Old Magazines Create New Gift for This Holiday Season

As everyone starts tightening their belts during this current financial challenge, some might decide it is time to stop participating in gift exchanges. Rather than eliminating the custom, perhaps it is time to take a moment and remember why we initially began giving gifts to those we care about. Instead of stopping the practice, consider focusing not on money spent, but on what your gift says.

If you have young children or teenagers in your home, do they give gifts to their aunts, uncles or grandparents? Are those gifts something they purchased, or did you? Many of us are looking for ways to save money, and one way is to approach this holiday gift giving season from the perspective of heart felt gifts, as opposed to pocket book gifts.

The trick is finding creative, and welcomed gifts that can express love. One of my favorites, is the collage picture. This is relatively an inexpensive gift. The only things you need are old magazines, a pair of scissors, glue, a paint brush, poster board and imagination.

Years ago, when I was a teenager, I wanted to make my mother a unique Christmas present. Money was limited, and Mom is a push over for homemade gifts from the heart. I purchased a poster board, and then started looking through magazines. What I looked for were pictures that reminded me of my mother. As odd as it sounds, Mom loves to do laundry, and it is something of a family joke. So naturally, I searched diligently for photos of a washer and dryer to include on the poster.

When creating a collage poster for a gift, you need to really know the person who will be receiving the gift. Are they into sailing, horses, collecting stamps or build houses? Whatever their passion and hobbies, find images that remind you of them.

Before embarking on such a project, ask yourself where the recipient will hang such a gift. You can't expect them to hang it in their living room. But, if they have an office space, hobby room, or even a garage where they might hang such a poster, then don't be afraid to proceed. Even if they hang the poster inside a closet, to enjoy when they open the door, then your efforts are not wasted.

When making a poster collage, I prefer to cover one entire side of the board, without even an inch of board showing. Pictures artistically overlap and weave together a collage of images that tell an intimate story. I have used white glue, diluted with water to apply the pictures, where both an undercoat and overcoat are applied. Yet, craft stores offer glue-like substances that are made especially for collages and create better results.

This holiday season, when you are going down your gift list, consider the collage poster as a project for one of your children (or yourself) to create for a grandparent or special adult.