8 holiday gifts you can make
 

Thinking of gifts to buy for others can be a challenge: it can be hard to think of an item, or it may be difficult to stretch your budget while being satisfied with the gifts you're giving. The list below shows a few items you can make on your own. Some of these gifts contain smaller items that can be bought and combined to create a gift with different touches.

Make a dish baked good, or something for later. If you are visiting someone for the holidays, you can consider making a food and bringing it. These foods can serve as a snack for guests and crowds as a whole or they can be for the person themselves. Cookies are an especially popular baked good to make at this time of year. They are relatively easy to make, and are versatile as well. Alternatively, you can make a food that can be consumed later (e.g. DIY nut or caramel butter) depending on what the recipient enjoys.

Create your own gift basket. A lot of stores have prepackaged baskets around this time of year, but they can sometimes have a hefty price tag. Find or purchase a basket, basin, or another object and fill it with things the recipient likes. For instance, you can buy a small makeup bag and fill it with smaller items; you can do a bubble bath box, barbeque kit, or a snack box. Be creative with the 'basket.' You're not limited to just a basket or a box - you can try anything from a makeup bag to a mason jar to hold what you're gifting. Making your own gift basket is less expensive and allows you to add items that are personalized for the gift recipient.

Make some holiday decorations, or decorations for other times of the year. Consider making several ornaments, tree garlands or decorated vases. If you want to make a decoration that can be used throughout the year, you could make a birdhouse, or a picture frame to name a few. Look online for more ideas that your recipient might like.

Make your own gift tags, or put touches on gift wrapping or things you have already bought. While gift tags are not a gift in themselves, they can be fun to make if you like crafts and they can be more personalized than traditional ones. There are also many things you can do with wrapping paper, such as paint it. If there's something you've purchased, add another touch to it. For instance, wrap festive ribbon around the gift itself, use stickers, or other available items to decorate it. This can be useful for gifts that are of an odd shape and cannot be wrapped.

Make a card. This is similar to making your own gift tags or adding touches to wrapping paper, but it gives you the opportunity to express important things to the recipient. If you aren't very close to the person you're making the card for, focus more on the crafty end.

Write someone a poem or a song, or make a drawing. You can use your love of writing or art to give someone a painting, sculpture, or anything artistic.

Try different DIY crafts. There are many images and tutorials online to give inspiration for gifts you can make. Some examples are bulleted below. First consider what the recipient likes, and then look for DIY items or projects you can make at a good price. Alternatively, you can search through images and tutorials first and then take notes of the ideas you like.

A few DIY ideas to get you started:

• Bookmarks
• Candles in a mug or mason jar, or candle holders
• Make bars of soap or sugar scrub cubes
• Coasters
• Windchimes and other garden items

Choosing gifts for others can be a challenge, but it can also be a lot of fun! Try gifting some of these ideas to the people in your life.

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