With the economy still in the dumps and budgets tight, this holiday season is the perfect time to give creative, homemade gifts that mean more and cost less. Not the creative type? We’ve got easy ideas for everyone on your list that won’t cost you a dime.
For the Kids:
Have an aspiring artist? Make recycled crayons into their favorite shapes.
Recycled Crayons – Instead of throwing out all those old, stubby, broken crayons, why not melt and mold them into cool shapes for the little artists in your family? Simply melt them in the oven using a muffin tin or metal cookie cutters. Learn how to make recycled crayons here.
Paint Soap – Homemade organic paint soap is a great gift for kids; it makes bath time more enjoyable and can easily be made from items you probably already have in the house. Made entirely from organic ingredients, the colorful soap won’t hurt your kids or your tub. Check out Tree Hugging Family’s Organic Paint Soap recipe.
Cookies in a Jar – Cookies are just about kid’s favorite treat so give a fresh-from-the-oven gift that will keep on giving. Use old mason jars (or whatever jars you can find around the house), layer each dry ingredient of your favorite cookie recipe separately so each layer is distinct, and attach the recipe using a ribbon. Cookies in a Jar is a great way to get the kids involved in holiday baking. Give each child their favorite kind of cookie!
For Mom:
Gifts of Service – What busy mom wouldn’t like a little help? From making dinner to babysitting, housecleaning to running errands, offer your time or a skill that can lighten her heavy load. Get creative make “service coupons” that she can redeem whenever she wants.
An Apron – These kitchen cover-ups are hot this holiday season and perfect for the mom who loves to cook. If you’re sewing-inept, you can purchase plain cotton twill aprons for as low as $6.00 a piece. Dress it up for mom using fabric strips, fabric paint, buttons, decals, and whatever else you can find around the house.
Fill handmade bath bags with mom's favorite toiletries.
Bath Bags – Scrap fabric can easily be made into a small bag or pouch using a sewing machine or glue gun (find instructions here). Fill the bag with mom’s favorite bath beads, lotions, or soaps and tie it with matching ribbon or lace.
For Dad:
Fridge Magnets – Print smaller copies of your favorite photos of your dad and glue them to thick cardstock. Laminate the cardstock (which can be done cheaply at a local print shop), cut out the pictures, and attach them to small magnets.
Books on Tape – If your dad loves to read, select a few of his favorites or the latest bestseller to put on tape! Using a small microphone and basic software available on most computers, you can create a MP3 recording of your readings that can easily be transferred to a CD or MP3 player. This way, dad can listen to his favorite books when on the go.
Assemble all the art supplies you have and the kids' favorite photos of dad to create a personalized photo album.
Personalized Photo Album – If you’re looking for something handmade the kids can give dad, try personalized photo albums or scrap books. Have the kids select their favorite photos of dad and create “pages” for each photo. Collect recycled construction paper, stickers, stamps, and markers the kids can use to decorate and have them write captions or notes for each picture. For just a few dollars, you can have the albums laminated and bound at a local print shop to preserve them for years to come.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Jayme Westervelt 12.16.09 at 4:02 pm
You have some of the best ideas! I love the crayon one, especially since I just cleaned my kid’s room and found dozens of crayon pieces. And the books on tape is a great idea too. Thanks for these.
Katie Nielsen 12.17.09 at 12:23 pm
Thank you, Jayme! I actually did the melted crayons for my siblings using heart and animal-shaped cookie cutters and they loved it! If you have any DIY gift ideas, we’d love to hear! Happy Holidays!
Jayme Westervelt 12.17.09 at 6:56 pm
I do have a DIY decorating idea…one that I plan on doing with my kids this weekend. The Styrofoam peanuts make great garland for the Christmas tree and fun for the kids to do. If any of your holiday purchases were packed with peanuts, save them and then string them together with a large needle and fishing line or durable thread.