Gifting on a budget

For those of us that have a little extra time on our hands, making homemade gifts can be an exciting and pocket-friendly hobby.

A little background. My first homemade gift was started years ago and has been a continuing project off and on for years. I started a scrapbook for my boyfriend for our first Christmas together about six years ago. It is something I still work on today and has been with us for the majority of our relationship. The scrapbook is something that can't be bought, replaced, or replicated and I hope to keep it preserved for years to come. The fact that this scrapbook is so special to me is one of the biggest reasons for wanting to make my Christmas gifts this year. Above is a snapshot of the first page of our scrapbook.

The majority of the crafts described here are easy, cheap, and can be done over the course of a few days. I usually have multiple projects going on and a short attention span, so my projects are typically very straightforward. As I finish each project I will post it here in the hopes that some other ambitious young crafters may also take the time and effort to have their own homemade Christmas (birthday, anniversary, holiday. . .)

Enjoy!