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With the country’s financial system in turmoil, everyone is looking for ways to save a few bucks this holiday season.   While some Christmas shopping might be inevitable (Just make sure you shop handmade when you do shop!), there’s no need to spend more than you can afford. Listed below is a number of easy gift projects which can be completed at home with minimal costs.

Craft Your Presents in the Kitchen

If you your passion lays in cooking, you might try baking a festive treat for friends and family. Christmas sweets and candies tend to be a big hit in any crowd, whether they come in the form of yummy stocking stuffers or a delicious snack to munch on. Try giving peppermint bark or frosted cookies to family members, friends, or co-workers as X-Mas gifts this year.

A Picture is worth a Thousand Words

For the visually minded artisan, try making a special family photo album or recipe book. These gifts are full of shared experiences and memories and can make for a treasured possession. You can also try crafting up a fun scrapbook, showing a recent event or trip you took with family or friends.

Get Your Festive Craft Spirit on

Tree decorations make for a delightful holiday gifts, plus you can have a fun time just making them!  Handmade ornaments can be crafted out of old art supplies or goodies you might have laying around the house like beads, buttons, fabric, salt dough, even old light bulbs! Get creative and experiment, the more expressive your ornaments are, the better.  Make special decorations for everyone, maybe even matching them to fit that person’s character.  Or if you’re feeling especially inventive, craft mini versions of your family members or friends as gifts!

Try a Traditional Homemade Gift

If you like crafting with your hands, you could try making some Christmas candles as for everyone on your holiday shopping list. If candle making is new territory for you, buy a low-price kit from your craft store or online. These kits usually make quite a few candles, so you can easily make enough candles for everyone! Add some decorations to your candles to make them especially festive and original.  This can be accomplished by mixing crushed flowers into your wax before letting it cool, painting on Christmas patterns, or mold your candle into an fun shape.

Thanks for reading, and remember to buy handmade this holiday season!

-Sara

www.artfire.com