Thursday, December 8, 2011

How to Be a Crafty Claus

By Ashley Ricci Shaffer, Social Media Director

In light of the holiday season, many of us are frantically searching for the best deals for gifts. However, sometimes the best deals might not be the ones you find during sales in-store or online. Sometimes, the best deals and gifts come from thrift stores, eBay or even are homemade. According to the American Research Group, Inc., shoppers across the U.S. plan to spend 2 percent less this holiday season than they did last year, 37 percent of which will be purchased online. Interested in how holiday spending is broken down? Check out this infograph.

With the the rising popularity of Cyber Monday, as well as the array of websites you can buy gifts from, the possibilities for holiday shopping seem endless. But where does one begin with so many options?

I have adopted the following strategies for finding original gifts for my loved ones, all of which I recommend as you brave this holiday season.

Do Your Homework!

Sometimes gifts aren’t always things that can be used or worn on a regular basis. Sometimes the right gift is about nostalgia, finding that special something that no one else could think of.

Last year for Christmas I decided to get my dad something different. I remembered he read Batman comics as a kid, so I went down to the local comic book store and found two Batman comics from the year he was born and framed them. He was so excited to see something from his childhood he hung them up in his office.

Be Crafty and Creative

On a tight budget? You can still spread holiday cheer by making a gift.

For example, maybe you have a mirror with paint chipping on the frame. To spruce up the mirror and turn it into a gift for say, your grandparents, find photos of you and your siblings and cousins (all the grand kids) and shrink them down then super glue them to the frame of the mirror. If you don’t have a photo printer, Walgreens is a great resource and does reasonably cheap photo prints.

If you don’t think you’re crafty enough, even the simple act of baking and decorating cookies can brighten the receiver’s day, and, of course, fill their tummy with joy.

For more homemade gift ideas, check out these websites:

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