Annie Beurman
Reporting correspondent
abeurma1@jccc.edu
You’re standing in a store at the mall, staring at the absolute perfect gift for someone you love, but the price is insane. You look into your wallet to find very little money and you still have to buy gifts for the rest of your family. How can you possibly get gifts for everyone with an almost empty wallet? Sometimes when it comes to gifts all you need is creativity and that little bit of money can go even farther than you think.
Chances are you have a lot of great memories with your loved ones, which means you have a lot of pictures. You can always create a photo album for someone; a reasonably priced photo album would be around ten dollars, but if you feel like getting creative, there are a lot of other options. You can copy the pictures and make a photo collage or, if the pictures are on your computer, you can make your own calendar using Microsoft. With pictures there’s almost nothing you can’t create.
For the loved one who enjoys a warm drink, a great gift to make is a homemade hot chocolate mix. All you need is cocoa mix, marshmallows and some sort of container to put it in like a bag or a jar. To give the kit a special flare, decorate the jar or bag in a way that represents the holidays or things your friend enjoys. Also make sure to include other things in the mix like candy canes or chocolate chips.
If you’re a person who likes to cook, you can’t go wrong with making a delicious Christmas treat. Some may not think food is the best gift, but you’d be surprised at how successful it can be. You can always go with a classic treat like homemade cookies or brownies, but since it’s the holidays, a more festive treat might be in order. Ask your family members if they have any special recipes, but if they don’t you can always find something online. Some great treats that only require a few ingredients are Oreo balls, fudge and cake mix cookies. As a bonus, give your treats some pizzazz by giving them a fancy wrapping, like a tin or a festive box to put them in.
These are just some of the possibilities for homemade gifts. There’s almost no limit to what you can make for your loved ones, but make sure they always come from the heart.