Handmade Gifts That Give

(NewsUSA) - With steep fuel and energy costs, many Americans might dread holiday spending. Tech toy, designer clothing and accessory prices quickly add up, leaving families short on cash, if not in debt.

Some Americans might choose to make gifts for their loved ones, not only to avoid paying designer prices, but also to imbue their gifts with special meaning.

"Creating personalized, handcrafted gifts for friends and family members have been emerging trends over the past few years," says Craft & Hobby Association CEO Steve Berger. "Hand crafted gifts are a great way to save money and the perfect way to give truly meaningful and unique gifts this holiday season."

Homemade gifts do not have to mean cardboard cut-outs and glue globs -; many crafters make one-of-a-kind items that could be sold in stores. Here are some handmade gift ideas from the Craft & Hobby Association:

- Some crafters find that they can replicate high-end designer jewelry at home. Creativity, Inc. (www.creativityinc.com) supplies ideas and detailed instructions to create stunning necklaces, earrings and bracelets at home. With a few supplies and a pair of pliers, even inexperienced designers can give sophisticated seashell pendants and coral candelabra earrings to their loved ones.

- Scrapbooking long ago surpassed the yarn, construction paper and Polaroid projects of preschools and summer camps. With ribbons, twills and beautiful, high-quality paper, crafters can put together gorgeous volumes that evoke happy memories.

- Hybrid crafting, in which creative types merge computer technology with traditional ideas, make professional-looking results without requiring Americans to pull out their glue guns and scissors. Scrapblog.com lets users create and send scrapbooks online.

- Craft kits provide another great gift. When people give kits, they provide more than a material object -; kits also provide entertainment and create potential bonding experiences. If a daughter wants a diary, give her a scrapbooking kit that will help her make her own. Building simple birdhouses can teach kids construction skills, while younger children might love to learn how to stamp out their names in fruit-scented ink.

- Creating holiday ornaments is another fun craft. For example, when a light bulb stops working, crafters can remove the filament, fill the bulb with tissue paper, paint the bulb and cover it with a veneer to make a pretty ornament. If the bulb breaks, the veneer and tissue paper will remain intact, making it a safe ornament for holiday decorating.

For more information about holiday crafts, visit www.craftplace.org.

"Article By: NewsUSA"