You could always try making gifts at home and then ... hey! Wait a second! Did the suggestion of homemade gifts just make you roll your eyes? Even if you’re not a particularly artsy-craftsy person, please suspend your skepticism for just a second. The following ideas from MarthaStewart.com and other sources aren’t hard to do, and they’ll yield meaningful, memorable presents. Read on to find out how to delight your gift recipients and help your bottom line at the same time.";
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It’s not hard to make a big batch of cookies or fudge at home. Then all you have to do is dress those goodies up to look special. Try tying small pieces of ribbon around them or serving them up in little keepsake containers. You could either make the containers or buy them at a discount retailer, depending on your energy levels.";
TDY_10Tips_DIYGifts[i++] = new Array("","2. Break bread together","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Sections/TVNews/Today%20show/Today_Tech_Money/10Tips/_0810/081209%2010Tips_MarthaPhotos/ft_dec04msl06_xl.vmedium.jpg","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "MarthaStewart.com", "248", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
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Yummy quick breads also aren’t too challenging to make. They’re yeast-free and they don’t require kneading or rising. Other simple possibilities in this vein include muffins or cornbread. The trick is to wrap them up in a pretty way, and voila! A thoughtful, personalized present!";
TDY_10Tips_DIYGifts[i++] = new Array("","3. Give the gift of yourself","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
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What services could you offer up to someone in the coming year? Could you babysit, run errands, paint a deck, build a Web site, repair or detail a car, cook a gourmet dinner, pet-sit or house-sit during a vacation, do handyman work, give a massage or serve as someone’s personal shopper, to name just a few possibilities?
If so, make an eye-catching gift certificate for your services – and then don’t forget to follow up.";
TDY_10Tips_DIYGifts[i++] = new Array("","4. Pass your recipes along","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Sections/TVNews/Today%20show/Today_Tech_Money/10Tips/_0810/081209%2010Tips_MarthaPhotos/la101034_1204_opener_xl.vmedium.jpg","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "MarthaStewart.com", "247", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
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If you have a stash of favorite holiday or family recipes, why not collect them into attractive booklets and share them with people you care about? Recipes can be hand-copied into small, inexpensive notebooks or handwritten or printed onto 3-by-5 recipe cards. Just remove the flap from an envelope and tuck the cards inside. Then customize a cover for that collection using wrapping paper, a glue stick and a pretty label.";
TDY_10Tips_DIYGifts[i++] = new Array("","5. Spice things up","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Sections/TVNews/Today%20show/Today_Tech_Money/10Tips/_0810/081209%2010Tips_MarthaPhotos/living_spicesachets_p66_xl.vmedium.jpg","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "MarthaStewart.com", "248", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
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It’s easy to make mulling sachets, which are handy little no-sew bundles that contain spices to add to hot cider. You’ll need some cheesecloth and some ribbon, as well as spices including cinnamon sticks, star anise, cardamom pods, peppercorns and cloves. For step-by-step instructions, click here.";
TDY_10Tips_DIYGifts[i++] = new Array("","6. Light up the night","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Sections/TVNews/Today%20show/Today_Tech_Money/10Tips/_0810/081209%2010Tips_MarthaPhotos/la100435_1203_cardlight_xl.vmedium.jpg","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "MarthaStewart.com", "247", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
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You can make your own candles if you really know what you’re doing, or you can buy low-cost pillar candles at a discount store and then jazz them up with cinnamon sticks. Just attach the cinnamon sticks to the candles with a hot glue gun. Let each individual stick dry before placing a new one right next to it.";
TDY_10Tips_DIYGifts[i++] = new Array("","7. Capture some memories","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Sections/TVNews/Today%20show/Today_Tech_Money/10Tips/_0810/081209%2010Tips_MarthaPhotos/mld102723_0307_mantle_xl.vmedium.jpg","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "MarthaStewart.com", "248", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
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A simple gift that is both personalized and timeless is a framed photo of a special moment captured on camera. You can simply buy an attractive frame for just a few dollars if you shop around, or you can jazz up the most inexpensive of frames with fabric using mounting adhesive and fabric glue.";
TDY_10Tips_DIYGifts[i++] = new Array("","8. Make homemade bath salts","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Sections/TVNews/Today%20show/Today_Tech_Money/10Tips/_0810/081209%2010Tips_MarthaPhotos/gt04maymsl_bathsalts_xl.vmedium.jpg","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "MarthaStewart.com", "248", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
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It doesn’t get much easier than this. Just add several drops of an aromatic bath oil to about four cups of sea salt or kosher salt. Pour the mixture into pretty glass jars and give as gifts. Gift recipients can add a few spoonfuls of the salt to their baths.";
TDY_10Tips_DIYGifts[i++] = new Array("","9. Bead your heart out","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
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Even if you’ve never made beaded jewelry before, why not give it a try for the first time this year? You might get hooked!
For ideas, visit a beading store in your area or check out the possibilities with step-by-step instructions on Beadage.net. ";
TDY_10Tips_DIYGifts[i++] = new Array("","10. Have fun with T-shirts","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
TDY_10Tips_DIYGifts[i-1].body = "
You can go nuts decorating T-shirts with kids’ handprints, footprints, artwork, photos and funny expressions. One easy way to do this is with iron-on transfer sheets, which you can buy in office supply stores or in the home office sections of discount retailers.
For other suggestions about how to personalize a T-shirt for someone you love, click here."; // END editorial data