Presents to show you care without breaking the bank

Spending your time being creative can be more rewarding for you and your loved ones. Helen Dewdney suggests some ideas

Many people believe that the best presents are those that are homemade. Often they can be cheaper, too. So how can you show that you care without spending a fortune this Christmas?

Create your own beauty products

Sustainable declutterer Janine McDonald says: “Make your own body scrubs. These also moisturise, so no need to clutter the bathroom cabinet with different lotions and potions. With your fingers, combine 32g of solid coconut oil and 132g of sugar, add 20 drops of therapeutic grade essential oil and mix well. Store in a clean, glass jar with a good sealed lid.”

The BBC Good Food website’s recipe for making bath bombs is definitely worth checking out, too.

Epsom salts can be used in a bath to help with relaxation and tackling aches and pains, while some say Himalayan salts can help with various skin conditions. Mix these with rose petals or dried flowers and an essential oil.

Photos, pictures and paint

Print out photos of friends and family taken throughout the year. You can then make these into a homemade scrapbook, photo book or calendar.

Meanwhile, children can draw a picture of themselves and make the frame by sticking pasta to the card or paper and painting it.

Or you can make bookmarks from card, using stamps or with pictures stuck on, hole-punched and a ribbon attached.

Go natural

Catherine Nix is the founder of My Scented Home, which runs dried flower workshops. One of her suggestions is making garlands. Dry some orange slices in a dehumidifier or put them on a cooling rack and leave in a warm dry place for one to two weeks. Then make holes through some cinnamon sticks. Thread the cinnamon and orange slices on to string. Tie a loop at both ends.

Alternatively, make pot pourri. Take some dried rose buds and petals and some dried loose lavender. Mix together in equal quantities. Add a few drops of lavender and/or rose fragrance oil and then place in an organza bag or a glass container.

Make wreaths (forage and tie finds together on a grapevine wreath from a hobby store) and bouquets (hang up flowers such as roses and gypsophila for two to three weeks, then arrange and tie with a ribbon bow).

Gift baskets

You can make a variety of gift baskets and hampers using bought or recycled baskets or decorated boxes. Use sites such as Latest Free Stuff and Latest Deals for free and discounted items or just fill up with their favourite foods.