Gift giving should be filled with joy. Not a time when people feel overwhelmed and disappointed, because they can not afford to give store bought gifts. A homemade gift is often a priceless treasure that may have people remembering for decades to come. No more wandering aimlessly through obscure stores or web pages searching for gift as the hours tick down to zero.

With the economy being like it is this it the year for you to make the gifts you give;

• It's 1960 - Times were also hard! At "22" I had three babies. We were having a hard time getting by from one week to the next.

• I was very sad and depressed because we were not going to be able to give presents to our parents, and my niece and nephew. I knew my parents would understand and my brothers were having a hard time to, so I knew they were not expecting anything but a hug and our company. My niece & nephew were babies, so their gifts did not cost much.

Below are some of the gifts that I discovered can be made with little or no money:

1. Make Personalized Hand Made Gifts:

Example #1:

I did not know my in-laws very well at that time, so I thought I had to buy something special for them. On Christmas Eve I still had not been able to buy them anything. I thought & thought about what I could give to my in-laws, finally I came up with a few last minute ideas. I did not have a sewing machine at that time, so anything I sewed would have to be by hand. I dug thru my old fabric scrap box I came across a small piece of red organdy. I began to think of what I could make for Morene out of it. Then, I it came to me that my mother-in-law always wore aprons when she cooked.

• So I took newspaper, laid it out on the floor and cut out an apron pattern. It looked like it would work. Then I laid the paper pattern on the fabric and cut out the apron.

• I carefully hand sewed it together then embroidered a Christmas tree on it. It turned out to be very pretty and Christmassy.

Then I started to work on something for Harvey (father in law), I found some red and blue plaid fabric pieces, I thought he might like.

• I took a vest of my husbands suit and laid it out on the floor and cut a pattern out of paper about 1 ½ the size of my husbands vest.

• I used that pattern to cut out a vest for my father in law.

I worked on it almost all night, but by Christmas morning it was a very presentable vest.

Each year we had Christmas breakfast at my in laws and then they went with us to my parents for Christmas dinner. When we arrived at my in laws on Christmas morning, I put the gifts from us under the tree with the massive amount of gifts that were already there. For a few minutes I felt bad thinking how small our gifts were in comparison. But, I did not feel bad for long. After the children had opened all their gifts, it was our turn to open gifts. I handed Morene her gift and Harvey his.

When Morene opened hers she began to cry and then to hug me. Harvey opened his and immediately went in the other room and put it on.

• Till this day I have never seen Morene on Christmas that she did not have the apron on. She has kept it as her Christmas apron and it still looks new. She hand washes it and irons it each year, on the day after Christmas.

• She passed this last year at 94 yrs old now, but on her last Christmas she wore the apron I made her when she was only 60 yrs old (34yrs prior).

Harvey is also gone now. But, if he were here, he would have on his vest this Christmas Day.

Example #2:

My former daughter in law (Melissa) was only about 21, she made me a baby size quilt by hand. She embroidered a tree with branches and leaves on it. The grown children's Dad & I are the tree trunk. Each of our children are branches, and each of the grandchildren are the leaves. She embroidered all of their names and birth dates on the leaves. It is a Wonderful and Unforgettable gift. It hangs on my wall today. (I've had to add a few leaves.) :>)

Example #3

Shortly after my Dad passed away, my daughter in law (the same one) gave my mother a gift that she treasured for the rest of her life, and I treasure it now.

• She took pictures that she had, got some others from me, some from my brother's wife, and some other family members. She made copies on her computer of the pictures. She then made a Memory Book named "My Paw Paw".

• It has pictures of our family from when we were small kids (me and my two brothers') up thru all of the grand children and great grandchildren. A lot of the pictures were of the children or babies sitting in my Daddy's lap. It was and is a wonderful gift.

Homemade treats always make the perfect free gift. I like to make gift baskets or tins for my neighbors and friends.

• I make cookies and candy in large batches; usually stick to recipes that I know won't be a flop. Like sugar cookies (decorated), chocolate chip, and shortbread or butter cookies.

• The candy I make is normally fudge or divinity.

• I split the recipes up and package them in decorative tins, or put the treats on dollar store plastic platters and wrap them with colored plastic wrap, and tie the top with ribbon.

People you give these gifts to will really appreciate them. I lot of women work and do not have time for baking homemade goodies.

When you give these free treats, the receivers will be thrilled. Whether they are family, friends, neighbors, your mailman (woman), they will love treats for a gift. The candy and cookies are probably much more precious to them than any gifts that you could afford to buy. PS: If some of them are diabetic, be sure you make diabetic treats...

Babysitting:

• Give your friends or the neighbor the night off. Make them a Christmas card with an offer to keep their children for a night at your house.

• A night of romance and relaxation for them is a wonderful Christmas gift.

Run Errands for Friends, Family, or Neighbors:

• Do you have an elderly neighbor, or just a friend with a very busy schedule?

• Make them a card that entitles them to impose on you to do their shopping, doctor visits, or whatever else needs done.

Make Crafts:

I have a grand daughter in law (Amber) who crochets knits, sews, etc. She is always making something for somebody.

• Any thing she makes is a wonderful gift; all she has to do is add a homemade card with our new great granddaughter's picture on it and she's made someone happy.

• Are you good at a certain craft? Make your loved ones a free gift using the hobby that you are good at. Just add a card you've made on your computer.

A homemade gift that they can keep forever means so much. When you put your time into a gift, your receiver does not think of the gift as free. That is a gift of love.

Get freebies from the Internet:

1. On my site Perfect Gift on Line and many-many other sites, there are free items that anyone who uses a computer would like to have.

• One example is the free easynoter available on my site. It is like a Day-Timer for your computer.

• You could download the free one to your computer; download the free gift skin generator to your computer as well.

• Then pick out a new gift skin (cover) and put it on your gift for free.

• Then send your completed gift by email, with a card to someone who is far away.

• The new skin can be wrapped in ribbon with a tag from you. All for free.

These are just a few gifts that you can give; all come from the heart and are filled with love. Chances are your friends or family member doesn't need what you could afford to buy for them anyway. What you could buy may not fit them, maybe they already have the item, or as my Grandson said to me "We don't have room for it!" and they may just have to exchange what you bought for them.