Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas to Take Money, Stress Out of Christmas

Gift-giving is meant to show how much you appreciate others, but rising prices and tight budgets often take the feel-good vibes out of exchanging presents.

This year, take the money stress out of the holidays by turning to homemade gifts. Get the family involved in the fun and you will be creating memories while making unique gifts for those who mean the most in your life.

Huntington Woods-Berkley Patch explores the homemade holidays in hopes that you will find something to inspire you to enjoy the season more.

[Leave a comment to share your favorite homemade gifts!]

Healthy options: Pack energy in a jar with healthy snacks like energy bars, dark chocolate and tea. Make gourmet granola, vanilla extract or a chicken noodle soup mix.

Ornaments: Paint your own Christmas bulbs. Turn old light bulbs into ornaments with glitter. Simple white candles get pizazz with a ring of cinnamon sticks and ribbon. Thumbprint ornaments are adorable.

Lip-smacking gifts: Apple pie, banana bread, cookies, dark chocolate truffles. The ideas are endless.

Inspiring photo gifts: Collage picture frames, letter photo art, personalized photo jars, photo wreaths, photo bookmarks. Pinterest is loaded with ideas.

Drink mixes: Create hot chocolate and vanilla chai mixes, coffee mixes or a candy-flavored vodka.

Artwork: Turn your kids’ artwork into tea towels. All you need is a flour sack towel and permanent marker. Or cut your children’s artwork into shapes, glue to blank cards and create unique stationary sets. With only a scanner, photo-editing software, heavy white cardstock and magnets, you can create a slew of refrigerator magnets featuring your family’s artwork.

Youth gifts: Homemade-shaped crayons, headbands, finger paint, dream pillow, boo boo bag, build-a-fort kit, homemade soap, marble run made from plastic bottles and colorful duct tape, coffee can stilts, personalized I-Spy bottles.

Spa packages with homemade ingredients: Create a spa package by making your own bath bombs, salts and fizzies. Many Internet sites feature step-by-step tutorials.