by Gail Kavanagh

Created on: April 17, 2009

When times are tough, the tough get creative. Having less money doesn't mean you can give a thoughtful gift that the recipient will cherish forever. Indeed, it can mean that you give better gifts, putting more thought, time and effort into them. It is the thought that counts - the thought that you were willing to give your time and your talent to creating some thing special for that special person.

Don't say, `but I have no talents, I'm not creative'. Everyone has a talent,or can learn a craft or skill that will be a source of pleasurable gifts. From the simple to the simply marvellous, here are some ideas to get you started.

Origami may not be a skill that comes to mind when considering making gifts. But once you have mastering the not so difficult task of making an origami box, you are well on your way to delighting your family and friends with unique gifts. You can Google Origami Box on the Internet, and find simple visual instructions. These origami box instructions are very easy to follow. Any paper can be used t make an origami box. You can use scrapbooking background paper, wrapping paper, or pages from books. The result will always be beautiful.

Fill the box with home made pot pourri. Use dried flowers like lavender, roses or marigolds (you can dry flowers from your own garden) and add things taken from nature, like tiny pine cones, sea shells or berries. Sprinkle with a few drops of essential oil and put a lid on. The lid for an origami box is simply another origami box, made slightly larger to fit over the first one. You can make the top and bottom in contrasting papers.

Origami boxes can also be filled with other things - the recipients favorite candies, home made cookies or tiny containers of eye make up in many bright colors from the dollar shop. But pot pourri seems to be the most popular gift inside a this gift.

If you have little girls on your list, and some skill with making doll's clothes, scour the charity shops for clean second hand Barbie and fashion dolls, and dress them up as favorite singers and movie stars. A country singer could have felt boots, a cotton dress and a cowboy hat. You can print out miniature magazines and album covers from site on the Internet that cater for miniature modelling enthusiasts. Recycling second hand toys is a great way to make presents for lots of grandchildren. Wooden toys can be cleaned, painted and finished with a couple of coats of sealer. Stuffed toys can be thoroughly cleaned, brushed and presented with a brand new bow round the neck.

Thrift shops, charity shops and second hand shops are great places to shop for inexpensive gifts. Make sure the items you choose are in good condition, then apply a little imagination or creativity to make them really special. There are sure to be people on your list who would appreciate a beautiful old piece of china, an elegant vintage handbag or belt, or a stack of books by their favorite author.

If you can write, or scrapbook, or paint, you have many wonderful gifts at your fingertips. Make a book of fairy stories for a child, using an inexpensive student's visual art notebook, or compile your family recipes into a notebook and illustrate with pictures of the finished dishes. Write a special poem or affirmation for some one, and present it in a pretty frame. Try your hand at calligraphy, or just use your best handwriting with magical metallic gel pens.

These gifts may sound simple, but when they come from the heart, they enter the recipient's heart, and stay there forever.

Learn more about this author, Gail Kavanagh.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.