Easy Homemade Holiday Gifts

Enlarge Image Image Gallery For a simple tag, cut a square of paper, making it however large you want it. Punch a hole in the upper right corner. Run ribbon through the hole and tie it in a knot. With a marker, write “To:” and “From:” somewhere on the square. Photo By Amanda Mackey

As the holidays approach, stress levels often rise, and it’s no wonder. Decorating, shopping, religious observances, food preparation, party planning, family gatherings, and everything else associated with the holidays can leave us feeling overwhelmed. It doesn’t have to be like that, though. Scrapbooking is a creative outlet that is relaxing and rewarding. Best of all, it can provide homemade holiday gifts for friends and family.

Rather than purchasing expensive individual greeting cards, most of us opt for the more affordable box of cards with two or three designs. This year, forget buying greeting cards. Instead, create your own. You also can make your own gift boxes, bags and tags. They’re simple and fun to make, and you’ll be amazed at how great you’ll feel when you’re finished. For more holiday spirit, invite a few friends over to join in the fun.

Once you’ve discovered the joy of scrapbooking through making cards and gift boxes, bags and tags, you’ll ask yourself, “Why stop there?” So, forget fighting the crowds at department stores, gather up those same friends for a day of making homemade keepsakes — something practical and functional — for everyone on your list.

Here are a few holiday crafts that will put smiles on the faces of your loved ones.

Homemade Greeting Cards

Once you make greeting cards, you’ll never go back to buying them.

Before you start, you’ll need envelopes to determine card size. Measure the envelope. Take those numbers (length and width) and subtract 1/4 inch from each. Multiply the smaller measurement by two; this gives you the dimensions for a folded card.

Cut your choice of cardstock to those dimensions. I always use white or off-white cardstock so I don’t have to worry about colors clashing with scrapbook papers and embellishments. You can use whatever color you want, just remember to make sure the embellishments you choose will show up if using colored cardstock. (Don’t use red cardstock if you’re planning to use red ribbon or red lettering, etc.) Fold the cardstock in half and decide whether you want a vertical or horizontal card.

Bring your cards to life by adding ribbon, pattern paper, stickers, rub-on letters, cardstock stickers, glitter stickers and other embellishments. Remember, though, that keeping things simple is the key to a beautiful greeting card.

After your cards are made, it’s time to personalize them.

Inside greetings can be lengthy, so instead of using stickers or rub-ons to make a greeting, which can be time-consuming, I either write a personal message or use vellum adhesive to attach a holiday vellum quote to the inside of the card. The adhesive and quotes can be purchased at most craft stores, and because the quotes come in themed stacks, including holidays, they make perfect inside greetings.

Make Gift Boxes, Bags and Tags

These easy crafts are a great way to use scrap paper from other projects so you don’t waste anything.