By Erin Rebello

With the Holidays just around the corner, you can almost smell the peppermint in the air and hear the jingle of bells around every street corner. You’re also likely to be scrambling for the perfect holiday gifts to give to friends and family. Though gift-giving is an incremental part of Christmas tradition here in Canada, it can end up costing a pretty penny and cause a large amount of waste. Without proper money management, the Holidays can easily become one of the most stressful times of the year. So how does one solve the problem? Well, the presents themselves are not the problem, but instead the price. Why pay $25 for a scarf when you can make your own for cheaper? Why bother with an expensive-store bought cake when you can bake your own? Below are a few wallet-friendly Do It Yourself Christmas gifts which are sure to please your friends and family this holiday season!

Christmas Bark:

If you’ve been Christmas shopping recently, you’ve probably seen an assortment of chocolate bark. What is chocolate bark? Simply put, it’s a thin layer of chocolate with various toppings swirled or set into the chocolate. There are thousands of recipes on the internet for a delicious batch of bark, and most are quite simple and also budget-friendly. Making Christmas bark is also a great way to get younger siblings involved with the gift-making process, as they can help with adding in the toppings. By swirling some red candy melts into a base of white chocolate, then sprinkling some crushed peppermint on top, you end up with an appetizing candy cane bark. If you want to achieve a more sophisticated-looking bark, use a dark chocolate base, drizzle white chocolate on top, and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Wrap it all up in brown paper or cellophane, tie it with a ribbon, and voila!

Holiday Cards:

Even a gesture as simple as presenting your loved ones with a Holiday card can brighten their day. Not only are cards a great way to show how much you appreciate someone, but they’re also relatively cheap and easy to make. With only a few dollars, you can head to your local dollar store and pick up enough supplies for several cards. All you need is paper, markers, and some red and green glitter! A great way to get inspiration for your Holiday cards is to browse Pinterest and online blogs to sift through a variety of cards to find ones that you like.

Knitted Pieces:

If you can work well with your hands, knitting and crocheting is a great way to make gifts for family and friends! Not only are knitted items unique and special, but they’re also functional- especially if you make something like a hat or scarf! Other than traditional knitting, there are a variety of different yarnworking methods that you can utilize to create fabulous pieces. If you’re new to knitting and have never tried it before, arm-knitting is a great choice. Arm knitting uses bigger loops and allows for more control; the fabric hides mistakes well and allows you to create chunky scarves and plump throw blankets with ease. Knitting with a circular loom is also a great way to go. With only a few loops and plucks, you can create colourful tube scarves! Finally, crocheting is also a great way to make something useful out of yarn. The size and level of detail in your piece depends upon the size of your crochet hook and the thickness of your thread. This versatility allows you to create anything from warm hats to detailed crocheted figurines called amigurumi. Crafts made with love out of yarn are a great idea for any DIY gift! Just make sure that you give yourself enough time to finish the piece- no one wants half a hat!

Holiday Home Decor:

Another idea for a Holiday gift that I had to include on this list is Holiday decor! Whether it’s a seasonal item or not, a DIY piece of home decor is a lovely idea that’s straight from the heart! The best part is that you can create decor from just about anything! You can make decor from scratch, but you can also upcycle other objects. For example, you can repaint a mug that you no longer use, purchase some soil, pebbles, and a succulent, and create an adorable potted plant for your gift recipient. Home decor comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, so you can let your creativity run wild!