Some Americans might choose to make
gifts for their loved ones, not only to avoid paying designer prices, but also to imbue their gifts
with special meaning.

"Creating personalized, handcrafted gifts for friends and family
members have been emerging trends over the past few years," says Craft & Hobby Association CEO
Steve Berger. "Hand crafted gifts are a great way to save money and the perfect way to give truly
meaningful and unique gifts this holiday season."

Homemade gifts do not have to mean
cardboard cut-outs and glue globs -; many crafters make one-of-a-kind items that could be sold in
stores. Here are some handmade gift ideas from the Craft & Hobby Association:

- Some
crafters find that they can replicate high-end designer jewelry at home. Creativity, Inc. (www.creativityinc.com)
supplies ideas and detailed instructions to create stunning necklaces, earrings and bracelets at
home. With a few supplies and a pair of pliers, even inexperienced designers can give sophisticated
seashell pendants and coral candelabra earrings to their loved ones.

- Scrapbooking long
ago surpassed the yarn, construction paper and Polaroid projects of preschools and summer camps.
With ribbons, twills and beautiful, high-quality paper, crafters can put together gorgeous volumes
that evoke happy memories.

- Hybrid crafting, in which creative types merge computer
technology with traditional ideas, make professional-looking results without requiring Americans to
pull out their glue guns and scissors. Scrapblog.com lets users create and send scrapbooks
online.

- Craft kits provide another great gift. When people give kits, they provide more
than a material object -; kits also provide entertainment and create potential bonding experiences.
If a daughter wants a diary, give her a scrapbooking kit that will help her make her own. Building
simple birdhouses can teach kids construction skills, while younger children might love to learn
how to stamp out their names in fruit-scented ink.

- Creating holiday ornaments is another
fun craft. For example, when a light bulb stops working, crafters can remove the filament, fill the
bulb with tissue paper, paint the bulb and cover it with a veneer to make a pretty ornament. If
the bulb breaks, the veneer and tissue paper will remain intact, making it a safe ornament for
holiday decorating.

For more information about holiday crafts, visit www.craftplace.org.