Homemade Christmas Craft Ideas

Whether you are trying to save money or if you just want to give a sentimental gift often times handmade/ homemade gifts are best. My favorite gifts are those that have keepsake value to the recipient. These are often very sentimental and are quite rewarding to make and give. Reminding people of special memories is a great gift. This can be done in many touching ways.

A great simple craft that you can make is a "my memories/ feelings in a jar" gift. This is super inexpensive and is very touching. All you need is a jar decorated to appeal to the recipient, then you need several strips of paper. Write a memory, a special message or a reflection of your feelings on each strip of paper. You can decorate the paper strips or give them a special antique look by rubbing moist coffee grounds on the paper. The most important part of this gift is to simply think of memories or special feelings that will warm the heart of the recipient. When you are done writing on the strips of paper place them in the decorated jar, close it, wrap it up and it's ready for giving! This is a great gift that the recipient will look back on and cherish for years to come.

Photo gifts are very touching because they have the power to bring future happiness to the recipient day after day. Consider making a photo collage for a loved one this holiday season. I have a niece that will be born at the beginning of December. I am taking a photo of the new born and matting it under an inspiring poem that includes the baby's birthday and name. You could also take a number of special photos and make a collage that displays the photos and some special words about the photos. These types of gifts when displayed will remind the gift recipient of all the good times and can brighten their day every time they look at it.

Another crafty gift idea I am doing this year is making origami gift boxes that I plan to fill with homemade candy, fudge and other yummy treats. Any type of edible treats are great for gift giving! You could combine dry ingredients for your favorite baked goodie in a decorative jar and give it along with instructions! Things like soup, cookies, cake, brownies, muffins and hot chocolate make great gifts in a jar!

I found a number of other creative gift ideas on the web that you may be interested in trying out if you are looking for more handmade gift ideas:

Very Special Box Craft Gift - http://www.craftbits.com/viewProject.do?projectID=453

Homemade Hats- http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977175494

Beanie Hat - http://www.allfreecrafts.com/crochet/beanie.shtml

Bath bombs - http://www.craftbits.com/viewProject.do?projectID=1679