“It’s the thought that counts.”

Every year I hear someone use this line in reference to Christmas gifts. It often prompts me to ask, “If it’s the thought that counts, what the hell were they thinking?” The economy has made it more difficult than ever to afford to give a quality gift, and while many people like to say it doesn’t matter what you get for Christmas – it’s about family and togetherness – those are the same people who gave you a used coffee mug they got as a free gift from their insurance agent. Thus, in an effort to help you come up with an amazing gift that you can afford and the recipient will love, I’ve put together a list of gift ideas that you can make instead of buy. This means you will neither have to utter the phrase “It’s the thought that counts” to your disappointed nephew Timmy, nor end up in jail for robbing an armored truck to pay for this year’s gifts. Because let’s face it – Timmy needs a role model and Santa can’t make it down the chimney at a maximum-security penitentiary. Plus, now if your gift sucks you can blame it on me. Consider this my Christmas gift to you.

An all-expenses-paid trip to your pants. (Obviously, this is not the gift you’ll give little Timmy.)

While preparing this piece, I had some difficulty channeling my inner Martha Stewart, so I started asking friends for suggestions. One friend sent me three homemade gift ideas, which included, “A dryer lint and saran wrap snow globe, a pet rock (since the 80’s are back in full force), and an all-expenses-paid trip to my pants.” While the first two ideas, well… sucked, the third idea was pure genius. I’ve seen stores that sell novelty “Love IOU” slips, but I know I don’t like receiving IOUs for anything and I certainly don’t want to feel like I owe someone some lovin’. (Kind of takes the romance out of it.) However, an all-expenses-paid trip into your pants is one ticket your partner is not going to find on Expedia but will gladly use. (You know, after the holidays, when you could both use a little “vacation” time.) Feel free to personalize your trip itinerary, and if you’re feeling really creative, put together your own frequent-flyer reward system. Bon voyage!

Customized Snuggies

Snuggies are tacky. They’re total kitch and you’ve probably made fun of the commercials for them with your friends on more than one occasion. That said, you secretly want one. Because honestly, who likes to have cold arms when they’re reaching for the remote while watching television? No one. And Lord knows you can’t stay warm and do the wave at sporting events when you’re covered up with a blanket that doesn’t have sleeves! Additionally, Snuggie-themed events are becoming more popular than ever, which means that owning a Snuggie is no longer a guilty pleasure, but an outright necessity. The week I agreed to write this piece I was invited to a “Snug Crawl” (a pub crawl where everyone sports a Snuggie) and a SnuggieFest (once again, attendees are expected to wear a blanket with sleeves). Conveniently, I was also invited to “Crafty Ladies’ Night” where a bunch of us girls sat around with a GeMagic (it’s kind of like a Bedazzler) giving my Snuggie a taste of personal flavor. Beyond the sparkle of GeMagic rhinestones, you can also add personal touches like puff paint, iron-ons, embroidery, and lights. (I’ve actually witnessed a light-up Snuggie first hand.) For a truly one-of-a-kind creation, you could purchase the fabric of your choice, then go online and get directions to make your own Snuggie. (Hint: You sew sleeves on a blanket.)

Earring holder

One of my previous roommates had a ton of jewelry, which made it really fabulous being her roommate, as she always let me borrow it. In an effort to keep things organized, she made a very cool earring holder, which hung on her wall. It was such a hit that she ended up making them for friends and family as Christmas gifts. Basically, you need a frame (8 x 10 or larger is recommended), a piece of screen to cover the back of the frame, and a hot glue gun. All you have to do is cut the screen down to the size of the frame, then hot glue it onto the back of the frame. If you want to add hooks for necklaces you can do so, as well. And if you’re really crafty, you could buy some beads and make a pair of earrings to actually hang on the earring holder!

Ornaments

There are endless options for making homemade tree ornaments. This is a great idea for kids and will keep them busy, which will give you a break! Ornaments can be as simple as shapes cut out of paper that have been decorated, or they can be extremely intricate and involved. At “Crafty Ladies’ Night” someone brought Shrinky Dinks paper and ribbon and made ornaments. Someone else brought ribbon and lace and followed directions for making an ornament she’d seen in Martha Stewart Living. While making ornaments might sound simple, it’s a great way to make something unique and it will also allow you to have something small on hand to give should someone pop by unexpectedly with a gift. Giving a neighbor or a coworker an ornament and a bag of homemade goodies is a nice way to say you appreciate them without spending a lot. Also, ornaments made using school pictures will haunt your kids for years to come as they stare back at them from the tree year after year. And really, what are the holidays for if not scarring your kids?

Photo Books

While I personally love digital cameras (thank God for delete buttons!), the one downside to technological advances is that I rarely have an actual hard copy of any of the photos my friends have taken. Sure they’re posted (and subsequently untagged) on Facebook, but ten years from now when Facebook has been replaced by some other time-consuming social networking site, how will I be able to capture all the moments that have been, well, captured? Enter photo sites like Snapfish and Shutterfly. I have a number of friends who have put together custom photo albums through this site (generally $25 or so). This is also something that would make a great yearly tradition, as you could keep the photo albums year after year to watch as your families (or, in my case, my waistline) grow.

Arts and craft packs

This past week I went to Urban Outfitters and saw that they are selling white T-shirts with outlined designs and fabric markers for almost $30. So basically, you’ve effectively paid them $30 to color your own shirt. Great for hipsters with trust funds that are feeling artsy, but not so great for the rest of us. Luckily, you can easily put together your own arts and crafts packs using supplies from your local craft store. One year I actually bought my niece a plain canvas tote, stencils, and some paint markers so she could create her own tote. I think I spent about $8 total. And while arts and crafts packs would make a great gift for kids since it gives them something to do on snow days, they aren’t necessarily limited to youngsters. I have a good friend who loves to paint, and would love nothing more than a blank canvas and a quality brush. Know someone who knits? Pick up some yarn and knitting needles. Does your daughter love to decoupage? Cut out clips from magazines and put them in a craft box with a bottle of rubber cement. Arts and crafts packs are gifts that keep on giving because they allow the receiver to actively spend time using them, and also give them the satisfaction of keeping the final product.

What homemade gifts do you like to give?

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2. [shop] The Dos and Don’ts of Mother’s Day Gifts
3. [listen] Holiday Music Doesn’t Have to Suck
4. [date] Single & Fabulous this Holiday Season
5. [do] Wichitans’ Holiday Traditions