How to Make Affordable Holiday Gifts

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By Rebecca Kelleher
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Looking to save some money this holiday season? Here are some easy and affordable ways to make your own gifts this year.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Step 1

Memory Board with Pictures

Decorate a memory board—they‘re easy to find and affordable at most places, such as Target, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, etc. Then pick several pictures (depending on how big your board is), and upload them onto a website called, “picnik.” Picnik is extremely easy to use and will help jazz up your photos—anything from inserting quotes or phrases, to putting fun frames/borders around them. By doing this, it makes them extra unique and adds a bit of a personal touch.
Step 2

Decoupaged Letter

Decoupage a wooden letter—this is an especially nice gift for a pre-teen/teenager/college student to put in their bedroom or dorm. The wooden letter will only cost a few bucks, and can be purchased at a Jo-Ann Fabrics or Michael’s craft store. You will also need to buy acrylic paint, tissue paper and mod podge (if you don’t already have them). The process is very simple—just paint the letter, let it dry, and cut out shapes or designs with the tissue paper while you wait. Once the paint has dried, you can start to place the pieces of tissue paper however you please. Next, glaze it over with mod podge, and let it dry. This will add a nice finishing gloss to your letter.
Step 3

Put together a basket of goodies. Again, many of these items can be found in discount stores. This allows you to be creative and cater to the likes of the individual you plan on giving it to. One idea is to go to Homegoods, visit the gourmet food section, and pick up various items such as coffee, baked good mixes (muffin, cupcakes, and scones), candies, tea, and so on. Baskets are a great idea as they allow for flexibility for every person. Another suggestion would be a basket of bath items – soaps, lotions, body washes, bath salts, and candles, to name a few.
Step 4

Shadow Box

Personalize a shadow box—you can do this by placing pictures or mementos inside. A few theme ideas of what could be used are: childhood memories, vacations, sports memorabilia and hobbies. This can be a great present for any gender and age. Depending on whom it’s for—it could go nicely in a bedroom, family room, or study. This is the ideal time to combine personal experiences with your creativity for a family member or close friend.
Step 5

Make a fleece blanket— all you need to do is go to the craft store, and purchase approximately 2-3 yards of 2 different colors and/or patterned fleece. First, lay the two pieces of material back to back, with the nicer sides facing out. Then make 6-7 inch deep cuts with a pair of scissors every 2 inches. Tie together the strips that you’ve made with the cuts, into double knots all the way around the blanket. You now have a double sided fleece blanket. This is a great idea for a present because it’s not overly time consuming, and can be made for a male or female as you can to choose the fleece colors accordingly.