“Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.” Peg Bracken
Christmas is approaching and maybe this year you are a little tight for money. Not to worry, you can still give wonderful Christmas gifts no matter what your circumstances. A great way to give personal gifts this year is to make them yourself. Now making gifts can end up being very stressful if you approach it the wrong way. Take the following points into consideration before starting on your Christmas gift ideas.
Handcrafted gifts are gifts made with love and a thoughtful way to show your family and friends just how much they mean to you at the holidays and every day. And the upside is that while they may take time, they can help you stay within your budget this holiday season. Here are some tips
1. Always plan ahead and start making your Christmas gifts early. Compile a list of all the people that you are making gifts for, and what you want to make them. Make sure you have enough time to make all these gifts. Estimate how much time you need to put aside each day, and stick to this schedule. You don’t want to end up with not enough gifts for everyone.
2. Make gifts that you know you are able to make, if you all ready knit or make cookies, then it is easy enough to make suitable gifts for everyone on your list. There is no point in learning how to knit, before attempting to make blankets or gloves, you will only end up frustrated.
3. Make sure that it is actually cheaper to make your gifts. Sometimes crafts and hobby supplies can be more expensive than you first realize. Make a list of what you need and price out each item. If you are truly saving money then go ahead and make the gift, if not you might as well purchase the gift.
4. Don’t plan to make more gifts than you can actually handle. Realistically take a look and see how many gifts you can make and then choose your recipients in order of preference. Don’t get in over your head and have to be rushing around on Christmas Eve trying to get your gifts finished.
5. When choosing what gifts to make, be certain that the recipient likes what you have in mind. Does it suit their interests and tastes? If you are baking or giving bath products, check to see if they have any allergies to certain ingredients.
Here are j13 holiday handcrafted/homemade gift ideas (do a search for homemade holiday gifts for hundreds more):
- Ornaments
- Christmas cards
- Coupon books
- Picture frames
- Artificial trees and wreaths made from ornaments and ribbon and evergreens
- A special recipe
- A holiday gift basked filled with goodies the recipient loves
- Holiday placemats and napkins
- Christmas stockings
- Napkin rings
- Place card holders
- Advent Calendar
- Snowglobe
Making gifts can be a wonderful experience for you. Your handmade gifts show that you have taken the time and energy to think about each person individually. Unique gifts are a precious thing to give at any time of the year.
