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No gift is more special than a gift that has been hand-made especially for you. With all the commercialism that has come to accompany Christmas, a hand-made gift is often a welcome surprise. The following are a few Christmas craft gift ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
*Painted glassware - You may choose any type of glassware you like that has a smooth enough surface on which to paint. Inexpensive glassware can often be found at discount and craft stores. Possible suggestions include wineglasses, ice cream/dessert dishes, mugs, and candy jars. You do not have to be an expert artist to paint a simple design on glass. Simply painting the names of the recipients and a basic design can look very nice. Make sure to use paint made for painting on glass that can be permanently set so as not to wash off. Follow the directions included with the paint. If you are painting on a clear glass item, an easy way to follow a pattern is by taping a design or wording on paper to the inside of the item with the design facing outward. From this, you may paint the design on the glass and then remove the paper guide.
*Photo frames - Relatives in particular enjoy receiving photos of family members, especially children. If you do not have professional photographs to give away, consider taking some outdoor photos of your family that would be suitable for framing. Reprints can be made inexpensively. To make the photos even more special, put them in a hand-made frame. This is a good project to get your children involved in, as they can pick out items to glue onto an inexpensive frame. Most any item can be attached to a frame using a glue gun. Choose something that is appropriate to the photo, if possible. For example, glue small seashells around a framed picture from your beach vacation.
*Painted towels - An elegant gift is a nice linen kitchen towel painted by you. This is a good stencil project that can be done in a short amount of time. Select a plain linen kitchen towel and a design. If you would like to use a stencil, make sure to use special stencil paints that can be used on fabric. Consider a simple design, such as a fleur de lis or holly leaves with berries. Gold or silver paint always adds a touch of class.
*Personalized Christmas tree ornament - Many people put up a Christmas tree every year. It is always nice to unpack those special ornaments each year and think about the people who gave them to you. You can help create special memories for your friends and family by making them personalized ornaments. A simple way to do this is to paint their names on plain Christmas bulb-type ornaments. Glass paints work well for this project. Remember to include the year on the ornament.
These are all simple ideas that are inexpensive and do not involve a lot of time, but will produce results that will be appreciated. Hopefully, these suggestions will spark ideas of your own for creating Christmas craft gifts.
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