How Much Did You Save with D.I.Y. Gifts?

With the exception of my husband and my girls (they get handmade gifts from me every other day of the year), I make D.I.Y. Christmas presents for every single person on my gift list.

The reasons that I do so are aesthetic, of course- I like handmade gifts better than I like store-bought ones. I also consider the thoughtful construction of a gift to suit each loved one to be a philosophical rebuttal to mass-market consumer culture, and the fact that my loving friends and family are inevitably thrilled to receive my creations doesn’t hurt, either.

When you get down to it, though, I also craft homemade Christmas gifts for one very, very practical reason: they’re cheaper! With my stash of thrifted and found craft supplies, I can create Christmas gifts for far cheaper than I could buy a gift of the same quality, and sometimes in less time than it would take to drive to the mall and shop around in the crowds.

The truth is that if I had to buy all my Christmas gifts, I’d have to confine myself to a budget so tight that I’m not sure what I’d buy for some people (What would my mother-in-law like to have that costs less than $10?), and I’d have to cut some people off of my list entirely (Sorry, little cousins!).

Fortunately, I’m a crafter, and so all my loved ones got to feel my love this Christmas.

Next >> Here’s what I made, and more importantly, what I DIDN’T spend