Three Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas

I haven't bought a Christmas gift for any of my family members in years. This doesn't make me a Scrooge (though I have been known to pinch a penny 'till it squeaks) - I just prefer to make homemade Christmas gifts. Giving members of your family homemade Christmas gifts will let your loved ones know that you care enough about them to craft something special and unique. If you're tired of buying shirts that your sister will never wear, or giving books to your brother-in-law that he'll never have time to read, here are some handcrafted Christmas gift ideas for family members you might want to try this year.

Homemade Gift for Grandparents

My kids and I did this simple and sweet craft together last Christmas, and the grandparents loved them.

"Sweet Memories" Jar

You'll need:
A canning jar (including lid and ring)
Plain white paper
Glitter, ribbon, or other trimmings
Hershey's Kisses

Design a pretty label that says "Sweet Memories," decorate it with glitter or colored pens, and glue it to the lid of your canning jar. You can also glue ribbon around the ring or tie on a gift tag, if you'd like.

Cut out many small rectangles (we did 52 - one for each day of the year), and on each scrap of paper, write down things that remind you of the person, names of places you've been together, or phrases and inside jokes that only they would understand.

Fill the jar with the folded scraps of paper and Hershey's Kisses.

Homemade Gift for the Guys

I always used to get stumped when it came time to make something for the guys on my Christmas gift list. Granted, food is usually appreciated, but last year I wanted to do something a little different. We live in Michigan where the winters get pretty cold, so I hit upon the idea of fleece-lined jeans. Now, as soon as temperatures dip below 40 degrees, my husband reaches for this cozy homemade Christmas gift:

Fleece-lined Jeans

You'll need:
A pair of jeans (in a waist size slightly larger than your giftee normally wears)
Flannel or fleece pajama bottoms
Needle
Blue thread

If you're starting with jeans and pajamas that have never been worn, wash them first! This is really important, since flannels and fleece have a tendency to shrink.

Very carefully, snip down in the front of the pajama pants where it will line up with the zipper of the jeans. Then, so that the elastic doesn't disappear into the waistband of the pajamas and need to be fished out again, stitch the elastic in place. This is super-easy with a sewing machine, but can be done by hand as well.

Turn the jeans inside-out and lay flat with the zipper open. Pull on the flannels or fleece, making sure that the softest side faces outward for maximum warmth and comfort, and line up the zipper area with the cut you made in the pajama pants.

To make sure that the pajama pants stay put, using coordinating thread, make a few stitches at regular intervals around the waistband of the jeans. I put my stitches below the belt loops of the jeans so they're not as noticeable. Do the same on either side of the fly.

Then, stitch at each of the side-seams of both pantlegs, at the ankles, so the lining doesn't creep up to your guy's knees.

Homemade Gift for Teens

Teens are notoriously hard to buy for, and even harder to craft for. I came up with this idea for my 13 year-old daughter last year after nearly giving up in frustration and buying a gift card to a trendy store at the mall, and I'm glad I did - I think she liked this gift even better.

Entrepreneur Kit

My daughter once told me about a business idea she had. She wanted to make and sell her own hand-sewn cat beds and toys, stuffed with the catnip that grows like crazy on our farm. She even had a business name. But after a few minutes of excited brainstorming, she never mentioned it again.

I happened to think of it around the holidays and decided to put together an Entrepreneur Kit for her. I stuffed a box with cute, retro-inspired fabrics, coordinating buttons, fabric label tags, threads, pins, stuffing, and catnip, along with a "gift certificate" for free, supervised access to my sewing machine. She was thrilled to have the materials, means and motivation to get her started on her business venture.

You can tailor your kit based on your particular teen's interests. Jewelry-making supplies, babysitting necessities (with a paid First Aid class included), a pet-sitting kit that might include a recipe and ingredients for homemade pet treats, candlemaking supplies, etc. Your teen will appreciate your creativity and the fact that you take their entrepreneurial spirit seriously.

Take the commercial out of Christmas with some homemade Christmas gift ideas this year. Your friends and family will appreciate the time and love that you put into making something they'll really like, and you'll appreciate the money and sanity you'll save by not battling the shopping crowds this holiday season.