With fun and thoughtful local gifts for less than $20, you can keep everyone on your list

Finding meaningful holiday gifts for the peripheral people in your life -- your child's teacher, coworkers with whom you trade "I Can Has Cheezburger" links, your trusty hairstylist -- can be a challenge.

You want to give something creative (no coffee gift cards, definitely not another candle), but with so many of these recipients on your list, you can't afford to spend much on each one.

Luckily, many Seattle shops offer options that are both affordable and flush with personality and style, so no matter how many of these gifts you buy, every recipient will feel like you had only him or her in mind.

Here are our suggestions for great gifts that cost less than $20. None will break the bank, and the satisfaction of finishing your shopping and getting something special for everyone on your list will be priceless.

Big Thoughts mini-books, $2.95 at Queen Anne Mail & Dispatch
Give the gift of inspiration with Bit Thoughts mini-books ($2.95 each) from Seattle-based Compendium Publishing. The books' themes range from "go places" and "create balance" to "believe in yourself" and "chase your dreams." The colorful pages are full of inspiring and quirky quotes and phrases that can be flipped open at random for a smile and some support. Each book comes with a mailing envelope, so you can send it to faraway pals for the same price as mailing a letter.

Northwest Film Forum gift certificate, $12, Nov. 15-Dec. 31 at Brown Paper Tickets
Limit the level of holiday consumption by giving an experience: a night at the movies with nonprofit indie film outlet Northwest Film Forum's Admit-2 gift certificate. Your recipients can enjoy everything from classics to new releases in artistic cinema at this funky old-school theater.

Rouge Aromatics' bath salts, $12 at Bouncing Wall
Everyone can use the gift of stress relief, so pick up a few jars of local company Rouge Aromatics' Detox Me and Calm Me bath salts ($12), made with organic sea salts and essential oils. These natural bath products made by aromatherapist Kari Morford are designed to soften your skin and either draw toxins from your body or calm your nerves. Rouge Aromatics also makes relaxing balms, and body and face cleansers.

Monkey World wall calendar, $13.95 at Frank and Dunya
From pirate monkeys to space monkeys, local artist Matthew Porter's simian cartoon creations are a great gift for anyone who appreciates whimsical art. Let 12 months of monkeys adorn your recipients' wall by picking up one or a dozen of Porter's 2009 Monkey World wall calendars. Each comes with a black-and-white coloring calendar for the kiddies.

Love Bottles, $16 at Show Pony
Offer some uplifting influence with Love Bottles, glass water bottles with ceramic swing-top lids (like an old-fashioned milk bottle) made partially from recycled glass. The clear bottles have an imprinted area with colorful outlines and the word "love," with blank space left for the owner of the bottle to write in their own positive words -- the company's claim is that the words charge your water with positive energy. Love Bottles can help the recipient break his or her disposable plastic water bottle habit, reducing the amount of plastic in production and in our landfills.

Happy Dog Zipper Case, $20 at Laura Bee Designs
Laura Bee Designs is known for its custom-made handbags and wallets, but this Ballard shop also has some great pre-made products, like the Happy Dog Zipper Case, which is great for packing makeup, stashing change and keys, or even carrying dog treats. It depicts a variety of artfully portrayed pups, from pugs and Chihuahuas to corgis and Scottish terriers, prancing across a gold background. Plus, $15 from the sale of every case is donated to the all-volunteer Seattle Pug Rescue. Shop-pug Otis may even give you a lick of thanks on your way out.

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