Weird Christmas - on a budget

Editor's note: Staff writer Jamie Cushman went shopping last week with instructions to find 10 uniquely weird Christmas presents for under $10. Here's what he came up with:

To start this quest for weird gifts I took the arduous 15-second drive from our newsroom in Clovis to The Frog and Flea. Though the store had a number of unique items that fit the bill, my favorite was the tumbleweed ornament available for $6.

What better (or weirder) way is there to celebrate the holidays in New Mexico than hanging everyone’s favorite pesky plant on your Christmas tree.

Speaking of trees, are you tired of the smell overwhelming your living room? I’d recommend the $8 smelly jellies found at Prairie Road’s Junqtique.

Simply open the top of the mason jar to let the new aroma fill the room and when the water inside your smelly jelly evaporates, just top it off with some more water and you’ve got a new air freshener again.

With scent names like Naked Cowboy and Monkey Farts, it doesn’t get much weirder than that.

For the sports collector who has everything, check out the classic Coke caps available at Jazz-A-Belle’s in Clovis for about $10.

The bottle caps feature former football players, including Green Bay Packers Bart Starr and Ray Nitschke, as well as a couple of old team logos from the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills.

As a Massachusetts native I was disappointed not to find something Patriots related, but I won’t hold that against them.

Someone in your family prefer music over sports? I’ve got a couple of items for them.

First check out the 45 records available at MDB Thrift Shop in Portales for just $2. I’d recommend Johnny Cash’s version of the classic cowboy ballad "The Streets of Laredo."

If that single from the '60s isn’t old enough for you, check out the classic sheet music available at Penny Lane in Clovis. The oldest one available, the song “Billy,” is from 1911 and costs $9.50.

You don’t have to break the bank to find gifts for children either. You can find a pair of presents in Portales right by the square.

At Bargains on the Square you can buy a Big Bass toy to help your son or daughter perfect their fishing skills for just $9.99.

Tie a line to the casting plug and you can practice casting a line into the fish’s mouth. You’ll know you’ve hit your target when the fish starts shaking and making noise.

Then you can take a short walk across the square where Consigning Women has a Dora the Explorer nightlight available for just $3.99.

Drop your cowboy hat on the walk over? The hat cleaner at Bar G Western & Casual Wear will clean it up for just $10, available in black and white.

If your child prefers academic pursuits over fishing and television, for just $2 at the recently opened Rusted Chicks located on Main Street in Clovis you can buy an eighth-grade diploma from 1921, which grants the recipient admission to high school.

I’m not sure if Clovis High will still honor the diploma, but it’s worth a shot. Or if your name is Raymond Triggs and you never finished the eighth grade, you can buy the diploma and now nobody would be the wiser.

Another good gift idea for kids is the animal hat and scarf combo available at The Shoe String in Clovis for just $5.50. Or maybe you’re an adult that wants to walk around with a rabbit or tiger face on your head, I won’t judge.

Bonus gift idea for the really big spenders: Clovis Rock Gym offers day passes for $10.99. If you can’t afford the extra dollar, go in after 9 p.m. when it only costs $5.99.