Homemade gag gifts are fun, easy and cheap. They just require a bit of imagination. Many gifts are exchanged during the holidays that make subtle statements about the giver or the recipient and might get a good laugh or two. Use your imagination you can come up with gag gifts that are easy to make with materials you already have around the house. Here are a few ideas for homemade gag gifts that I have either tried or run across over the years:

The Pet Rock

Pet Rocks were a fad back in the seventies. The concept is simple. Put a rock in a box with a bit of straw or shredded paper. Usually a rock about the size of a baseball works best. The rock is placed in a small, gift sized box with a note about its care, like instructions for feeding, watering and exercise. If you want to get more elaborate, include a collar and leash or paint the rock with dots or stripes to resemble an animal.

The Weather Forecaster Rock

My brother-in-law has a flat rock standing on its side outside of his garage. Someone dubbed it the weather forecaster and painted on it the following:

• If the rock is wet, it's raining.
• If the rock is hot and dry, it's nice out.
• If the rock is white, it's snowing.
• If the rock is tipped over, it's windy.

OK, so it's no the most sophisticated type of humor, but it still gets a laugh now and then.

Golfer's Hat

Golfers usually have some old golf balls around. Find some and cut them in half. You will need a clamp or vice to hold them, but they are relatively easy to cut with a small saw. Glue the halves to a golf cap. You might spray paint the whole thing to give it a consistent look. The idea is that it looks like the golfer has been hit by golf balls numerous time. Write a caption on the front of the cap like, "Please yell fore next time!". Likely you can come up with a catchier saying than that but you get the idea.

Gag Trophies

Old trophies are easy to find for only a few dollars at pawn shops or garage sales. Change the engraving by gluing over it with a piece of foil or magnetic backed plastic. Print the gag on the foil or magnet before attaching. The possibilities are endless - "First Prize for the Most Consecutive Hours of Watching Football" or "Second Prize for Procrastination", etc.

Jars Full of Air

The Henry Ford Museum in Detroit has a jar that supposedly contains Edison's last breath. This may be real but it is easy to come up with similar gags. Basically, the gift is just a jar filled with air. The gag is labelling it with someone's last breath (perhaps a bit morbid), a song from a concert, fresh air from the mountains, smog from the city, etc. Once again, the possibilities are endless. The same gag can be done with water from different places, left behind by celebrities, and so on.

If you don't want to make your own gag gift, it is quite likely you can by a jar of air or a golf ball used by someone famous. I haven't checked, but it is quite likely you can find similar things selling on eBay. It's up to you how far you want to go with a gag gift.