Inexpensive Christmas Ideas for 2009 - Keeping it Green

This Christmas is the perfect year to bring out your creative side. With the economy the way it is and everyone going green, it's a great chance to show off your green skills. From baking cookies to putting together a useful toolkit, everyone can get involved and make this holiday season one of the best ever. Going green at Christmas can also mean getting back to basics and old family favorite traditions. It's the perfect excuse to get back in touch with your childhood memories and favorite holiday memories.

Adults will be especially easy to please this year. My number one gift idea for adults is food baskets. Everyone eats and everyone has favorite foods. Many people are struggling to pay food bills this year also. The key is to know what each person likes and include items in their basket that they'll really appreciate. Older parents often tire of baking and such after many years. It can bring on great smiles if you bake them their old favorites. Not only do they get to experience the taste again, they get to know that their recipes live on. Try this on your parents or grandparents this year instead of the jelly or pajamas you usually buy them. Remember that most baked items can be wrapped in paper instead of foil to keep your gift Green.

Teens are easier to please than most people think. They love things that make them feel adult and they love things that make them feel a child again too. Practical life essentials such as files and a cabinet to fill them make great gifts for teens. As your child gets older he or she will need to learn to keep track of important papers and giving them a private space for such things is a great idea. Another favorite idea that makes teens feel a child again is a blanket. If you can knit or sew, there are few teens that wouldn't love a soft snuggly blanket made just for them. Making one from old favorite clothes also helps to keep the gift Green. Use the colors they love and let them know you made it with love for them and it will be a gift they'll treasure for a lifetime.

Young children are the most fun and the easiest of all to please on holidays. The simplest things can make the most wonderful gifts as long as you find a way to make them personal. If you're handy with wood, even a small personalized box can be a cherished gift to a child. What you fill it with is up to your own imagination. Candies or little personal notes and pictures would be a great idea. Adding something that is special to the individual child will make the gift all that more personal and unique. Children also love stuffed animals. Remember the old sock monkeys your favorite aunt or grandma used to make? This year is a great opportunity to get out the old needle and thread and make a sock monkey for your favorite kid. There are simple patterns and ideas on the Internet if you've never made one.

Babies are just too fun. They're hardly a challenge and you should have more fun with their gifts this Christmas than anything. The lovely thing about babies is that you can dress them up all silly and they can't beat you up for it yet. Get out some pictures of silly hats and recycle old clothing to make one for your favorite baby. You can really have fun making a flower hat for a baby girl or a lion hat for a baby boy. While they may gripe at you in later years for dressing them up and taking pictures, they're sure to laugh and smile about it along with you also. Things that make us laugh usually make us remember. Remembering is a beautiful part of holiday tradition. Don't miss out on your chance to do something Green and memorable for your favorite baby this year.

Adult friends can be a challenge. One very simple gift idea for friends is to find old pictures of favorite times with them. Make your own frames with old yearbook pages or game board boxes. Recycling these items into a gift makes it Green. Even album covers make great picture frames. Try some hot glue and favorite penny candies to decorate the frame. Bring back memories with pictures and articles from your youth. You can have so much fun making gifts for friends by simply remembering what you both loved and using those memories to make something personal. Another fun and simple gift to make for friends is a forty five ashtray. Just get out a stack of your old favorite forty five records. Stagger and glue the stack so that much of the titles are showing. Glue a flat piece of recycled plastic to the bottom and you've made a fun and unique ashtray. Remember to include your friends favorite titles to keep the gift as personal as possible.

The easiest thing to recycle and make into a wonderful gift is your memory. Memories are what make us who we are after all. Think of your happiest times with each person you wish to gift and let your imagination flow from there. For young children, think of the happiest memories you have as a young child and do something to imitate that with the young ones this year. Even a favorite story written down and given as a gift is a fantastic idea. Decorate the paper with pictures of you and the person it's intended for. Passing on traditions and stories builds bonds in ways few other things can. By keeping things simple, personal, and Green, I think you'll have the best Christmas ever! Happy holidays!