HOLIDAYS IN THE VALLEY : Thrifty . . . but Nifty : Gifts: The trick is finding something special that is tough to price and looks like more than you actually spent. Here are ideas to help stretch your budget in these recessionary times.

Gift buying is different this year.

While before you may have splurged a bit--a mohair sweater for someone or something in leather for a friend--this year, you may be limited by the R-word--the recession.

You really don’t want to insult anyone, and the people for whom you’ve splurged in the past still expect to be treated to something nice.

The gifts you give don’t have to suggest you’re downsizing your relationships just because you feel the need to tighten your budget.

The trick is to find something special that’s tough to price, looks like more than you actually spent and says more about your shopping acumen than your financial resources.

When the going gets tough, go for the unusual.

Some recession gift ideas from local stores that specialize in off-the-beaten-track gift items:

PRESERVED FLOWERS

* The dried flowers of yesterday are “preserved” today, and some craftspeople and small flower stores are doing interesting things with them, creating arrangements that are tough to price. James R. McCoy, senior designer at Agoura flowers etc., creates gathering baskets with a large bouquet of preserved roses and other flowers artistically laid in the center, tied with a simple how. It’s a look not usually seen, with a clean-line country feeling. McCoy charges about $32 for the baskets and will make them to order. He does his own preserving, which helps keep the price down. Wreaths done with the same amount of flowers generally cost twice as much, mostly because there’s more. Agoura flowers etc., 5645 Kanan Road, Agoura Hills, (818) 991-5470.

TIES

* They are tough to price if they’re artistic and distinctive. Greenstreets in Studio City has Georgia O’Keefe-style skull ties and cow and elephant neckwear--clearly conversation pieces. At $18.95, they are less expensive than the mundane preppy catalogue variety, and they’re more fun. Joan Rogers, Greenstreets’ owner, advises the budget-conscious shopper to choose a gift with personality. “No matter what it costs, it will be well-remembered,” she says. Greenstreets, 12749 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, (818) 766-5201.

ARTISTIC PINS

* Anything with an art value is hard to put a price on, and this is especially true of objets d’art you don’t typically see in department stores. At Paper Post in Agoura, there is a wide range of unusual ceramic handmade pins and other jewelry, ranging from $12.50 to $24. Virginia Miska of Santa Monica makes several unusual wooden cat pins--one a black feline with a primitive feeling for $14.50--and Ruby Z produces some distinctive heart pins, including some with the popular plaid look for $22. Some pins have $12.50 earrings to match. Paper Post at Ringles Ranch Market, 28370 Roadside Drive, Agoura, (818) 991-1238.

GARDEN STORES

* Some nurseries are better than others, but if they have a gift shop, you’re likely to find some interesting ideas. There are many impossible-to-price and unusual options at Sperling, 24460 Calabasas Road, Calabasas, (818) 591-9111.

Blenko glass: In burgundy, amber, clear, colonial blue and forest green, this glassware comes in all sizes and shapes, from a heart-shaped vase for $19 to a large round vase/bowl for $34. It’s simple, modern, classic.

Afghans: There’s a triple-woven blanket made in North Carolina in a multicolored tapestry pattern for $44, with a matching pillow at $26.50, and a wide range of small rugs at similar prices.

Jewelry: A handmade gecko pin, made out of a colored metal called niobium FX by a small company in Corrales, N. M. It looks like a combination between silver and abalone, and it’s $26.

Prints: Hard to put a price on, these matted and wood-framed pictures range from $21 for a 10- by 9-inch simple suburban street scene to a 10- by 12-inch Mediterranean patio for $40.

Portuguese pottery: Cheaper than the Italian variety, but hard to tell the difference; a wide range is available. An eight-inch pot with pink painted lilies and a green background goes for $24.20.

Clocks: A hardwood mantel clock in a modified grandfather-clock shape, with painted pink roses on a green background, sells for $42, by Bouquet Enterprises. Another with a more craftsman look in reddish wood--it seems almost hand-carved--sells for $30.50 and is by San Pacific Imports.

HARD-TO-DESCRIBES

* When all else fails, consider giving a gift that takes an explanation, that has a special story or a deeper meaning. Three such gifts are available at Rubber Boots, 10112 Riverside Drive, Toluca Lake, (818) 766-6666:

Rock faces: These are lemon-sized, some flat, some round faces carved in rocks, sort of the humanistic alternative to the pet rock of the ‘70s. They are by a Canadian artist and are suitable for table display or as paperweights. Clever gift givers can even try to match a rock face to the recipient’s. They are $6.

Harmony balls: Sterling silver, shaped like the Earth with gold-plated continents, this jewelry chimes when you shake it and suggests an ecological message. The balls are most often worn as a necklace, on a black cord or silver chain. They run $17 to $28 with cord.

Fetishes: Carved by the Zunis, these 1/4- to two-inch turquoise, rose quartz and white stones are meant to be carried for good luck. They can be worn on cords as a necklace or carried in small pouches. For $12 to $50 each.