisfaction of knowing the money will be put to good use.

In many families it has become a tradition to give Prize Bonds as a present to children but they can make a good present for all ages, because there is the excitement of a possible windfall.

Prize Bonds can be purchased at any post office, bank or stockbroker.

Staying with possible moneymaking gifts, Christmas might be a good time to introduce a friend or family member to the stock market. One stock is unlikely to make someone's fortune so you might as well pick something that is interesting or has some connection with the person. Children might enjoy owning a share in a toy, computer or media company. So might adults.

If you are buying stocks for a child, make sure you discuss it with the parents, as it means they must file a tax return for the child each year.

Finally, let's not forget the magic of cash. You can give up to £1,000 tax free to family and friends each year. OK, so it might be a bit impersonal and even lazy, but it always goes down a treat and even large amounts fit into an envelope.