10 Homemade Gift Ideas for Birthdays, Christmas and More

Want to make this holiday season special without breaking the bank? Consider a homemade gift. The following article offers 10 ways to make Christmas, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and Birthdays extra special.

Free Service Coupons
Growing up, my sisters and I made coupons for mom and dad. They were promises to do something special for them like breakfast in bed or a day off from there usual responsibilities.

Think about what your friend would like most and make them a coupon. Decorate it clip art or a picture you draw yourself, and seal it in an envelope to make it seem extra special. If you kids are making the coupons, an afternoon of peeling and pasting a page of stickers to them is a day made in heaven.

Grocery Store Coupons
If you have a few "clip-and-save" happy friends, nothing will please them more than a chance to save a little more. Find out what foods/brands they like best and start hunting for coupons. Newspapers are a great place to start. Also consider looking for online offers.

BargainBeliver.com is a great place to start. Check the blog posts as well as the ads in the right and left columns.

Free Coloring Book
Do you have kids that love to color. Online coloring pages are plentiful and almost always free to print. You can make a cover yourself, and include the child's name in the title of the coloring book - "Sally's Big Coloring Book".

MakingArtFun.com has one of the nicest collections of high quality free printable coloring pages. It's worth a look.

DisneyFamily.com also features a great collection of free printable coloring pages of your favorite Disney characters. This is one of the few sites that offer Disney coloring pages that are copyright violation free.

Free Sheet Music
A new music book is always a welcomed gift to an up and coming piano student. Print 15 or 20 pieces from the websites below, and present your gift in a three ring binder or a spiral binding from your local copy/office store.

MakingMusicFun.net offers free sheet music for beginner through intermediate level music students. There is music available for piano, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone and guitar. The quality of the sheet music on this website often exceeds the quality you find in music stores - and it's free. (This website is from the same folks that offer those fantastic coloring pages.) Take it while you can get it!

Take-A-Piano-Sheet-Music-Break.com offers a nice collection of intermediate/advanced piano sheet music. The quality of sheet music on this website is also very high.

Craft Foam Computer Mousepad
Make a (nearly free) mousepad for your friend that expresses there own unique personality. Not sure what to make or where to start. Search Google Images with the keyword "craft foam mousepad" for ideas. Then head to your favorite craft store for craft foam and glue.

Free Printable Calendar
Need a Christmas gift idea? Make a calendar for the upcoming year. Search the web for printable calendars that suit you needs. Some may allow you space at the top to include pictures or artwork.

Free Tunes CD
Watch for free tunes on iTunes and Amazon, and download 10 of your favorites. Burn them to a disk and make a nice cover.

Book of Original/Favorite Poems
Do you and your friend share a love for poetry? Make them a book of poems. You could include a few of their favorite poems or lyrics to songs. Top it off with an original that celebrates (or teases) your best bud!

Homemade Treats
We're closing in on the end of our list, and need to make sure we include something no great gift giving list should ever be without - homemade treats! Cookies, candy, cakes, ice cream - yum. Dig out you favorite recipe and share that yumminess with a friend.

You!
Plan a picnic with your friend. You, and a nice day in the park, might be just what they need most!

Happy gift giving!