Easy Homemade Christmas Gifts

Are you looking for easy homemade Christmas gifts ideas? You'll love these simple and fun gift ideas. You're sure to think of someone who each gift will fit perfectly! Make a list and get busy. There is so much hype behind the holidays that it's difficult to find joy in the giving part of Christmas. Too much money is spent and gifts are bought just because you feel guilt if you don't join in the gift-giving festivities.

Well, this year give loved ones homemade Christmas gifts! They'll know you were thinking of them specifically as they open a gift tailored to their likes or hobbies. Enjoy a year without the financial guilt that seems to go along with the New Year! (And I'm sure that your friends and family will appreciate your thoughtfulness.)

3 Easy Homemade Christmas Gifts You Can Make

Use these examples as guides to start thinking about all the things you can do:

No-sew blanket

Yes, that's right - no sewing involved! Grab a sharp pair of shears, two pieces of fleece fabric, and you can have a blanket completed in roughly two hours. You'll need four yards of fleece total - two yards each of two different fabric patterns. Square the edges of the fabrics and lay them together, wrong sides facing. Line up the edges and trim any excess off so that both fabrics are the same size. Cut out a 6-inch square from each corner of the fabrics.

Now, beginning on one corner of the quilt, begin making cuts 1 to 1- inches over from the corner. Make the cuts up as far as the line of the cut out square and continue around the entire quilt until you have fringe all around. Tie each "set" of fringe together in a knot until you've tied each one securely. Now you have a beautiful blanket for a child or an adult! Depending on the prices of fleece, this isn't necessarily a super-cheap Christmas craft idea, but if you keep your eyes on the sales flyers throughout the year, you'll see fleece go on sale for a decent price.

Homemade Stepping Stones for the Garden

This is an excellent gift for grandparents and parents or aunts and uncles. Buy some quick concrete at the home improvement store. Decide what shape you want your stones to be and get either plastic or aluminum pie pans for round ones or pizza or used shipping boxes for square ones. Make sure the container is clean and at least 2 inches deep. Mix the quick concrete according to the instructions. The consistency should remind you of creamy peanut butter. Press the concrete into the pie pans or pizza boxes, making sure it is distributed evenly. Allow the mixture to set for a few minutes before attempting to add embellishments to it. Once it begins to set, press your decorations into the mix, creating a picture or a scattered pattern. Broken china or dishes are great for making mosaic patterns. Or, have a child press her hand into the mold and then decorate it with gems or stones. Be sure to "sign" the stone using a skewer. Concrete stepping stones can be painted and sealed too if you would rather not press any objects into the concrete.

There are stepping stone kits at your local craft store but starting with a big bag of concrete is definitely the cheapest way to go.

Photo Calendars

Choose 12 or more of your favorite photographs from the year. Get them printed and then begin creating the calendar. You can use card stock or construction paper for your calendar pages. Trace or print blank calendar pages for the bottom half of the calendar. On the top of each page, place one or more photographs and then place the blank calendar underneath. Label each page with the appropriate month. Write in family birthdays on the calendar. Add fun sayings or quotes around the photos. Head to your local school supply store and have your project laminated. It will be a keepsake for years to come!

If you have trouble finding a source of inexpensive laminating, try asking any homeschooling Mom you know - they usually know the absolute best places for laminating since they have to do so much of it. (As an alternative, there are companies like Vista Print who will print items for only shipping - that's a great deal as well!)

Have fun making your easy homemade Christmas gifts this year and most of all; enjoy the looks of joy on the faces of family and friends when they discover what you've been up to!