Christmas doesn't need to cost the Earth - if you're crafty
Katharine Tatum
20 December 2011
Time is money, as the saying goes, but in this difficult economic climate some of us are finding time easier to come by. So why not put yours to good use and save a few quid this Christmas?
You'll have the bonus of knowing that your gifts are completely unique.
There are lots of websites bursting with free patterns if you can knit or sew: you could try Knitting Pattern Central or Freeneedle. Yarn and cloth can be surprisingly expensive - so consider reusing fabrics from discarded clothes, or unravelling an old sweater to save extra cash. Some charity shops sell wool and fabric too.
Keen cooks can whip up all manner of delicious goodies. Homemade biscuits make ideal presents for colleagues or neighbours - they'll cost a fraction of the price of a posh box of chocolates and you'll avoid all the extra packaging.
If this is all sounding far too difficult and time consuming you could try making these dried orange Christmas ornaments. They're really simple to make and smell divine.
Don't restrict your craftiness to presents - be inventive with your wrapping too. Magazines with lots of pictures make great wrapping for small gifts. For larger presents you could try out-of-date maps or discarded posters. Once you get going, any brightly coloured scraps can be put to good use - the only limit is your imagination.
Katharine Tatum, Volunteer, Communications & Media team
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