Homemade Christmas Gifts: Great DIY Ideas

When I was growing up there were six of us, so home made gifts was a rule in our house. In retrospect, it was a good way for my parents to save money. But it instilled great values in me and my siblings. I look back on those memories fondly and now homemade gifts are the rule in my family. The kids don't have to worry about digging into their piggy banks to buy gifts for Christmas and our family comes up with some great ideas! If your family is going to start a homemade Christmas gifts tradition, here are some great ideas to get you started.

I.O.U. Booklets

These are always a big hit in my family. They are a great way to show your love for the recipient, and they're very versatile. All you have to do is think of the things that the person your writing the book for really wants. My kids make them for me all of the time and they mostly consist of chores they don't want to do, breakfast in bed, and great bonuses like 'no complaining for a day' (although that one is hard to stick to under the best of circumstances). But, the possibilities are endless. These make great gifts for couples and can get really naughty. Think of yourself as a genie who can grant 10-20 wishes and go crazy. You can even put a few wild cards in there so the person can ask for whatever they want (within reason).

Treats in a Jar

OK, so you can make the jar at home, but I recommend just buying one. They can cost anywhere from $1-$20, and making one would be more expensive. Get a Christmas themed one to add some holiday spirit to your gift. Now for the treats. If you're a whiz in the kitchen, make that specialty treat that your friends and family are always looking forward to. If you're like me, just head over to your local grocery store and get the cookies that you only need to place on the cookie sheet. No one will be able to tell the difference.

Jewelry

Homemade jewelry makes great Christmas gifts and great projects for the kids. If there are a lot of members in your family, you can get the little ones to make beaded necklaces and bracelets for their grandparents and cousins. Your local craft store should be just busting with all sorts of beads in every color imaginable. There are even beads with letters on them so you can make ID bracelets, or include Christmas or inspirational messages for each person that's going to get your gift. There are tons of possibilities with this gift!

A Photo Album

If you don't have a bunch of pictures of you and the recipient lying around, this homemade Christmas gift will require you to plan ahead. Grab your digital camera, plan a few outings and snap some pictures of you and your loved one. You can buy a photo album at Walgreens, Wal-Mart or any variety of stores. The prices vary greatly and you can spend anywhere from $5-$20 on an album and around $.40 per photo for your prints. Some photo labs have holiday print options so check around for options to make this gift really festive!