Get Creative With Handmade Christmas Gifts

Don?t let your budget deter you from having an enjoyable Christmas season. This is a time to remember, and it?s not all about the expense of a gift, but the thought that you put into the gift. Yes, there are those who may feel different, but for the people who are close to you in your life, they are more likely to be appreciative of the time and care you put into the gift than how much money you spent on it. People love being recognized and thought of, and managing your budget with handmade Christmas gifts is a wonderful opportunity to show how much you care.

Here are some ideas to get you going:

Dessert Baking Jar

This is a cute idea to share one of your favorite dessert recipes, such as cookies or a special bread (like banana bread or cranberry bread). First, use your creativity and computer skills and type up your recipe on fancy Christmas stationary. You can either glue it to a medium sized jar or tie it with a ribbon to the top of the jar.

Your recipe should state what needs to be added to the dry ingredients. Also include what type of baking pan to use, oven heat, cooking time, and any other specifics to make this recipe special.

Fill the jar with all the dry ingredients for the recipe. Be sure to add the ingredients one at a time to the jar, so it creates a nice pattern. Decorate the lid in Christmas paper and tie ribbon around the top of the jar to give it that original Christmas look.

Recipe Gift Basket

Creating a gift basket of your favorite dinner recipe, or a favorite of the recipient, makes a unique and special Christmas gift. If you collect baskets during the year from gifts you received, you can save time and money by recycling one of those.

First, fill the basket with all the non-perishable ingredients needed for the dinner meal. For example, if the recipient of your gift loves pasta, you can purchase two different types of pasta, pasta sauce, special spices, and maybe even a bottle of wine that goes with the dish. Decorate the basket with Christmas ribbon and don?t forget to include a recipe if it requires special preparation.

Mini Scrap Book

Grandparents and those relatives that live far away from you will enjoy and cherish this gift idea. Gather pictures of your children, or you and your significant other, or even just of you doing different things during the year.

Purchase an inexpensive plain drawing journal with no lines so you can paste your pictures and write a little blurb about the significance of the picture. If you have children, you can also include milestones in their life, which will be heartwarming to grandparents who adore their grandchildren. Wrap it with some fancy ribbon and you got a special gift that mainly only cost your time.

Personalized Notecards

Everyone loves blank notecards that they can use for any occasion. If you know what your friend or family member loves, you can create personalized notecards at a minimal cost. Purchase blank envelopes and cardstock white paper. Cut the cardstock paper in half along its width, then fold in half to create a notecard. Now decorate with ribbon, stationary, material, stickers, etc., that represent the recipient.

Source: http://toddsblogs.com/shoppingandproductreviews/2012/09/28/get-creative-with-handmade-christmas-gifts/

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