3 Easy Homemade Gifts for the Holidays

My favorite gift to give is one that is homemade and made with love.   My second favorite is one that didn't cost me much financially.

This year my family decided to skip the store bought "stuff" and give homemade gifts.   I was on board immediately and knew exactly what I wanted to make.  You should also know, I am lazy, and I have two little ones who only let me do things in 10 minute bursts.

The following crafts are for the cheap, lazy and busy:

1.  Wooden Picture

For my parents, what greater gift to give then a photo of ALL their grandbabies together (sans the furbabies, although they are family too.)

 I bought some 8x10 pieces of wood at the craft store (don't forget your coupons!) and decided on making a photo to wood transfer.  Did I mention I am lazy?  Here's the How-to video I used: DIY wooden picture

Tip: You must use regular copy paper and a LASER printer. Don't forget to mirror image your picture before printing.  

2. Personalized Burlap Wreath

This gift is one that will surely make the front door and not the back. Recently, several family members moved into new homes this year so I decided to make some fun burlap wreaths for their front doors.  The burlap is the most expensive part, but I urge you to buy during sales and use coupons. I even got lucky and found some super cute patterned burlap at the Dollar Tree -- which is also where you can find door hooks for $1!  You can make the wreath as personalized as you would like. Wood monograms are inexpensive and can be painted in fun colors/patterns and if you are feeling really crafty, add a small photo-to-wood piece. 

Tip: Use beige pipe cleaners and tie one on the wire frame for easy and affordable hanging.  

3. Silhouettes 

This last project is one of my all time favorites. Silhouettes are timeless, adorable, and easy. The hardest part of this one is getting a profile shot of your little one, but the older kids are easier!  I suggest having someone distract them with candy and music while you snap a photo.  You can find the rest of the instructions on Tori Spelling's blog (don't judge me.)

Tip: For this project, make sure you remember to mirror your image before printing depending on what angle you would like your silhouette to be.

Happy holidays and happy crafting!

Be sure to check back for more of our 12 Days of Christmas.

Nicole Pederson is the mom of two sweet boys, an avid crafter and a closet Pinterest fanatic.