Hobby Ideas

Humans are generous by nature and we all love giving someone a present. After all it makes us feel good! But doing so can often cause the gift giver a lot of grief and tension especially if the cost of the present is something that can’t be afforded and ends up turning into long term debt.

You don’t need to let yourself get into this situation. You can look for cheaper alternatives with presents such as making your own gifts. It will be clear to everyone that you have put a lot more thought and love into a gift that you have spent a deal of time making, than giving an expensive gift that you have rushed into a store and quickly purchased. You never know, your treasured gift could become a family heirloom of the future.

So let us now explore some ideas of what sorts of gifts you can make for your friends and family.

1. Work out what you enjoy doing and what sorts of gifts you can make from your hobbies.

• Cooking – make cakes, chocolates, biscuits, ginger bread, chutneys, jams or write a recipe book with your traditional recipes
• Wood work – make a wine bottle holder, wooden toys, jewellery box, ornaments, puzzles
• Sewing – make clothes, towels / face washers, aprons, dolls, quilts
• Metal work – make candle holders, ornaments, pot stands, security grills
• Knitting / Crochet – make a jumper, coat hanger cover, toys, blanket, scarf
• Embroidery – beautifully decorate towels, face washers, pillow cases, handkerchiefs, bags, blankets
• Making things – make soaps, necklaces, jewellery, wind chimes, mosaic, candles, pottery
• Gardening – do someone a garden, set up a watering system, pot up some plants, create a herb bed
• Photography – make an album, do a collage, take a family portrait, make a calendar
• Flower arranging – give a bunch of hand picked wild flowers, make an arrangement

2. Think about your skills and what sorts of gifts you can give / make using your skills.

• Dressmaker – make a garment – dress, skirt, blouse, trousers, shirts, sorts, t-shirts
• Chef – you are only limited by your imagination as you can make all sorts of nice treats and goodies – fruit cakes, chocolates, liqueurs, pickles, preserves, oils, vinegars etc.
• Carpenter – craft something special – vase, side table, picture frame, book case
• Author – write a nice poem / story / book
• Artist / Painter – paint a picture / portrait of something special and meaningful
• Professional – offer some of your time to help in your field of work – teach, coach, educate, mentor
• Tradesman – offer some of your time to help in your field of work – fix, repair, build, renovate

3. Consider the person carefully and how you can really help them. As so many people are time poor, a great gift could be designing and giving a gift voucher with a promise for you to do something for them in the future. How about “I promise to” . . .

• Clean the house
• Wash the car
• Deliver breakfast in bed
• Weed the garden
• Groom the pets
• Wash the dishes
• Cook a special dinner
• Give a massage
• Mow the lawn

How about making a voucher booklet and designing a number of these gift vouchers and stapling them into a special booklet? Redeem this voucher for . . . You can use your imagination with what you write on your vouchers. You can promise to do something for a month, every weekend, or just once.

4. Explore the internet as there are several make your own gifts sites that will give you inspiration and ideas. Use your favourite search engine and put in key words such as:

• Homemade gifts
• Homemade gifts for him / her / boyfriend / kids / mum / grandpa
• Making gifts ideas
• Making gifts for men / kids / friends / baby / mum
• Make gifts
• Make a present ideas
• Make a present
• Make a present for your girlfriend / a friend / mum

Why put yourself under undue financial stress and worry when you don’t have to. Why don’t you start making your own gifts. Now is a wonderful time to begin as the festive season is just around the corner. Start to put a few items aside now so that you have all the ingredients / materials you require to make your gifts for your family / friends and save yourself a tremendous amount of money during this special time of year.

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