Finding Free Furniture?
You can also try here: http://www.freecycle.org/ and find your state and city (or city closest to you) Its a group dedicated in instead of filling up landfills with stuff they dont want, they try and find it a new home. Good luck!
Making Your Own Gift Baskets
I love making gift baskets for the holidays...I save up all the 34 oz coffee cans through out the year just for this, and save some of the christmas wrapping paper, and christmas cards so that I can decoupage them on a can, after I have painted it.