When the Christmas season rolls around there is always the debate of whether you should buy gifts or if you should make homemade gifts. As a frugal person you will know that making gifts will most likely save you money, however, you also know that homemade gifts can often look cheap. There is a fine balance between making a homemade gift and buying a gift, and a lot of it depends on who the recipient is. If you do want to make your own gifts, here are a few that won’t make you look like you are a tightwad.
If you have ever brewed your own beer or wine, then you know that it is not necessarily an easy process. There are a lot of steps, and you must make sure that everything is in order and properly sanitized. If you want to impress your friends and family, brew up a six pack for each person on your list (those of legal drinking age of course).
Everyone loves a home cooked meal. They love it even more if they didn’t have to slave over a hot stove all day long. If you are good with an oven and can make a delicious meal, then you might want to offer a coupon to your friends and family that is good for one meal completely made for them prep to cleanup.
Along the lines of a home cooked meal are various other acts of service. Personally I love gifts where something is done for me rather than something is given to me. This Christmas give the gift of shoveling snow, cleaning a house or a car, walking dogs, or a combination of all three and more.
While not everyone is handy with tools, there are some who know their way around the shop. If you can create fine woodworking products then you should look into giving them as gifts this year. The one caveat is to make sure the item fits the décor of the recipient’s home; not everyone would appreciate all styles of woodworking.
If you can draw, paint, or sculpt, then artwork is always a great present to give. Painting a landscape to hang on a friend’s living room wall, or sculpting lawn ornaments are excellent gifts for people that will help them always remember you.
Similar to giving artwork is jewelry production. Now there is a difference between cheap jewelry and well made jewelry. If you do not want to look cheap, then you will need to know what you are doing and make sure your craft looks professional.
Handmade soaps and lotions command a premium price in the store, and making them is really not that hard. In fact, here is a great how-to site that I want to try soon. Adding a bar or two of homemade soap with another small gift is sure to please the recipient.
Christmas is the season to give gifts. But those gifts can be a huge drain on us financially if we were to go out and purchase all of the gifts. Instead, take the time to make something nice for those you love. Just remember, if you do not want to look cheap, then make sure you put some time and effort into your gifts. If you wouldn’t want them to be sold at a craft show, or don’t think you could sell, then don’t give them as gifts.
When the Christmas season rolls around there is always the debate of whether you should buy gifts or if you should make homemade gifts. As a frugal person you will know that making gifts will most likely save you money, however, you also know that homemade gifts can often look cheap. There is a fine balance between making a homemade gift and buying a gift, and a lot of it depends on who the recipient is. If you do want to make your own gifts, here are a few that won’t make you look like you are a tightwad.
If you have ever brewed your own beer or wine, then you know that it is not necessarily an easy process. There are a lot of steps, and you must make sure that everything is in order and properly sanitized. If you want to impress your friends and family, brew up a six pack for each person on your list (those of legal drinking age of course).
Everyone loves a home cooked meal. They love it even more if they didn’t have to slave over a hot stove all day long. If you are good with an oven and can make a delicious meal, then you might want to offer a coupon to your friends and family that is good for one meal completely made for them prep to cleanup.
Along the lines of a home cooked meal are various other acts of service. Personally I love gifts where something is done for me rather than something is given to me. This Christmas give the gift of shoveling snow, cleaning a house or a car, walking dogs, or a combination of all three and more.
While not everyone is handy with tools, there are some who know their way around the shop. If you can create fine woodworking products then you should look into giving them as gifts this year. The one caveat is to make sure the item fits the décor of the recipient’s home; not everyone would appreciate all styles of woodworking.
If you can draw, paint, or sculpt, then artwork is always a great present to give. Painting a landscape to hang on a friend’s living room wall, or sculpting lawn ornaments are excellent gifts for people that will help them always remember you.
Similar to giving artwork is jewelry production. Now there is a difference between cheap jewelry and well made jewelry. If you do not want to look cheap, then you will need to know what you are doing and make sure your craft looks professional.
Handmade soaps and lotions command a premium price in the store, and making them is really not that hard. In fact, here is a great how-to site that I want to try soon. Adding a bar or two of homemade soap with another small gift is sure to please the recipient.
Christmas is the season to give gifts. But those gifts can be a huge drain on us financially if we were to go out and purchase all of the gifts. Instead, take the time to make something nice for those you love. Just remember, if you do not want to look cheap, then make sure you put some time and effort into your gifts. If you wouldn’t want them to be sold at a craft show, or don’t think you could sell, then don’t give them as gifts.
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