15 Homemade Gift Ideas They'll Love ...

It's easy to make a little purse for your pre-teen niece, a book-bag for your college age daughter or a diaper bag for your cousin, the new mom! All you need is a pair of old jeans and some basic sewing skills. Cut off the legs of the jeans at the crotch straight across, then sew the bottom closed. Use the material from the legs to create straps/handles and sew them on. Now the fun part, decorating! You can use ribbon, gems, buttons, beads-whatever you want! Glue them on and you're done!

These hair bows can be made for little girls or big girls-any age is guaranteed to love them! You will need some material for this project. I like to use felt! Decide how big you want your flower to be, then cut out a circle of that approximate size. Then continue cutting out circles, each one a little smaller than the one before it. Now stack them up and secure each one with a little glue. Finish up by putting a pretty button or sparkly bead/gem in middle. You can now glue your flower to a headband or a clip, and you have a lovely bow!

This homemade gift idea is one of my favorite things to make! Again, you will need some material, this time choose a lightweight, sheer material. Follow the same instructions as before, but don't glue just yet. You're going to need a lighter to lightly singe the edges of each circle of fabric. You don't want to actually catch the pieces on fire, just hold the material close enough to the flame that the edges will curl up a little, like a real flower. Now, stack them together, secure with needle and thread or glue, and add a pretty bead. The final step is to glue your flower to a ring. You can probably find rings with crafting pads on them (for glueing items) at your local craft store.

Thinking of a homemade gift idea for boys and men can be difficult, but here's the solution: a fuzzy blanket! Even girls and women will love this one! If you crotchet or quilt, you already know what to do, but for those of us with basic to no sewing skills at all, here's what you do. Buy a couple yards of fleece depending on how big of a blanket you want. Now, either add a blanket stitch along the edge or cut and knot a fringe around the blanket. There you go!

A Christmas ornament is a homemade gift idea that never goes out of style! You can get as creative as you want or keep it simple if you like. I love to buy basic styrofoam balls and then paint them. From there, you can add glitter or beads and make it pretty. You can also make ornaments out of salt dough and paint them!

Who doesn't love a good cup of hot cocoa on a cold winters day? This homemade gift idea is sure to be a hit! Fill a jar with alternating layers of hot cocoa mix, chocolate milk mix, powdered sugar, chocolate chips, and marshmallows. Tie some pretty christmas fabric around the top and present it with a coffee cup and cinnamon sicks for stirring!

Holiday plaques are easy to make, but they are time consuming! Choose a winter or holiday saying, such as "Let It Snow" or "Merry Christmas". Paint a wooden plaque the color of your choice, then glue on letters cut out of card-stock paper to say whatever you want. Follow by brushing a coat of clear glue such as Mod Podge and let dry!

This is a great homemade gift idea for men! I love to bake holiday goodies, so I usually have christmas cookies, muffins, breads and cakes all over my kitchen! Create a goodie basket filled with all sorts of baked goods and hand them out as christmas gifts. It doesn't get any more yummy than this!

Here is a homemade gift idea that you can get really personal with. Pick up a picture frame of any size or shape. I find that wooden ones work best, but don't let that box you in! Paint and decorate it in the style of your choice. Insert a picture into the frame and wrap it up. Your loved one will adore it!

Do you need an excuse to pick up a pen and write? Your loved ones will appreciate a story or poem that comes straight from the heart. Buy a pack of decorative paper and write out each gift in your handwriting for a personalized touch. It’s easier to type something up and print it out, but it won’t feel as special. The effort you put in will be worth it once you see the recipient’s face.

The idea sounds more complicated than it actually is. All you have to do is grab a jar and some little figurines to put inside. Put the jar aside for now and glue your decorations to the inside of the jar’s cap. Before screwing the cap on, fill the jar with water and a whole bunch of glitter. It’s that simple!

Friendship bracelets aren’t strictly for children. Adults wear jewelry all the time, so why not add something special to their collection? You can buy a kit filled with string and beads, or you can make bracelets out of lanyard. Whatever you think will look best, you can try. Feel free to let your creativity show.

Buy a little box from the craft store, and decorate it however you wish. You don’t have to make it holiday related, because they’re going to be using it the entire year. What will you fill the box with, you ask? Your very own words! Write out compliments, inspirational words, and great memories on slips of paper.Tell them to take out one paper every month (or week, or day, depending on how many slips of paper you create). This way, the gift lasts an entire year.

There are plenty of different websites that allow you to insert your own pictures into a calendar. You can use photographs that you’ve taken throughout the year that will bring back amazing memories. Or, if your loved ones are camera shy, use pictures of their favorite celebrities. Either way, they’ll love to stare at the photographs each month. It’s a gift that will keep them loving you all year ‘round.

It’s fun to make your own stocking, but some people don’t have time for crafts. If your loved ones don’t have their own stocking, make one for them! Write their name in glitter glue or draw designs of their favorite animals. When you’re done, you can stick some of your other homemade gifts inside. It’s the perfect combination of gifts. Why only give one when you can give them all?

The list for homemade gift ideas goes on and on....you can knit a scarf, make a scrapbook, write a short poem-but the bottom line is, whatever homemade gift ideas you come up with, make them with love and give them with joy. Your family and friends will be delighted! What homemade gift ideas would you like to share this season?

This article was written in collaboration with editor Holly Riordan.