Crafty homemade holiday gifts that won’t break the bank
By Alexis Ancel, Staff Writer //
The holiday season can be stressful for anyone, but especially for those trying to make ends meet or who don’t have the extra cash to spend on expensive gifts for their loved ones. Here are some cost effective gift ideas that are thoughtful without the huge price tag.
1) Homemade Holiday Baked Goods – Holiday baked goods are always a good go-to, especially last minute. Find recipes for chocolate chip cookies, peppermint bark or chocolate dipped pretzels and fill up individual gift bags or small holidays tins (found at stores like Walmart or Michaels). This is an easy gift to give in bulk, so if you’re looking for something to distribute to a large group of friends and family, holiday treats are always a good way to go.
2) Pre-measured Recipes – Don’t have time to do the baking yourself? Have them do it! Buy mason jars at stores like Michaels for $1 and fill with pre measured dry ingredients of your favorite recipes like pancakes, hot chocolate and holiday cookies. Tie a festive ribbon around the top and attach instructions for the rest of the recipe for a gift that’s creative, easy to put together and takes a lot of strain off of your wallet.
3) No-Sew Blanket or Pillow – Go to a craft store like Jo Ann Fabric and buy your desired amount of fleece (varies depending on size of blanket) in any color or holiday design (Note: buy twice the amount of fleece as the actual size of the blanket as you will be layering). Cut fringe (about an inch wide and up to six inches long) along all four sides of each piece, then tie fringe together to make a blanket. More in-depth instructions can be found for free online, so avoid no-sew blanket kits that rack up the price unnecessarily.
4) Personalized Calendar – If you’re crafty and have the time, a homemade calendar can be a very thoughtful and cost effective gift. Find a blank calendar online and print out the months of the year. Fill another 12 sheets of paper with pictures, quotes and any other decorations you can think of. Glue the corresponding blank sides of the pages together and allow room to punch holes at the bottom to tie the pages together and a hole at the top for hanging. This takes a bit longer, so allow plenty of time to make it and for the glue and decorations to dry.
5) Homemade Ornaments – Homemade ornaments are much easier and cheaper to make than you might think. Just go to any craft store like Michaels and buy clear glass bulb ornaments for $1 each and fill with anything: glitter, confetti, and whatever else will fit inside. You can also paint or decorate the outside of the bulb with simple holidays designs or personalized messages. Paper snowflakes also make great ornaments, do this by simply cutting out different patterns of snowflakes in white paper and tying together with string. Make these personal by writing messages or quotes on each snowflake or decorating with paint, stickers or glitter.
6) Themed Gift Baskets – You don’t need one specific item to make a good gift for someone – go to a store like Walmart or Target and put together a themed basket full of things they’ll love. Make it a spa theme and include lotions, bottles of nail polish, hair products and foot scrubs, or put together a collection of “rainy day” items such as candles, herbal tea, a cozy blanket and a movie (dig through the $5 movie bin at Walmart). Even just a small, random collection of their favorite things can make for a thoughtful and budget friendly gift.
7) Photo Gifts – Take a lot of pictures? Put them to better use than just posting them to Instagram. Upload your favorite photos of yourself and the gift receiver to websites like Snapfish and Shutterfly and create all kinds of personalized gifts like mugs, mouse pads and playing cards. Allow plenty of time for shipping.
8) Personalized Picture Frames – Find a white picture frame with a wide boarder and use colored sharpies, paint or stickers to personalize. Include a photo of yourself and the gift receiver (or any photo you like). Though great for anyone, this gift is perfect in particular for grandparents and older relatives who still love receiving the hand crafted gifts that you grew out of.
9) Tech Friendly Gloves – Perfect for that one friend who can’t bear to part with their phone, even in the coldest temperatures. These gloves are inexpensive and can be found at any Target for under $10. There are also thicker, heavier duty versions made by different companies that can be found on Amazon.com and are great for skiing, snowboarding and other outdoor winter sports.
10) Personalized Coupon Book – Give the most personal gift of all: the gift of you. Offer your services to your loved ones by making coupons of all the things you’re best at like cooking a meal of their choosing or taking family portraits free of charge, or offer to do all the chores they won’t want to do such as doing the dishes or walking the dog. You can even do IOU’s promising shopping sprees, movie nights and crafting days. The possibilities are endless, and the best part is it won’t cost you a thing.