Houses are lit up and wreaths are hung. Presents are under the tree and stockings are on the fire place. It’s Christmas time! It’s very exciting to spend time with family and friends, have a break from school, get tons of presents, and get a reprieve from the stresses of life.. But we poor college students may have a worry over the Christmas break, and that is the dilemma of what to give our friends and family. What would be a cheap but good present? To save time and money I’ve found 5 gift ideas that are cheap and easy to make. It’s always easier to buy a present, but wouldn’t it be much cheaper to make it yourself? Not to mention much more personal. Everyone loves a gift that has time and thought put into it! You can’t go wrong with a handmade gift. Your friends and family will appreciate your effort, and you will love the money saved!
1. Christmas Wreath
Making a Christmas wreath can be affordable and fun. It’s something your mother, grandmother, aunt or anyone would love! It doesn’t take much time or effort. All you need is: a styrofoam wreath, Christmas ornaments, and superglue.
I was able to find all these supplies at The Dollar Tree, so don’t worry about the price! If you have old ornaments, you can use them to shave down the price as well.
All it takes for you to create a beautiful Christmas wreath is to glue the ornaments to the Styrofoam wreath. It may be easier if you glue the ornaments starting from the largest to smallest, making it more manageable to glue the ornaments in a suitable position.
To finish up, attach ribbon or string to the top of the wreath and hang it on the door. This craft may take a little of your time, but whoever you give it to will love their new decoration and love that you put that time into their gift!
2. Tin Can Candle Holders
There are many ways to make candle holders that are unique and different. It doesn’t take much time or money, and they’re a great gift that’s reusable and loved. All you need for a Tin Can candle holder is: a tin can (any size used coffee or vegetable can), a sharpie, water, a nail, and a hammer.
To start making your tin can candle holder, pick a design you want for your holder. With a sharpie, draw the picture onto your tin can in a dot pattern instead of straight lines. When you are finished dotting your tin can, fill the can with water and place it in the freezer. After the water is completely frozen, use the nail and hammer to punch holes on the dots you made. It would be best to have a towel to work on to soak up the melting ice. When you are done hammering all the holes, let the ice melt and place a candle in the tin can and you are finished!
3. Hex Nut Bracelet
Jewelry can be very expensive, but it’s always a good gift. Who doesn’t love getting a beautiful pair of earrings or a cute necklace and bracelet? Jewelry can be made out of anything: wire, cloth, string, beads, even tools. You can easier make a creative and stylish bracelet out of supplies from your own tool box! All you need is 18 hex nuts, used to fasten a screw with an object, and twine.
The bracelet is a little complex. However, if you know how to braid, it shouldn’t be hard! First, cut three 1 yard strands of twine and knot them together. Braid the strands for an inch and start adding the hex nuts in the braid. To do so, put a hex nut on the far left strand before you cross it over. Once you’ve placed the hex nut on the strand and placed it tightly against the braid, cross the strand over and repeat the same for the right side. Repeat this step until you have used all 18 hex nuts. Finish the bracelet off with another inch of braid and tie it off with a knot.
This bracelet is very unique and fun. Any of your girl friends would love to have a new stylish handmade bracelet!
4. Salt Dough Jewelry and Ornaments
Salt dough can be used to make many different things, including Christmas ornaments and even jewelry! This can be a very easy gift to make and it doesn’t take any money out of your wallet. Just look in your pantry! To make salt dough, you need: 2 cups of All Purpose Flour, 1 cup of salt, and 1 cup of water.
Mix the ingredients in a bowl until it’s the texture of play-dough. After youre done mixing, you can use the dough to create a charm for a bracelet or necklace or make an ornament using a cookie cutter. Leave them out to dry or you can speed up the process by putting them in an oven on 250 degrees until the dough pieces are hard and dry. After they’re dry, you can paint and decorate them any way you want!
5. Memory and Appreciation basket
All these gifts are great for family and friends, but what could you give to that special guy in your life? Men love to get something that is meaningful and heartfelt. Gifts like memory and appreciation baskets create and treasure memories so they will not be forgotten. A very important part of a relationship is the intimacy, so why not give an intimate gift?
Picture frames, scrap books, and love letters are always a good gift for your boy, but after being in a relationship for several Christmases, you may have already given these presents. Instead of just a picture frame or scrap book, you can make a memory and appreciation basket. This basket consists of pictures, love letters, inside jokes, and memories of dates or special moments. In your basket you could also give a list of “52 Things I love about you”. Put them in a scrap book, craft them into a poem, or write one thing onto each card of a card deck. There are endless ways to remember all the special memories, inside jokes, and funny moments. Also, you can add homemade cookies or his favorite dessert to the basket. He will love that you baked for him and remembered all of those special moments you had together.
This Christmas, don’t let the worry of the cost of presents spoil your holiday spirit. There are several craft ideas that are cheap, easy, and fun to make! The next time you’re unsure of what to buy for presents, remember it is always special to give a gift you put thought and time into. It will show how much you care while you keep your wallet happy!