Easy Holiday Gifts

3 ways to make the season bright

Dashing through the mall
Shopping near and far
O’er the limit we go on all our credit cards…

Many of us are feeling the economic crunch this year, along with the usual stress of holiday hustle and bustle. With less jingle in our pockets, how can we give tokens of yuletide joy to friends, neighbors, teachers, and hostesses without losing our shirts or our holiday cheer in the process?

Good news! We’ve gathered three clever projects that prove you don’t have to break the bank or even brave the crowds at the mall to bestow creative and meaningful Christmas gifts. These presents can be fashioned (mostly) with materials you already have on hand. So make your list, check it twice, and get ready to channel your inner elf.

EASY

There’s nothing like a personalized gift to make a friend or loved one feel special. This unique name frame features photos that are as fun to take as they are to give.

Supplies:

patterned paper (Basic Grey) • cardstock (Stampin Up) • ribbon (Scarlet Lime and Stampin Up) • flowers (Scarlet Lime and Prima) • punch (Martha Stewart Crafts) • rhinestones (Glitz Design) • 8½ x 8½ shadow box frame by Noel Culbertson

Click image for larger view

Here’s how:

Photograph objects that resemble letters (or even actual letters from street signs) and print in black and white for a cohesive look. (Noel printed hers in blue duotone.)

Measure the length of your photo collage. Using a craft knife, cut an opening in the center of a box lid (like from a chipboard album package). The opening should be slightly larger than your photo collage.

Cover the box lid with patterned paper.

Cut a piece of chipboard to the exact dimension of frame; this will be the back of your shadow box.

Cover your chipboard backing in cardstock or patterned paper, then adhere your photo collage to the background, so it will be centered in the frame opening when the pieces are layered together.

Run a bead of glue around the outer edge of of your backing sheet and set the frame on top. (Hot glue or tacky glue work well.)

Embellish the top of the shadow box as desired.

Adhere ribbon around the outside edge of the frame to cover any glue or paper edges.

EASIER

Everyone enjoys a good movie, whether out at the theater, or at home on DVD. It’s simple to put together a nifty movie journal with room for a date-night photo or ticket stub, plus some space to pen a review on each page. For added entertainment, print out some favorite movie quotes and adhere them to the facing pages. This gift is sure to get two thumbs up when packaged in a popcorn tub with some candy and a couple of movie passes or a favorite flick.

Supplies:

cardstock (Bazzill) • patterned paper (Luxe Designs) • Bind It All (Zutter) • scallop-edged trimmer (Fiskars) • journaling guidelines stamp (Creative Imaginations) • ribbon • chipboard • popcorn box panel • 5 x 8 movie journal by Tami Morrison

Click image to view inside of journal

To produce a blockbuster movie journal like this one, start with a panel from a cardboard popcorn box (available at Amazon.com, restaurant supply stores, and occasionally the Target dollar spot). Boxes work better than tubs, because the curved shape of a tub can be difficult to trace and bind.

Trace your cover onto cardstock and cut out as many pages as you would like for your journal (mine has 20), plus one piece of chipboard for the back. Embellish the pages to your liking and stamp some guide lines for journaling. Put it all together with a Bind-It-All tool, tie on a few snips of coordinating ribbon, and get ready for rave reviews!

EASIEST

With a little ingenuity and some scraps, a dollar-store planner can be the gift that keeps on giving all year. Just embellish the cover and staple on a transparency for durability. Include a coordinating pen and key-ring notepad, and your favorite compulsive list maker will be adding you to her “nice” column for sure!

Supplies:

cardstock (Bazzill) • patterned paper (Pebbles) • alphabet stickers (American Crafts) • flower embellishments (American Crafts) • ribbon (May Arts) • circle embellishment (KI Memories) • transparency (HammerMill) • brad (Making Memories) • staples (Making Memories) • binder ring (Creative Cafe) • pen (Pentel) • binder clip (source unknown) • planner (Dollar Tree) • notepad (Post-its) • photographed by Jeannine Rembert • planner set by Tami Vik

Click image for larger view

To make the matching pen, pull out the ink tube, insert a rolled up ½ x 3¼ strip of paper, then reassemble the pen. For the sticky notes, wrap thin ribbon around the outside edges of the mini paper pad and tie a bow along one side. Cover with cardstock trimmed to fit, and decorate. Punch a hole all the way through one corner with a Crop-a-dile, add a binder ring, and embellish.

Get MORE Great Gift Ideas

If these projects jingle your bells, be sure to check out more handcrafted holiday goodness in Ella’s latest eBook, Vintage Hip Christmas Crafts by Margie Romney-Aslett and her two crafty daughters. Click over from this article to receive 25 percent off Vintage Hip Christmas Crafts for a limited time only! Enter coupon code CRAFTY09 at checkout. One code per person; coupon expires December 13, 2009.