Recently I read Seven Christmas Gifts Mom Can Easily Make for Kids. I was really inspired by her ideas and love the idea of cutting down on some of the spending at Christmas. Whatever happened to a good old fashioned Christmas where it was more about time with the family? I love to make thoughtful gifts for my family members. Although I do not have kids, I do have a bunch of sibling, nieces, nephews, cousins, and more. Here are some great thoughtful and semi homemade gifts you can make for your family members that focus more on remembering why we celebrate Christmas.

First up is an art supply that I love making stuff with: air drying clay. This material is never-ending in the possibilities it provides. It really makes a wonderful handmade Christmas gift that will keep on giving. Air Drying clay can be purchased in large blocks at any art supply store. This year I intend to sit down with my two nieces and make as many clay Christmas ornaments as we can out of one block. We can give them to everyone in our family and they will have them for years to come!

hird, why not frame out something special someone already owns. Last year at Christmas I drew my brother's name for Christmas. I knew that he has our grandfather's American flag from his funeral. I also knew it was sitting in a drawer tucked safely away. I went and found a great triangular frame and gave it to him for Christmas. This way he could hang up his keepsake. This is also a great idea for football jerseys, old army jackets and almost anything you want to display. You don't have to pay someone to frame them for you. That really costs a lot of money. Instead, check out your local arts and craft store. You may be surprised at the number of usual frames they have for displaying your keepsakes.

Finally, why not make a family cook book? This is one gift you can make, have it photocopied, and then give it to every member of your family. They will cherish it forever. Be sure to use family favorites for the recipes. They don't have to be original to your family, just dishes you know everyone loves. You should also incorporate some family photos as well! Use you computer to make this family cookbook and you can save money. Photoshop, Microsoft Publisher, and any scrap booking program will work well. You can make page layouts that can be easily printed at home. Take the originals to Kinko's. They can photocopy them and even mount the into a spiral binder for a professional look.

These simple ideas all incorporate a mix of simple homemade touches that compliment the receiver's inertest or existing items. Paying special attention to someone else's interests does not have to cost an arm and a leg. Just keep your eyes open al year long. When a good idea for a gift pops into your head, then jot it down. Make some time to create these easy gifts throughout the year and you won't be overwhelmed when Christmas hits!

Air drying clay is a great gift for almost anyone of any age. Give a little of your time with it as well and take an afternoon to sit down, spend some time with someone, and make some beautiful!

Next up, why not turn a special memento into a home décor accessory or gift for your family member. I have some wine bottles left over from special dinners. I even have an empty wine bottle that was given to me as a gift a few years ago. The person who gave it to me bought it in a wine vineyard near their home. I am going to make it into a lamp for them this year. Very easy to do with a lamp kit and a glass drill bit. You can buy the lamp kit at any hardware store or even the arts and craft store. The glass drill bit can be bought at any hardware type store. Use a low watt chandelier bulb for a wine bottle lamp. You can also find very affordable small lamp shades at Target, Wal Mart, and even K Mart.