a.k.a.:  the procrastinator’s guide to last-minute, make-it-yourself gifting

Hello there friend.  Are you like me?  Are you still holding on tightly to your dream of handmade holidays while Father Time ticks away the hours on the clock?  It isn’t too late!  If you can find a few hours to spare, you can whip up some super crafts to bring a little cool to your yule and tidings of comfort and joy to the ones that you love.  Here are a few suggestions that are thrifty in terms of time and legal tender.

knit it!

In times of stress, let cooler heads prevail.  Why not knit up a hot headwrap?  The calorimetry pattern from knitty is a perfect little project.  It is quick, easy and fun and doesn’t require a big yarn investment either.  One skein will certainly do, and if you chose your skein wisely you’ll probably even be able to make multiples.

mall quotient = no need to strippy.  Shop at a local yarn store and you’ll usually find yourself off the beaten path with added benefits like comfortable chairs and a friendly,knowledgeable staff.  Mainstream craft stores also carry yarns that are often priced a tad bit cheaper, but beware.  What you save in price you pay in the parking lot of often overcrowded strip malls.

skill set = you’ve been this far before.  Some knitting experience is probably key to avoiding knitfits.  Key techniques to this project include knitting in the round and short rows.

wallet check = friendly.  $10 (or less) should easily get you the yarn.  If you are a knitter you probably already have the needles.

time table = movie marathon.  Pop in a classic like Cleopatra and you’ll have a host of headwraps all wrapped up before Caesar sputters, “Et tu?”

sew it!

For adults of legal drinking age, wine makes a wonderful gift.  But paper bags are passe, so impress the host of that holiday gathering with a tailor made treat bag.  Let Becky Striepe of Crafting a Green World show you how to add some class to what you pour in a glass.

mall quotient = no need.  If you have a sewing machine, you most likely have some spare fabric laying around.  If your stash is dashed, think outside the selvage.  Fabric is all around you, from pillowcases to shirts bound for the giveaway bag.

skill set = simple minds.  Can you straight stitch?  Do you own an iron?  You are golden.

wallet check = way friendly to gee, you are a generous friend.  As mentioned earlier, you probably already have the components for the bag laying around.  Now you just need to take care of the filler.  In the world of fermented grapes, you can be frugal or flagrant.

time table = double album.  Find your favorite tunes and finish this up before the fat lady sings.  Chose wisely as spontaneous dance outbursts delay completion.

stitch it!

No sewing machine in sight?  No matter.  Grab a needle and some thread and work wonders with sachet squares.  Nothing says “I love you but your socks sort of smell” like a sweetly scented lavender packet.  Ready to run for the roses?  Let Lupin of Bugs and Fishes lead with way with this tutorial.

mall quotient = no need.  Forage for fabrics in your own backyard and shop nearby health food stores for the stuffers.

skill set = simple minds to wow, you had more time on your hands than you let on.  You can go crazy with this or just stitch a square together.  Either way the desired effect is achieved.

wallet check = friendly to ??.  How much can potpourri cost?  If you’re pressed, a little rice or buckwheat and a sprinkle of essential oil can go a long way.

time table = telephone call.  By the time your friend is finished telling you about that crazy weekend she had in Miami, you’ll have a pocket of perfume.

burn it!

Speaking of sweet smells, there’s nothing like a little woodburning to take you right back to seventh grade shop class.  If you love the smell of a crackling fire, this is the craft for you.  Derek and Lauren of The Curiosity Shoppe think that controlled pyromania coupled with Swedish smarts makes a great gift.  They are so very right.  Check out how it is done courtesy of the tutorial on Design Sponge.

mall quotient = so close to strippy.  The suggested place to pick up the proper serving tray, Ikea, is sort of the mall of Sweden in America.  But they have a cafeteria and a quick stop where you can get soft pretzels and a frozen ice cream float.  For the woodburning tool, check out a local hardware or hobby store or brave the big box at Home Depot or Lowe’s.  Also, to pick up the transfers you might have to travel to a JoAnn’s-type store.  Or you can freehand something and save yourself from the strip mall.

skill set = jig saw and sandpaper.  If you could make that napkin holder in seventh grade, you can handle this.

wallet check = Swedish meatball platter for four.  If you don’t have a woodburning tool and Skala on hand, you’ll be putting out a bit for this one.

time table = be careful.  Many an hour has been lost in the time vacuum that is Ikea.  Get your tray and get out before the lingonberries get you.  Otherwise, the time is determined by how quickly you can trace and burn.

plant it!

Do you desire to bring a little oxygen into someone’s life?  Have a green thumb and want to pass it along?  This next one is for you.  Blogger maya*made shares a “simple gift” of bulb and burlap in a well written tutorial.  While it is a little late to have a bloom by the time Santa shimmies down the chimney, it is still a thoughtful gift that will keep giving with every precious blossom.

mall quotient = no need to strippy.  A local garden store is a great pick to find a beautiful bulb, but you might have to venture out to find the twine and burlap.

skill set = it’s not easy being green.  It helps to have a way with the greenery to urge those bulbs to blossom.  But the other steps are easily managed by the blackest of thumbs.

wallet check = loose change.  maya*made swears that “each gift will cost $1, but will be worth so much more.”  Indeed.

time table = a slice of toast.  This is quick to put together.  The only part that requires a few ticks and tocks is totally up to the bulb itself.  Best to let nature do the dirty/pretty work.

bake it!

Here’s a gift that you can enjoy just as much as the recipient, probably even more since they won’t be there when a tray of delicious cookies comes out of the oven.  Give your friend a cookie and they will eat for a day.  Give your friend a cookie made from scratch and baked with love and they will eat them all in five minutes.  There are so many confectionery choices out there, this is but one from the kitchen of everyone’s favorite everything/ex-con, Martha Stewart.  The Outrageous Chocolate Cookie is outrageous for sure.

mall quotient = no need.  Unless your grocery store is in the mall, you can safely steer clear.  Maybe you can even burn off those cookies that you’ll eat in advance (you know, the ones that just happen to drop on the floor) by walking to a grocery store close by.  Thanks to the wintry mixes in most parts, your butter won’t even melt.

skill set = boiling an egg.  This is a pretty straightforward recipe.  You even get to forgo the double boiler and use the microwave!  If you had a C average in Chemistry you’ll do just fine.

wallet check = the frugal gourmet.  Or not…if you’ve had your eye on that special chocolate with organically grown Mexican vanilla and artisan butter from the local family run dairy, why not live dangerously and splurge on the ingredients?  With an estimated output of 24 cookies, you’re still making them cheaper than Mrs. Fields.

time table = a charlie brown christmas.  Martha has broken it down for you.  20 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of oven time.  That’s 45 minutes of piano and falsetto musings about a boy and his dog.

These are but a few suggestions for handmade holiday gift giving.  Have one of your own that you’d like to share?  Leave a little note in the comments.  And if you happen to try any of these out, please let us know how it goes.  Post your pictures online and send a link in the comment chain.

Wishing you wonderful holidays and a most inspired New Year!