Channel your craftier side to create DIY gifts

Updated Tue. Nov. 18 2008 7:17 AM ET

Carla Lucchetta, Special to CTV.ca

It's shaping up to be a belt-tightening holiday season and with that in mind, why not consider channeling your inner Martha to create some DIY gifts?

Crafting is a little like baking cookies -- it's easier to do when you're stocked up on the right ingredients. So, before you begin make sure you have the following supplies on hand. You can pick them up at any home improvement, craft supply or dollar store.

• Great pair of fabric scissors
• Great pair of all-purpose scissors
• Glue gun and glue sticks
• Cordless power drill, with a selection of drill bits
• Weld bond glue
• Ribbon - 1" width is a great all-purpose size and can be cut it down if need be
• Pretty paper, Christmas or all-purpose
• Brown 'craft' paper

Wendy Russell, (www.wendyrussell.com) a Vancouver crafting expert known for her affordable hand-crafted home décor and gift ideas offers up some easy projects that are perfect solutions for those on your holiday list.

Russell says, "There's nothing quite like seeing the joy on someone's face when you give them a gift you made yourself. My friend Heather calls it 'a forever gift,' and I agree." Here are a handful of her suggestions.

FOR MOM - SLATE CHEESE PLATE

Supplies:

• 12" X 12" (30 cm X 30 cm) black slate tile
  
• Box of white chalk (and pretty ribbon to tie it to the slate)
• Felt pads with adhesive (approx 1" in diameter)

Instructions:

1. Optional: To avoid the cheese staining the slate, have your local slate store apply a food-safe solvent or do-it-yourself. If you don't mind a few stains, skip this step.
2. Wash slate with gentle soap and water before serving food on it. (Don't put slate in the dishwasher.)
3. Attach felt pads to bottom of slate on all 4 corners.
4. Tie the box of chalk to the slate with pretty ribbon.

TIP: Tell mom she can write directly on the slate, indicating the type of cheeses she's serving.

COST: Under $10

FOR DAD - KNIFE BLOCK

Supplies:

• tall square or rectangle wood vase
  
• bamboo skewers
• white sand

1. Pour white sand into the bottom of the vase, so approximately 2 inches of the vase is filled with sand.
2. Insert the bamboo skewers into the vase (with the sharp pointed end down in the sand), packing them very tightly together.

TIP: Use a vase you already have in the house to give as the vessel for this gift. Buy the bamboo skewers at the dollar store, and the white sand from the craft supply or home improvement store.

COST: $10 for the sand and bamboo skewers

FOR CHILD - BOARD GAME CLOCK

Supplies:

• Kid's board game or puzzle box (new or vintage)
  
• Cordless power drill
• Large drill bit
• Clock mechanism

1. Choose a spot on the front of the board game where you'd like the hands of your clock to be, and use the cordless drill to make a hole large enough to fit the post of the clock mechanism through it.
2. Assemble the clock mechanism according to the manufacturer's instructions. The 'clock' can be hung on the wall using Velcro, or remove the bottom of the game box and hang it by a nail on the wall.

TIP: Clock mechanisms can be purchased at craft stores and Lee Valley also carries them. You may already have a board game or puzzle box at home you can use. If not, try second hand stores - a great source for vintage.

COST: $7 (for the clock mechanism)

FOR BOYFRIEND - CUFFLINKS

Supplies:

• 3/8" (9.6 mm) Cuff link pads
  
• Game pieces, old typewriter keys or computer keyboard keys
• jewelry/metal glue
• disposable latex gloves

1. Glue game pieces, old typewriter or computer keyboard keys to cuff links or earring posts using the recipient's initials. Let dry according to instructions on glue package.

TIP: Pick up cuff link pads and jewelry glue at craft stores or specialty jewelry supply stores. You may already have an old typewriter, keyboard or Scrabble game at home.

COST: $7 (for the glue & cuff link pads)

FOR CO-WORKER or "SECRET SANTA" - CHRISTMAS CRACKER GIFT

Supplies:

• Toilet paper tube
  
• Decorative paper (crepe paper works well)
• Optional: Decorative corrugated cardboard (or other heavy paper)
• Ribbon
• Sprig of real or faux holly
• Hot glue gun

1. Cover the toilet paper tube in decorative paper, leaving two to three inches of excess on each end. Optional: Wrap a 2 inch strip of the decorative corrugated cardboard around the center of the tube, and hot glue it together with the seam at the back.
2. Tie a piece of ribbon into a bow at the center of the tube, and tuck in a sprig of holly.

3. Insert gift inside tube. It could be individually wrapped chocolates, a lip gloss, a favourite photo of you and the recipient, or anything small that has meaning to the giftee.

4. Tie each end of the paper with ribbon.

COST: Free if you already have the supplies on hand, plus the cost of the gift inside! Pick up faux holly at a dollar store.