Filling a Christmas stocking for a friend or loved one is an activity that yields excitement for both parties. But come January 1, candy canes get tossed in the garbage and polyester Santa socks aren’t cute anymore. This year, opt instead for a collection of goodies with a longer shelf life that communicates care and value over tacky haste. The best part? With a few hours, some creativity and a $10 bill, anyone can put together an excellent and original holiday gift.

Head over to a dollar or similar discount store (You can buy 10 items for $10, or nine items if you want $10 to cover tax). I like Dollar Tree because of its huge selection and higher quality. Start with a container. You could choose any of a number of colorful stockings, but a small basket in neutral colors can be used later to display flowers or as a wastebasket.

Uneaten candy already overpopulates January trash bins. Avoid red and green hard candies and try to pick something more enjoyable and delicate, and don’t overdo the sweets in general. Hot chocolate in packets is a year-round favorite. One package of gourmet cookies or chocolate is classier and tastier than, for example, a pile of tightly-wrapped peppermints.

A stylish scarf is a great item of warm, unisex apparel. Pick something in a versatile style and color. Another option would be fleece gloves or a knit hat.

To combat winter colds and wind-chapped hands, a hand sanitizer or lotion with aloe is a nice addition to a basket of seasonally appropriate gifts. Colorful tubes of lip balm and heavy-scented body mists are also good cosmetic ideas.

Many discount stores stock cheap DVDs. Be prepared to sift through stacks of off-brand cartoons and horribly dubbed martial arts movies. Dedication to your search can yield a cheery holiday feature, a big name actor or a classic film. I found the 1973 version of The Borrowers for 50¢, and could have picked up a number of other good oldies.

Also include something ornamental, but avoid porcelain figures of puppies playing in snow banks or depictions of baby Jesus. A well-picked candleholder can be paired with a pack of scented tea lights or votives for a tasteful decoration that can be used for many months. If you want to add some glitz to the gift without spending money on or filling landfills with tissue paper or Easter grass, pick out a hanging star, which can later be hung from a doorknob or used to top a Christmas tree.

Finally, pick up a pack of blank-on-the-inside note cards. Choose something with a pretty, secular picture on the front with envelopes included. Post-holiday thank-you notes are much easier with supplies already available, and leftovers are always useful.

By redefining “seasonal,” you can create a gift basket that doesn’t overflow with stocking stuffers, outright preach a specific faith or coat your friend’s teeth with colored sugar. It’s the thought that counts, and yours will be apparent in a themed collection of nice, useful pieces.