Little to no cost gifts for a police officer

The holidays can be an EXPENSIVE time and there is not reason to always spend a ton of money on gift ideas. So I put together gifts for a police officer that won’t put a hole in your wallet (or bank card).

It also frustrates me to see gift exchanges at every office party, event and group, as if we are all made of money.

But I am here to say that well thought out gifts can be inexpensive and meaningful all at the same time, without breaking the bank.

Therefore, I am pretty sure your officer will appreciate any thoughtful gift you make or have the little one’s in your home create for any time of the year.

Here are some awesome little to no cost gifts for a police officer any time of the year:

Family photos.

You can easily create beautiful family photos at home including props.

I bought two letters, D and A, to spell DAD, but any word you want to use is great! I took the plain wooden letters like these from my local craft store and began painting a thin blue line on each letter. Once dried, I painted the rest of each letter black.

Next, my kids and I took the letters outside to use in photos. Our frame had space for three photos so we each held one letter to spell DAD. But you may want to purchase two D’s and one A if you want everyone in the same photo.

If you are taking family photos with everyone including you, just prop up your phone and set the timer so no one is missing in your gorgeous at-home photos. Taking photos outside with natural light can really make a difference, too!

A craft from the kids.

Here is a thin blue line hero craft that is fairly simple, but you could also stay away from the thin blue line theme. You could do a Christmas themed craft or I also love the “All About My Dad or Mom” pages! Here is a nice one from Classroom Freebies!

A day at the range.

My officer would love this gift! The only costs are ammo and a range fee, so fairly inexpensive.

Coupon book/Homemade gift certificate.

These are always fun! Here is a link to some Printable Christmas Coupons and Gift Certificates from A Modern Homestead.

Coupon Book and Image are from A Modern Homestead

Here is another from One Crazy Mom.

Decorated wooden uniform hangers.

Warrior Racks and large, wooden uniform hangers are of huge popularity right now. And understandably so, they make storing uniforms much simpler. This type of gift is an investment, so finding an alternative may be what you need.

Instead, you can gift your officer with a decorated wooden hanger for his/her uniform. While it does not hold gear, it is a special, thoughtful gift that serves a purpose.

I made one here by simply taken a wooden hanger we already had. I painted his badge number in thin blue line colors. Nothing fancy at all, but it is his designated uniform hanger.

An experience. Truly, this is a gift a police officer would love. 

Experiences don’t have to be grand or expensive; it just gives your officer time to relax and be with family. Simply gifting a nice mountain hike, a picnic in the park, maybe a kid free experience or displaying pictures around your kitchen of memorable photos and a homemade dinner. Think of what you need as a couple to plan the best experience you can think of.

Handmade ornament.

It is actually rather easy to make a low cost ornament gift. Check out our full tutorial on ornaments here. This is a gift that your officer will remember year after year. You could even paint on your officer’s badge number.

Here are some other easy, DIY gifts you can make!

Homemade food/treats.

So one of my favorite things the last few years are the treats my sister makes us for Christmas. She is an awesome baker and cook. As a gift she gives us homemade cinnamon rolls, sausage with sage, cookies and our favorite types of cookie dough (to easily pull out of the freezer when our kids want a sweet treat).

If cooking or baking is your style, then by all means, use this strength! Make your officer something special just for him, maybe even treats while on duty.

These thin blue line trail mix bags are great to make in bulk and are shelf-stable for a long time. Great as a gift for a squad or to make many for your officer while on duty.

LEARN HOW TO MAKE THEM HERE.

Even with little to no budget I hope this list inspired you to find gifts for a police officer. Share your final product with us; we would love to see!