Christmas is one of my favourite times of year.
The sparkling snow that’s perfect for making snow angels, the smell of cinnamon and nutmeg in every café, and, of course, spending time with family. I can’t wait until the school semester is done and I can finally go home and relax for a couple of weeks.
One of the less relaxing things, however, is the money you end up spending on presents for family.
One thing I always love to do is give gifts that I know my family will love and appreciate, but there’s a problem with that;
a student budget doesn’t allow me to get exactly what my family has on their wish lists.
My brothers are always so bad about giving me gift ideas – they always just say money. I mean come on, I’m trying to be thoughtful – give me a little bit more to work with here.
Each year, I worry about buying gifts where I can only spend roughly the same amount of money for each member of my family without spending every dime I have, and with big families, that can add up quickly.
Just knowing that you took the time to make these gifts yourself with love will be enough to win over any family member’s heart.
Instead of trying to find cheaper, lower quality gifts that will probably just end up in the garbage by February, there is another option that I think families will appreciate — homemade gifts!
You don’t have to be an expert crafts maker or the next Picasso to make these; just a trip to Michael’s for supplies and some hot glue is enough to get you started.
There are tons of ideas online for simple little gifts you can make for your family.
You can buy a clear mason jar and paint the inside to create a personalized candle holder.
Find the best pictures of your family and create a collage with fun stickers or written messages as captions.
For those who are handy in the kitchen and want to show off your baking skills, there are lots of easy recipes for creating fudge, hot chocolate starter kits, even candy cane sugar scrubs.
These are perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth or someone who loves a good lip scrub. I know there’s usually a stigma associated with homemade gifts.
There’s the worry that it’ll come off as cheap or they won’t be appreciated as much as a store-bought gift with an actual price tag on it.
Despite all of these, in my opinion, it is honestly true what they say — it’s the thought that counts.
Just knowing that you took the time to make these gifts yourself with love will be enough to win over any family member’s heart.
The added benefit of homemade gifts is the knowledge that they won’t just be used once and then tossed in the back of the closet.
These homemade gifts can be a reusable decoration or be eaten up right away, saving the planet and your wallet at the same time.
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