DIY gifts are a great way to save some money during the holidays...if you're smart about it. Sometimes, the materials needed to create gifts can rack up a cost equal to or more than simply buying a gift from the store. Also, depending on the work required to make them, it is just not worth it. What I'm trying to say is you should really put a lot of thought into the gifts you are considering making because it can take time and money, which is what we are trying to save!
Since, I'm a foodie, I love to give food gifts for Christmas. People have actually come to expect them. This year, I found a really cute recipe via Pinterest for Hot Chocolates on a stick. They took minimal ingredients and prep, and one batch made about 25 gifts. Many gifts for little cost! I gave these to my small group and co-workers. I don't like hot chocolate, but I thought these were pretty good.
These are super cute for not much work. After making the chocolate blocks, which wasn't difficult, I put a marshmallow on top and put a stick through it. I had goodie bags left over from a previous project that I had gotten from Michaels. Made a quick tag on the computer and put it together! I put together maybe 25 of them in a half hour. So easy! And total cost per gift is about $1.30. The link to the recipe is here.
The other gift I made was my big one and this went to my sister-in-law. Last year, I had made a blanket for my husband's parents, and his sister loved it so I was excited to make her one this year. I planned very far ahead for this one, like around May. I first picked a pattern by searching the Internet (mostly Pinterest). I chose a pattern called Jacob's Snakes and Ladders. Once I found the pattern, I waited for yarn to go on sale at the local craft store. Yarn is insanely expensive, and making a blanket that requires 8+ reams can get rather costly. I got my yarn in June, and started around then! I'm a procrastinator, so I needed all of that time. I worked on it until the day before we had the family Christmas. I love how it turned out! Total cost after coupons was $23.94.
Did anyone else do any fun projects for Christmas gifts? It's never too early to start getting new ideas for next year!
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