Handmade
gifts most appreciated
By Kandace Hsu
On-line Forty-Niner
 It
is that time of year again for family gatherings,
spending time with friends and loved ones
and, of course, holiday shopping. Buying
gifts for family, friends and significant
others can add up quickly, so here’s a suggestion
for those of you on a student budget: try
making the gift.
Making gifts for people can cut spending
and shows that time and thought went into
the process.
“I think it shows more love when someone
makes you something rather than buying it,”
said Minal Patel , a Cal State Long Beach
English major.
You don’t have to be Leonardo DaVinci or
Shakespeare to make a gift. Just put some
time and thought into what you are doing
and it should be appreciated.
Here are a few suggestions:
•
Make an imovie or slide show on your computer.
Find some favorite photographs or favorite
shots from your camcorder. Put them together
with music and narration, if possible, to
make a “virtual scrapbook.”
•
Make a card with a poem or letter inside.
Use construction paper, stencils, markers,
scissors, glue and some creativity. Once
done decorating the outside of the card,
get to work on the inside. Write a letter,
create a poem or find a favorite poem that
would be relevant.
•
Make a scrapbook or picture collage. Scrapbooks
generally take more time, supplies and planning
to complete, but there is an alternative.
Create a picture collage with collected
pictures and memories. It might be helpful
to look through magazines for words or phrases
that you can add to the collage.
•
Make a calendar. Find some favorite photographs
and take them to the local copy center.
Either enlarge the photos or have the copy
center put a calendar together for you.
Computer programs can also print out monthly
calendars.
•
Make dinner. Ideas for dishes should depend
on your audience. Making favorite dishes
is a good idea, but making your specialty
is another alternative.
•
Personalize a picture frame or photo album.
Go to your local art store and find a plain,
preferably wood, picture frame or plain
photo album, get some paint, beads and other
decorative supplies to help personalize
the gift. For those who think they are artistically
challenged, there are always stickers. Use
stickers to spell out the person’s name.
To finish the gift, put something in the
frame like a picture, a personal note or
a famous quote.
Whatever gift you decide to make, remember
three important things. One, keep in mind
the person you are making so you can personalize
the gift specifically to things that they
would like. Two, make it yourself. And three,
put time and work into the gift.
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