It seems money is getting a bit tighter everywhere these days, and as the holiday season approaches, your budget may be more stretched than ever. Luckily, you don’t have to have a lot of cash on hand to create beautiful holiday gifts. Instead, choose to go with handmade gifts. Not only will they look amazing, they are also likely to show the recipients just how much you truly care. These ideas can help.

Stepping Stones: If you’re looking for a gift that will help put you in the warm breezes of summer once again, this is the perfect touch. Ideal for the garden or the front walk, you can either pick up a kit at your local hobby store that includes everything you need or gather the necessary materials on your own. You basically need a mold in a shape you like, some cement, and the items you want to use to decorate it. From there, it’s simply a matter of pouring the concrete and doing a bit of decorating.

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Potpourri: This is a gift that takes a bit of planning or at least some extra cash on hand, but it does make for a lovely present for a mother-in-law, an aunt, or a cousin who is difficult to buy for. The best part is that you can package it any way you like. Whether you choose to go with smaller scent sachets or an entire aromatherapy gift basket for a larger location, it’s a wonderful touch. Simply choose the recipe you like, gather your ingredients, and get started.

Kites: Looking for the perfect gift for the younger set on your list? This is an ideal one for those in warmer weather climates. You just need two dowel rods, paper, tape, and some kite string. Carve a notch into both longer and a shorter dowel (about twenty and twenty four inch dowels would make a nicely sized kite), then mark off about ¼ of the way into the longer dowel and the halfway point on the short. Place the sticks crosswise over each other at that point, and tie some twine over the cross point to keep it together. Cut your paper or plastic to fit, then tie kite string to the end, and you have a perfect wooden kite.

Jar gifts are another great idea. Whether you put something like a chili mix in the jar or a cookie mix inside, your recipients will love the thought you’ve put in as well as the delicious results that are certain to come out. There are many sites and recipe books specifically devoted to jar gifts, so choose one you like best, then be prepared to make several, as you can typically get five to six jar gifts from a single recipe.

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Doll Clothes: If you’re fairly handy with a sewing machine and you have some doll lovers on your list, this is the perfect idea. You can go with much smaller outfits to fit on 12 inch dolls (or action figures, for boys) or you can go up to outfits that fit on the popular 18 inch dolls. Just make certain you have the right sized doll on hand as a reference point for your patterns or take a look at some of the free patterns online. From there, grab your scrap bag and get creative!

About The Author
Jan Kremer is an event planner and holiday decorating enthusiast who shares her Christmas recipes, holiday party planning tips and seasonal gift ideas with blog readers at www.holiday-gifts-gift-baskets.com.