Friend's birthday coming up? Want to get ready for the winter holidays? Low on cash? Here's your guide for easy, affordable, crafty gifts for anybody, any age.
For a close friend
Any of the homemade ideas listed below, or on the Crafts page, would be great for friends, like homemade pillows or candles. And if you know html, you can even make your friend a website.
If this present for your best friend, your present should be something personal. My favorite would be a scrapbook. Inside it, you can pictures of you two, ticket stubs, magazine clip outs, old notes from math class, and just basic memories of you and your best friend. Or you can blow up a picture of you two and frame it.
For your loved one
Tired of getting chocolate boxes and teddy bears for your boyfriend (or girlfriend) every year? Need something a little more creative that won't leave you broke? If his birthday is coming up, give your boyfriend something that really comes from the heart: a homemade gift. It's a better present for him and cheaper for you! If you want to get your boyfriend something sweet and delicious, but want to go beyond the traditional chocolate box, try cooking a treat on your own. One idea is to make heart shaped cookies. You could use your honey's favorite color for icing and write his name or "your name + his name" on the cookies. If you need a recipe for cookies, brownies, or fudge, try going to website like www.allrecipes.com. Like to sew? Make your boy a teddy bear. Store bought teddy bears are lame and basically say "I couldn't think of anything else to get you". Homemade teddys are creative and fun. You can use old American doll clothes to put on the bear. At the bottom of the bear's foot, write or sew on a message like "I love you" or "Happy Birthday". On the other foot, or on one of the bear's hands, write "Sewn with love by _____". That way, he knows that you made it just for him!
There's a shop called Build-A-Bear that lets you build your own bear from $5-$25. They'll sew the bear for you, but you get to pick out what you want the bear to look like. You can even pick out clothes and accessories for the bear and you get a "birth certificate" with info like the bear's name (you pick it out), when the bear was made, etc. To find out where your nearest Build-A-Bear store is, go to www.buildabear.com or look in a local phone book. Good at writing? A poem is always a great gift! For writing tips, check out poetry.com.
For a younger sibling
Younger siblings are harder to get presents for. They are very picky about stuff, since they always want the most expensive toy they can find at Toys R' Us. But that doesn't mean you can't get your younger sibling a great present. You could buy a blank puzzle from a craft store (they are really cheap). You can use markers or paint to make a picture on the puzzle. Make something that the person likes. Say your younger sibling or whoever likes dogs. Draw or paint a dog on the puzzle. If you don't know what they're interested in, you can write their name in bubble letters in their favorite color and decorate it with glitter and stars.
Do the same idea as above except with a blank book (you can find these at craft or parent/teacher stores). You can create the story and draw pictures. Or try making a coloring book. You can even have a book with games, like mazes and easy crossword puzzles. Most younger kids love stuffed animals. If you can sew, feel free to sew the stuffed animal yourself. Homemade stuffed animals are really sweet. But if you're not the sewing type of person, you can buy stuffed animals pretty cheap at stores. You can get a few small stuffed animals for about $5 each.
Here's a cute idea I thought of: Buy the book "The Gingerbread Man". You can find it at bookstores for about $3. Now get out your cookbooks and find a recipe for gingerbread cookies. Use a gingerbread cookie cutter to make a gingerbread cookie. Make a face on it and everything. It will be really cute and the cookie will match the story. If your sibling hasn't started an allowance yet, buy a piggy bank. Or if you're artistic, make one yourself. You can make the pig out of clay, leaving the inside hollow. Paint it pink. With a black marker or a thin paintbrush, add two eyes and mouth. Put a few quarters inside.
For a parent or teacher
Two words: gift baskets. Parents and teachers tend to like stuff that is homemade. So let your crafty side show! Buy a medium size gift basket (you can get them at the Dollar Store for cheap). Then fill the gift basket with all kinds of cool stuff. If it's for a teacher, you can fill it with soaps, flowers, and of course an apple (classic!). If it's for your mom or dad, pick something they like. Say your dad is really in to sports. You could buy some sports books to put in the basket, along with clippings of important sports events from the newsletter. Be creative!
You may also visit Amazon.com for unique gift ideas.
