The recent financial crisis has made us  all mind our budgets, sometimes even at the point of being stingy.  Times are, indeed, hard and with the holidays coming up, it’s pretty hard to keep the christmas cheer going, especially knowing that the season can get insanely expensive.

Still, it would be nice to carry out the tradition of gift giving. But with times being too tight, how can we stick to the budget and still be able to give our lovedones things that they’ll appreciate?

Giving homemade gifts is one option. It is obviously the time to be resourceful and creative. Not all of us may be crafty mamas, but we only need a little imagination to come up with an inexpensive (costless, if possible) present.

Here are some of the things I’ve tried making for my daughter:

1. I-spy bag

All you need are cloth, plastic, poly pellets/rice/beans, and a collection of little items. In my case, I didn’t want to use the pellets and I thought using rice would be in bad taste considering the times, so I used an old package of tea leaves that we were about to compost anyway.

If you’re wary about the pellets or grains escaping through the stitching and being swallowed by your child, you can make an I-spy bottle instead using a clear plastic water bottle, twisting the cap on tight and then reinforcing with tape, lots of it.

2. Nature necklace

Those who expertly sew, knit, crochet, weave, etc. have no trouble coming up with dresses, blankets, and accessories for their children. Beginners like myself can still find projects that are more suited to their level. Nature necklaces certainly appealed to me and the fact that they’re easy to make is a bonus. You just make a chain and then a natural pendant like a stone or a flower.

3. Books

Budding writers and illustrators can create rhymes about their children and draw pictures of things they can relate to. More than a few parents actually make their own educational books that they use to teach their kids ABCs, numbers, shapes, colors, etc.

4. Gingerbread cookies

There are several recipes of cookies out there. All you need is the mold, which you can buy from department stores. Not only are these goodies a traditional Christmas treat, the scent they carry with them evoke cozy images of fairytale holidays. You can start out with simple gingerbread men and later move on to gingerbread villages.

From researching and picking other mothers’ brains, I was able to gather some other great ideas for homemade gifts for kids that you might also want to try: felt/flannel board, homemade shakers, and homemade puppets.

But why not, make these gifts with your kids? After all, the best gift you can give your child is the gift of time. Plan a special gift-making activities with your kids. Your child will love those times together, maybe even more than they love their PSPs... Or is that too much to expect?

DIY toys

Homemade playdough

Playdough is a great toy to give your kids. It develops creativity and enhances fine motor skills. That's probably why they are so expensive. But here’s a simple recipe for non-toxic modeling clay that you make using items found in the kitchen:

You'll need:

Flour, water, salt, cream of tartar, oil, wax paper, food coloring
Procedure:

1. Mix 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of water, ½ cup of salt, 2 tablespoon of cream of tartar, and 1 tablespoon of oil in a saucepan and cook until the concoction achieves a smooth texture.

2. Turn out onto wax paper and knead in food coloring. You can also use Kool-Aid or instant coffee as an alternative to food coloring.

Homemade fingerpaint

Anothern great toy that you can make at home is washable fingerpaint.

You'll need:

cornstarch, salt, sugar, water, food coloring

Procedure:

1. Put ¼ cup of cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon of salt, 1 ½ tablespoon of sugar, and 1 cup of water into a pot.

2. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly.

3. When the mixture thickens, take it off the stove and let it cool.

4. Divide into small containers and add food coloring.