Homemade Gift Ideas: Save Money and Be the Coolest Secret Santa at the Party

I thought today would be a great day to have a guest post here.  Please welcome Kate Willson.

Homemade Gift Ideas: Save Money and Be the Coolest Secret Santa at the Party

The holidays are here! With gift shopping already on the to-do list, this is a great time for every frugal guy and gal to use those thrifting skills. Giving a gift that is homemade is not only fun to do, it can be so much more personal and of course save you cash! And with that in mind, you can feel free to buy a better bottle of rum to spike that holiday egg nog.

Here are some great ideas:

1. Give boxes of chocolates

                                                                              Photo courtesy of Food Network
It’s hard to go wrong with chocolate, and, if you make a big batch of these and give boxes out as small gifts, you can really save money. Go to your local grocery store and buy the best quality chocolate you can find. It’s not that expensive when you consider how many boxes you’ll get out of it, and it really makes a difference in how the chocolates come out. A couple options are chocolate truffles, chocolate fudge, and pretzel turtles. Once you have your chocolates ready to go, buy some cool boxes and a roll of waxed paper to make sure the chocolates don’t stick.

2. Create unique cupcakes

                        Photo courtesy of mominml
Cupcakes are another good bet if you have friends with a sweet tooth. Change it up by doing an unexpected cake flavor like cherry devil’s food or carrot. Or get in to the spirit with a holiday flavor like pumpkin spice. And, most importantly, don’t forget about the frosting! Use a store bought frosting or, even better, make your own with real cream or cream cheese. Here are some yummy recipes to try.

3. Make your own natural beauty products

This is an awesome idea because not only do you save money, you can give your friends products that are guaranteed natural and toxin-free. Plus, you’ll have plenty to spare, so make enough for yourself. It doesn’t get much better than that. This site lists excellent recipes that are wonderful for your skin and 100 percent safe for the body. Try the non-toxic vanilla body cream or the anti-aging vitamin c serum.

4. Screen print your heart out

Screen printing is a cool way to customize any gift. Consider screenprinting an inside joke or favorite quote, or cut out different designs. Screen printing is not too hard, and, once you get the hang of it, it can be really fun. You can screen print on many different kinds of fabrics, but make sure to do a test before the real thing so you know it will come out.

5. Sew your own tote bag

Tote bags are super versatile and always useful. If you’re handy with a sewing machine, it’s a fairly simple pattern. Find a burlap or canvas fabric in a fun color. You can decorate it with cool military inspired buttons, break out your glue gun and embellish it with studs or sparkles, or, better yet, screen print it!

6. Give an herb garden

A window box herb garden is a great way to grow fresh herbs during the winter. Head to an antique shop and scope out their selection of old wooden Coca-Cola boxes or anything else that would fit in a windowsill. Grab some planting soil, seeds, and plastic planters to put the soil in, and you’re good to go.

7. Don’t forget the dog!

Not to forget the most important family member, it’s definitely appropriate to shower your canine companions with homemade goodies, too. Make your own dog treats or a fun toy.

This guest post is contributed by Kate Willson, who writes on the topics of top online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: katewillson2@gmail.com.