DIY Christmas Gift Crafts - Have a Holly, Jolly, Inexpensive Christmas!

The holidays are right around the corner, so it's probably time you've started thinking about gift ideas if you haven't already. A few years ago, our financial situation was not all that great. I spent a good deal of time searching, "What to do for Christmas when you're broke?" That was when I decided that it was time to get creative.

The holidays are supposed to be a time of cheer, a time to spend with family, and enjoy one another. It's not supposed to be stressful and it's not supposed to make you worry about money. Even still, it's totally understandable that you want to be able to at least give your friends and family something. That's exactly how I felt last year.

I wanted to decorate. I wanted to give people gifts. So, what I did is put my craft skills to use.

This nifty jar is the very first DIY Christmas gift that I made. It's all of the ingredients to make M&M cookies, layered beautifully in a mason jar. I used an old scarf of mine on the lid, ribbon from an old birthday bag, and leftover card stock and sticker paper to make the label. The tag included the recipe to make the cookies.

My children and I weren't done yet, though. We created our own salt dough ornaments and then painted them.

A year later, I made the same "cookie jars" again, but that year, we added our homemade ornaments as a "bonus" gift. We used even more leftover craft fabric and used stickers that we received in the mail to decorate the top.

This was a DIY Christmas project that my kids were able to help me with and we all loved the way they turned out. The family members that we gave it too loved that it was a personalized handmade gift that also allowed them to enjoy a treat (the cookies!).

Ever since that year that we didn't have much money, we've kind of made it a tradition to do DIY projects around Christmas. We decorate our Christmas tree with homemade decorations (and one strand of colored lights and one pack of gold bulbs that we reuse every year).

     

  

Our little snowman was made with cardstock, construction paper, cotton balls, and a pen.

       

Our snowflake ornaments were made with plain white paper.

This little "Santa Dude" was made with an old plastic spoon, cardstock, cotton, and markers.

Our tree features homemade garland, too, using either Cheerios or Froot Loops, depending on which kind we have lying around.

Under the tree, you'll see "gift baskets." Those gift baskets were put together by me. I purchased two six packs of beer (one for each basket) and then added a few dollar gifts (like Dollar Tree snacks and playing cards) and then wrapped it all up in cellophane. It's a super easy gift to give to the men in your life.

It's so easy to hand make gifts—and it's much more personal. You can knit scarves, mittens, and hats, show off your woodworking skills by making old-fashioned toys, or even learn to sew and make pillows, curtains, and other home decor.

So, this year, I encourage you to get creative! There are hundreds of different ways to save money this Christmas!