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Frugal Holidays: Homemade Gift Giving Guide

With the prices of everything on the rise, you’ve probably found it more and more difficult to buy gifts for all your loved ones, not to mention your friends, neighbors, business associates, the kids’ friends and teachers, and the occasional mail carrier!

Have you considered making your own gifts? Lovely presents can be made at home for a fraction of the cost! Besides being less costly, many homemade gifts are cherished by their recipients far more than something you bought at the store. After all, a little love goes into every homemade gift!

Try these ideas to help you get started with making homemade gifts:

Romantic Gifts

✴ Mix your own CDs with your loved one’s favorite songs and those that mean a lot to your relationship, like what was playing on your first date.
✴ Compose your own love song or poem.
✴ Bring back fond memories of your time together by creating a special scrapbook.

Gift Baskets

Buy baskets at the dollar store or on sale elsewhere and customize them for the recipient, filling them with little treasures they’re sure to enjoy. Alternatively, use other packaging like small metal buckets or decorative boxes.

✴ Snack baskets. Fill them with packets of hot cocoa, flavored teas, coffees, cookies, fudge, or candy. Making a few batches of cookies at home is much cheaper than buying them from the store.
✴ Classy baskets. Include some fine wine and cheese or chocolates and fruit.
✴ Fruit baskets. Fill with fresh or dried fruit and nuts.
✴ Hobby baskets. Choose an assortment of items relating to their hobby. For example, a bucket of golf balls and tees would be welcomed by any golf enthusiast.
✴ Movie baskets. Include microwave popcorn, candy, and a movie. Gifts for Friends, Neighbors, & Business Associates

❖ Home-baked cookies, pies, cakes, fudge, or candy
❖ Mason jars layered with the dry ingredients to bake their own treats. Decorate with cloth, ribbon, and a card with the recipe.
❖ Craft unique jewelry. Jewelry isn’t only easy, but incredibly fun. The more you do it, the faster you get! This is one area where you can really get creative! Use unique shells and beads to make earrings, bracelets, necklaces, decorative hair accessories, and more. Buy supplies at craft stores or online. This is truly a one of a kind gift to every friend!

Gifts for Children

Sock monkey. These old-fashioned sock monkeys are popular once again! They require you to sew, but are extremely adorable and make excellent gifts for children.

These items are all you need for this fun and frugal gift:

❖ 1 pair of men’s extra large socks
❖ Cotton or stuffing
❖ White thread
❖ Red yarn
❖ Black embroidery thread
❖ Two buttons for the eyes

Holiday Ornaments

This activity is very fun and simple – so simple you can get the kids in on it too! Make some fun Holiday memories with your family while making inexpensive gifts and decorations.

Here’s what you’ll need:

❖ Clear glass ball ornaments
❖ Acrylic paint
❖ Ribbon
❖ Egg carton

Take a glass ornament and poor a few colors of paint inside. Swish it around so the paint covers the inside of the ball. Poor the paint out into the trash and cap the ornament, placing it in the egg carton to dry. Voila! Each ornament is a unique creation and will be cherished for years to come.

Use these ideas as fuel to spark new creations of your own. You may find glorious new traditions in your frugality that you enjoy for the rest of your life.

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