Make Your Own Christmas Gifts

If your Christmas list is starting to look like a telephone book, it's time to consider making your own gifts. Here are several easy-to-make crafts that make wonderful home-made Christmas gifts.

Steps

 * 1) Make chocolate-covered spoons. Go to your local dollar store or discount supermarket and stock up on plastic spoons. Melt chocolate in the microwave on 50% power for one minute(if you have a fixed setting, do it for 30 sec.. Stir, and continue melting in 10-second increments at 50% power until smooth. Dip spoons until generously covered with chocolate. Lay them on waxed paper lined cookie sheet to cool down. If you want to get fancy, roll in crushed peppermint candies or drizzle them with melted white chocolate.
 * 2) [[Image:Rock Candy Macro 981.jpg|160px|right|]] Make a peppermint candle. Buy a large plain white unscented pillar candle and peppermint candies (round or stick). Unwrap the candies. Using a hot glue gun or glue dots (found at craft stores), glue candies all around the sides of the candle. It will look like candles sold for $15 and more in catalogs and fancy stores.
 * 3) Assemble a winter warm-up basket. Your basket can include homemade marshmallows and hot chocolate. You can purchase hand-crafted marshmallows in gourmet stores like Williams Sonoma for $15-$18 or simply make your own. Make homemade gourmet marshmallows (recipe can be found in links below). Purchase instant hot chocolate in sample sizes or in fancy tins. Buy a cheap basket at the dollar store or craft store. Line it with a decorative kitchen towel or shredded tissue paper. Fill it with hot chocolate, homemade marshmallows and, if you like, an inexpensive mug or a favorite movie. Wrap the basket in shrink wrap and use a hair dryer to blow-dry the shrink wrap on the basket to stay in place.
 * 4) [[Image:Picture frame 917.jpg|160px|right|]]Decorate a picture frame.''' Buy an inexpensive picture frame. You can use plastic, but other materials should work fine, too. Gather or buy plastic Barbie doll accessories, beads, jigsaw puzzle pieces, and other knick-knacks that symbolize the interests of the recipient. For example, for sports, you could use a plastic Barbie doll tennis shoes or plastic toy baseballs and popcorn from a doll house set. Find a jigsaw puzzle with pictures of footballs or soccer on it and use those pieces. And get some sports-themed scrapbooking or card-making accessories from the craft store. Using hot glue or glue dots, glue the items on the frame. Put a special poem or message in the frame, and you've got a show-stopping gift without an extravagant price tag.
 * 5) Give fancy soap. Buy a glycerin soap block, found in most craft stores, divided into small cubes. Tie ribbon around the block to make a loop, turning at ninety degree angles to create each additional loop. Carefully run one scissor blade on the back of the ribbon until you have completely curled it. Repeat with the other side. They will look like gourmet soap and cost a fraction of the price.
 * 6) [[Image:A better scarf model 4435.jpg|160px|right|]] Knit a warm fuzzy scarf. It will be a lasting memory and really useful if your gift recipient(s) live somewhere cold. If you don't know how to knit, there are many websites, books, and magazines that can teach you how. Or you could go to the nearest yarn store and ask one of the people there for lessons. If you knit or crochet, consider the many other possible gifts you could make that way, too.
 * 7) Make a necklace. Buy an inexpensive cotton cord from the craft store along with some multi-colored beads. They are available in any craft store for a small amount. Cut 48 inches of the cord and start threading some beads into it. Rub some glue around the sewing tip to make it stiff. You will have a nice long bead necklace for the teenagers and friends on your list.
 * 8) [[Image:Caramel Coconut and Caramel Coconut Nuts and Chocolate Candy Apples 2922.jpg|160px|right|]] Make gourmet candy apples. Buy a bag of apples, preferably Red Delicious or Granny Smith apples, as they work best for this project. Also get semi-sweet chocolate, wooden sticks or skewers, cellophane wrap, and the toppings of your choice (peanuts, coconut, cookies, etc.) Melt the chocolate in a double-boiler on the stove. Skewer the apples and dip into melted chocolate. Roll into a topping and allow to dry. Wrap in cellophane. You can use colored cellophane or add a pretty bow. These are a delicious treat for your friends and family.
 * 9) Take a picture of the gift receiver. Stick it in the center of a piece of cardboard using a glue gun or a glue stick. Collect picture of things the receiver likes. Make a collage of the pictures around the person's picture. This inexpensive gift is very cute for people of all ages.
 * 10)  Personalize a shirt. This is a gift that most fathers enjoy. Write things such as "#1 Dad" on a T-shirt or sweatshirt with squeezable fabric paint. Use his favorite colors and designs. Or, you can use T-shirt transfers.
 * 11)  Make a themed gift basket for newlyweds, college students, or new home owners you can create a gift basket with several inexpensive items from discount stores. Theme the basket for the kitchen, bath, or dorm room. Avoid a color theme unless you know what they want.
 * 12)  Bake breads or cookies and package them in a tin or basket. Add a decorative ribbon to dress it up. If you can splurge a bit more you can include a bread knife, wooden cutting board or bread cookbook with the bread gift. For the more experienced cook you can try truffles, candies, etc. For an easy fix, buy tubes of cookie dough.
 * 13)  Make jam. Many people like homemade jam because it tastes fresher than the store bought kind, and not so many people make jam anymore. If you like, give it with some muffins, homemade bread, or some other pastries to serve with it.
 * 14)  Give hot chocolate mixes with a mug. Just find the ingredients you like, mix together, seal in a bag or container and give with a big mug for drinking. This is a great gift for families as you can give each person an individual mug. This is also a great just in case gift to keep at the house for a last minute hostess gift or that person you accidentally forgot. Easy to transport, it's great for giving at the office or school.
 * 15)  Mix kitchen oils or vinegar. Combine vinegars or oils with rosemary, garlic or other herbs or spices, and pour into a decorative bottle and cork. There are many methods for doing this available online. There are also options available for marinading cheeses.
 * 16)  Create a customized journal. Purchase an inexpensive, old-fashioned, black and white composition book (usually smaller than a regular notebook, and with the pages sewn in).  Cover the book with aluminum foil, gift wrap, or fabric, wrapping the edges to the inside.  Use spray adhesive to secure it to the inside of the cover.  For teenagers, even duct tape (which comes in colors) can be used to cover the book.  Add stickers, photos, magazine cutouts, and handwritten words (inside jokes, names of recipient's children) reflecting the recipient's interests.  Write a short note on the first page about how much the recipient means to you.
 * 17)  Make rice socks, or, if you sew, make a tidier, sewn version from scrap fabric.
 * 18)  Give candy coated pretzels. Dip one end of a big pretzel stick in melted chocolate.  Roll in either mini M&Ms, colored sprinkles, chopped nuts, or crushed candy cane.  Allow to harden by placing the undipped end down in a drinking glass. Wrap in cellophane.
 * 19)  Go for a movie theme. Buy a bucket of movie popcorn, include a box of candy and a gift card for a movie store. Makes a great last-minute gift.
 * 20)  Give cute tea cups and saucers. Shop thrift stores, antique stores, pottery outlets, yard sales or your own cabinet for tea cups and saucers. Add several gourmet tea bags, individually packaged tea bags or fill with packets of gourmet cocoa mix packets. Wrap with cellophane  and top with a holiday bow. (Hint: add a drop of glue or piece of tape to attach the saucer to the cup to prevent from slipping or breaking.) This is a great way to get rid of old china.
 * 21)  Regift!  Never be afraid to regift old gifts you've never used or opened. This can save you a lot of time and money, and you'll be getting rid of an unwanted item.
 * 22)  Make a "water bottle bracelet". Get a water bottle. Then, you cut out a bangle from the water bottle. Glue thick ribbon on the inside. Next, go get a a map (Europe usually looks best). Glue the map to the bangle. Now, get some Mod Podge, and put a layer on it every 20 minutes (do this about 4 times.) Let it dry. Give your bracelet to the person. They will love it dearly.

Tips

 * Shrink wrap can be purchased on rolls that look like wrapping paper rolls in most craft stores. Look for the kind you simply wrap around the basket and blow dry to seal.
 * Picture frames come in a wide variety of materials, from hard paper to wood. Hot glue one item on a small corner of the frame first to make sure it will hold.
 * Don't buy an expensive shirt; just buy a cheap t-shirt instead.
 * Most parents and grandparents would love a photo of you. Put it in a nice frame. You can get great deals on frames at stores like TJMaxx, Big Lots,dollar tree,or by a multi-pack at a club store.
 * If you have a nice photo of a friend you can give pictures as gifts. Go digging through old photo albums, scan and re-print an old photo of you and your best friend when you were kids and find a more recent picture. Use a hinged frame and put both pictures in it.
 * Go looking for great deals on frames and then print your photos to match the size frames you find. There are some really cute ones in discount bins. If you shop for the frame first you'll save money.
 * Think ahead all year. Take photos at family events, make everyone pose for it. Later in the year give everyone the photo as a Christmas present.
 * If your friends have developed a saying or if you all love a TV show or band you can create a custom T-shirt with a fun saying and a picture on it. T-shirt iron-on transfers are available for your computer printer.
 * For non-computer friendly family members you can create fun things with your printer. Make them address labels, This book belongs to: labels or any other kind of label that fits their needs. Use a family crest or photo to personalize it even more.
 * If you have a specialty food you can make it and put it in a container. Include a recipe card with the details of how to make it. If you make a sauce or marinade, bottle it and include a card for ways it can be served or used.

Warnings

 * Make sure that these projects fit the personality/style of the recipient.
 * If making a t-shirt make sure it is the correct size.
 * Do the math! If it will cost you $20 to get the supplies to make the present you may be better off buying a small gift. Try to make gifts utilizing items you already have or doing a craft you are already good at. This may not be the time to embark on a new craft hobby if you're not crafty. There are still inexpensive gifts you can give but embellish the wrapping or give it in a basket to make it seem more homemade...
 * If you're planning to regift, consider the following: NEVER regift to the person who gave it to you!!! Don't regift if the item is opened, used, or was customized for you.

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Create a Christmas Time Capsule
 * How to Make Ornamental Pine Cones for Christmas
 * How to Organize a White Elephant Gift Exchange
 * How to Create a Lasting Tradition for Baby's First Christmas
 * How to Grow a TickleMe Plant

Sources and Citations

 * Homemade Christmas Gifts for Everyone on Your List (including the Homemade Marshmallow Recipe)
 * eHow to Make Craft Foam Christmas Ornaments
 * eHow to Find Alternatives to Buying Christmas Gifts