Make Gift Bags from Seasonal ThrowsThis time of the year, after Christmas, the stores all have Christmas throws on sale. I got several from a dollar store for $2 each last year. This year I gave a few for gifts, and took 2 of them and sewed them together on 3 sides, making a large bag (like a large pillowcase).
Lemon Curd for Christmas AuctionI found these jars and decorations at the Dollar Tree. I glued the ornament on the lid, placed a plastic demi spoon on the decoration. A yellow tag will be put on jars: "Lucious Lemon Curd". This celebration auction will benefit 30 foster children.
Thrifty Gift Wrap with Food ColoringI love putting in effort when wrapping a gift, but at the same time, I don't like spending money on gift wrap. The gift wrap usually ends up in the dustbin, so I will rather look at thrifty ways of wrapping a gift without having to spend too much on the wrapping itself.
Birthday Candy PosterMy daughter wanted to make something to give her nana on her birthday. After searching Pinterest she decided to make her a candy poster. It was very fun to pick out the candies and find a way to use each one!
Box of Chocolate CandlesWe saw the most adorable candles at the Dollar Tree. They are shaped like chocolate candies. My daughter thought it would be cute to put those in a box and make them look like a box of chocolates. This would make a cute gift for someone. Who can't use more candles in the winter? Plus, they smell like chocolate.
Candy BouquetThese are perfect for graduations, birthdays, thank yous, or get well soon!
Mini Handprint CanvasI made this mini handprint canvas for my son's "auntie" for Christmas last year. I painted the entire canvas with various shades of purple paint. Once the paint was dry I painted my son's hand with white paint and made the handprint. After his handprint had dried, I added some glitter paint to the handprint.
Firecracker Wrapping for Money GiftWhen my grandson was 10 years old he loved fireworks every Memorial Day, Fourth of July, etc. So for his September Labor Day birthday I did the following. I took 10 toilet paper rolls and put a five dollar bill in each one.
Baby Sock BouquetBrighten any expectant mom's day with a useful bouquet. Add baby socks to green pipe cleaners and tie with gift ribbon. Mix in artificial flowers for a celebratory and useful bouquet! My mother did this for my baby shower - it was such a quirky and neat way to give the needed gift of baby socks!
Give Handmade Hankies to Express SympathyMake handkerchiefs to express sympathy when someone you love loses someone they love.
Magazine Cover BowsDid you know that magazine covers can be curled just like curling ribbon? I'm sure you have tons of magazines around. Get cracking with the strips of paper, scissors, and glue sticks. It looks fabulous especially when some are left straight.
No More Wrapping PaperI make simple cloth bags from fabric remnants or clothes that have seen better days, curtains, sheets, even pant legs, and cloth napkins. Kids recognize a favorite flannel shirt every birthday or Christmas, forever!
Plastic Soda Bottles as GiftwrapI thought this was such a neat idea.You can use a bottle to fill with little gifts, or in place of loot bags, or baby shower novelties. You can use a small or a 2 litre, depending on what you're putting into the bottle.
Hospital Goodie Basket IdeasWe have had several family members in the hospital lately and I have learned a few things that are good to have on hand for visitors or if a person stays with the patient. Now, when I hear of someone in the hospital, I deliver a "goodie basket" to their room.
Green And Frugal Gift WrappingSo much money can be saved by reusing, being inventive and being green on wrapping gifts. Christmas presents cost so much money. If you pay full price for wrapping, bags and bows, it may cost more than some of the things you are wrapping.
A Loving SpoonfulA cheap, cheerful and useful homemade gift that can be assembled with things you have in your craft box or even lying around the house in an emergency! Wooden spoons are a traditional gift for newlyweds or as a love token.
Creating a Family CookbookI have a niece who is getting married in May this year and I was trying to think of a different and unique gift to give her. I finally decided to make her a recipe book.
Money TreeThis is a money tree created for a 50th surprise birthday party. It is constructed of a sassafras branch (dogwood works good as well), curling ribbon in various lengths tied onto the branches. I used a vase as tall as the branch and added sand and rocks for stability.
Making Your Own BowsWhen finishing making a bow, twist the bow instead of the wire. Doing it this way makes a much tighter bow and is easier on your fingers.
Year of Birth PlateThis year, for my sister's birthday, I decided to give her something unique. I purchased a 1962 calendar plate (the year she was born) off of eBay. I then found a candle holder at my local thrift store that was perfect for a stand.
Newspaper for Gift WrapUse the funny papers for wrapping Christmas presents. My mom and dad did this at Christmas. We all enjoyed reading the funnies after we opened our presents.
Make Gift Tags Out of Junk MailMake gift tags out of junk mail! What a good way to save $ and have an afternoon of fun with the kids. First save some colorful junk mail mailings and envelopes with plastic windows on the back.
Making Personalized Gift WrapTo make personalized gift wrap for moms, dads, and grandparents use a common brown grocery bag. Cut along one side in the corner crease to the bottom of the bag, then turn and finish cutting out the bottom of the bag leaving a nice rectangular sheet of paper.
Personalized Photo BookmarkI wanted to come up with a homemade personalized gift for my best girlfriend of 42 years. She happens to be an avid reader and this is what I came up with, and with items I already had on hand :-)
Gourd "Sprouts"Introducing "Sprouts", I just love these little people (gourds.) They are the perfect baby shower gift. I do personalize them with the date, weight, and name of the new born baby.
Personalized Hand TowelsCheap and easy Christmas gift. Take a new hand towel and some scrap fabric. Sew the scrap fabric to the hand towel and you have a personalized gift. This came about because I was too cheap to buy a Thomas the Train towel for my son.
Use Maps as Wrapping PaperThis wrapping paper idea came from one of my friends years ago. Use outdated atlases and maps for colorful, cool-looking, and good quality wrapping paper. I use mostly for birthday gifts, but cut out a silhouette of Santa in his sleigh and/or reindeers and attach for Christmas gifts.
Froggy Gift BagThis little froggy gift bag is very easy to make, using a 12x12 inch piece of card stock and scoring a bit, two circles and a couple of eyes. The bag itself isn't very big but fun. I made it for my granddaughter's birthday!
A Mother's Day Memory BoxThis is a great gift for the new mom or grandma or to start a new tradition. A Mother's Day Box is a wooden box that will store all the Mother's Day cards, pictures, dried flowers, etc., every year from the child (ren).
Fabric for Gift WrappingI started this at Christmas time to reduce garbage, expensive gift wrapping costs and environmental waste. I bought inexpensive holiday material (after Christmas they will be cheap) and simply sew it up along the sides and hem the top and it resembles various size "Santa's Sacks.
Holiday Templates for Coffee CanistersIf you buy coffee in the large plastic canisters, you can go online to the Folger's website, and print off holiday templates to glue over the existing labels. These frugal containers can be used for homemade cookies
Trinket BoxesEasy hand painted trinket boxes for gifts. Perfect for a Christmas or birthday gift. Either stencil or free hand your design onto box. Paint the design. Let dry, then seal.
Funny Face Stuffed AnimalCrop a photo of someone until the head is about 3x2 inches. Use your computer to print it on iron on paper and iron on cotton sheet type material. Buy about a 10 inch stuffed animal (or use an old one), cut out the animal face and insert and stitch in the printed one.
Brown Paper Gift BagsCreate your own gift bags using ordinary brown lunch bags, fabric, and fusible web. I cut out the words "Ho ho ho" from plaid fabric and fused them on a bag. On another, I cut out an angel that was pre-printed on the fabric and fused it to a bag.
Autumn Apple PailDecorate tin pail with paper and stickers for autumn theme, fill with apples, caramels, and popsicle sticks and give as a gift. Caramel apples are a great way to celebrate fall.
A Jar Filled with Memory CardsMy daughter gave me a beautiful crystal jar with a silver lid, it was filled with memory cards. Each week I was to open the jar and pick a card, it was incredible. What memories that jar holds, I couldn't wait until Friday, and she had enough in the jar to last one year.
Christmas ScentMix all together and put in a saucepan with 4 cups water. Simmer on low to release the fragrance.
Getting Creative with Gifts in JarsAll year long I look for pretty jars and bottles at flea markets and junk shops for making interesting gifts. I usually don't pay more than $1 for each one, usually a lot less.
The Gift of Soup!I have several people I wanted to get Christmas gifts for, but no $ to buy anything fancy. So I made some homemade dry soup that is practical and inexpensive. I even created my own label!
Paper Mache Purse - Card Gift BoxHere are photos of the card gift box I made for my mother-in-law for this coming Christmas. I took a paper mache purse I purchased at Michael's, painted it white and adhered cardstock paper punches.
Belly Button Lint RemoverHere's another "gag gift" craft idea. Belly Button Lint Remover - (I know, it sounds disgusting!) Take a long bead and stick a piece of pipe-cleaner through it, make a tiny loop at one end so it won't come out of the bead.
Class Plate for TeacherThis is a great idea for making a very special gift for your child's teacher. Take a plain glass plate, pictures of her students, and a class group photo.
Clock for Mom's BirthdayFor my mother's birthday I took a picture of each of my four children by the clock on my mantle. The hands on the clock were put on the date my children were born.
Using Wallpaper for Gift WrapOld leftover wallpaper makes great gift wrap! Stick a piece of old lace or ribbon around your gift and you've got one beautiful package...
Fast and Frugal Gift BagFor a frugal and fast gift bag, use a brown paper lunch sack. Take a bag and fold it down about 1 - 2 inches from the top. Take a hole punch and put 2 holes in the center of the flap you just made...
Create a Beautiful Pot for a GiftEasily make a beautiful pot for a plant. Everything you need to make it can be bought at Walmart craft dept. except the clay pot, that is the garden department.
Bamboo Good Luck PlanterThis elegantly simple good luck bamboo arrangement cost less than $10 to make, and was literally assembled in the back seat of a cab. It took less than fifteen minutes, not counting shopping and planning time.
Thrifty Gift TagsCut the top part of used greeting cards off, then cut this down to whatever size (and shape) you wish, depending on the design. (If it's an angel, just cut her out.) I also like to use hearts or other shapes that perhaps match the occasion for the gift you will use them on.
Cheap Personalized Bags For KidsIt's spring and my friends all seem to be having babies! I've always had a special place in my heart for the "Big sister/brother" and tried to find a good 'gift' for them as well so they don't feel left out. I found it!
Pipe Cleaners For Gift BowsWhen making poofy gift bows, use craft chenille-type "pipe cleaners" in the center of bow you are making (rather than string). It makes for easy attachment and removal later for recycling.
Reusable Gift TagsI don't know about you, but I have tired of writing out gift tags year after year after year. This year, I am doing something different. I am a crafter and a stamper, and I have decided to make permanent gift tags that can be used year after year.
Friendship BallsI purchased a Friendship ball for my best friends several years ago to avoid the increasing costs of Christmas gifts while our own families have increased in size!
Baskets of PresentsNever pass up baskets which are somewhat used or being sold cheap. Save them all for Christmas gifts. Anything can be put in them, two or three items of the same theme, such as yarn, crochet, and crochet book, etc., and then wrapped with pretty cellophane paper and a ribbon.
Scented Hot Pad ProjectI am making the following gift package, which is a craft that is yet to be made: Scented Hot Pad I am putting it all in a plastic bag, so the recipient can do the craft herself.
Beaded Stemware "Skirts"Anything beaded is really hot right now and I wanted to come up with something new and exciting for a couple of newlywed couples for Christmas. Here is what I did.
Gift Basket for a ReaderHere's a basket for that favorite "reader" in your life:
Covered Gift Box Out of Throwaway BoxesI use the boxes that come from Cereal, Macaroni, Taco Shells or any box with a clean, interior to make wrapped gift boxes. Remove wax paper liner if there is one. Carefully undo the glued end flaps. Flatten box...
Hot Glue for Gift WrappingAfter running out of tape during a Christmas present wrapping marathon I decided to try hot glue. It worked so well I haven't used tape since.
Gift Wrapping Idea for Uniquely Shaped BoxesWhen wrapping shower gifts in the past, my mom always seemed to come up with an item that did not quite fit in any available box. For example, she once purchased a beautiful, unique, serving dish from a Pier 1 store, but forgot all about getting a box.
Small Wrapped PresentA nice little gift that I received cost close to nothing but means a lot to me. It is a little wrapped present 2 x 2 x 1 inch.
