The news is rife with stories of the sour economy and upcoming "lean" Christmas. As I hustled and bustled with the best of them at 6 a.m. at Toys ‘R' Us for the after-Thanksgiving sales, I took stock of the situation. Judging by the carts and carts laden with gifts, a lean Christmas might mean 15 toys per child under the tree instead of 30.

Painful indeed.

My children and I are reading "Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

I know, I know. We all pine for a simpler time, but imagine this scenario from Christmas morning, when the children found their gifts:



"In each stocking there was a pair of bright red mittens, and there was a long, flat stick of red-and-white-striped peppermint candy, all beautifully notched along each side.

"They were all so happy they could hardly speak. They just looked with shining eyes at those lovely Christmas presents."

It's an excerpt that causes me to shift uncomfortably. Would my kids look with shining eyes if they received such presents on Christmas morning? Well, maybe, but then they'd want to know where the rest of Christmas had run off to. However, I'm not sure it has to be that way.

What if we shift our paradigm, and try to avoid the stores this holiday season? Perhaps this is the year to go back to some simple, handmade goodness. Think, just think what it would be like if we spent the month of December knitting and writing stories and perhaps editing a family movie instead of hobnobbing with shoppers cramming the stores. What if we pulled our children into the gift-making as well, encouraging them to hand-make presents for family members and friends?

Of course, we can't avoid the stores entirely, but ... what if we spent just a few more evenings in the glow of the Christmas tree rather than the glow of fluorescent lights at the department stores? In the end we would all save money and bring away a bit more of the gift-giving spirit. The great thing about a handmade gift is that you think about the person you're giving to the entire time you're making it. Love is woven into every stitch and every minute.

A few years back, a friend told me about her family's Christmas rule: Each child gets three presents, just as Christ received three gifts at his birth. I immediately latched on to the idea, more to keep myself in check than anything else. Each Christmas I try to make at least one of those three presents myself. And here I will be completely honest: It is not usually the gift that gets the biggest "wow" on Christmas morning. It is most often cast aside in favor of the treats and flashier toys. However, those handmade gifts have longevity on their side. Long after the other presents have been eaten or lost in the shadowy corner of the toy box, my handmade gifts are cradled, snuggled and played with.

"My mom made this for me," I hear my kids remark.

Yep, I sure did.

We have so much information, and so many materials at our fingertips. Making something has never been easier. There are countless ideas for handmade gifts, and there are enough ideas for those of us unable to operate a sewing machine or properly hold a paintbrush. (I know, because an uncrafty curse was cast upon me at birth, and I've never been able to shake it.) Presents don't have to look as if they were duct-taped together, though in the end, that, too, can be a good option. Below are a few ideas for various ages:

For kids:

• Homemade blankets
• Knit stocking cap and scarf
• A compilation of favorite music on a CD, or a home movie edited with fun special effects and captions
• A picture album
• A homemade book about the child or his/her favorite subject
• A hooded towel for bath time
• A stenciled shirt, hat, or bag
• A clay pot, or a painted or stained wooden ornament
• A "kit" filled with recycled art, paper clips, food coloring, rubber bands, and other things found lying around the house. 
• Sock puppets or beanbags
• Hand-poured chocolates, suckers, or candies in a decorative jar
  

For teenagers and college students:

• A personalized blanket
• A hat, scarf, or mittens
• A hand-sewn or knitted purse, bag, or satchel
• Homemade jewelry
• A compilation of favorite songs on a CD, or playlist ready to download to an iPod
• A finished scrapbook of childhood memories
• A collection of favorite home recipes
• A book of favorite scriptures, talks, poems, or quotations
  

For adults:

• A knit hat, scarf, or mittens
• A hand-sewn or knitted purse or apron
• A compilation of memories, tributes, and pictures bound together in a book
• Handmade jewelry
• Old VHS tapes converted into digital/DVD format
• A finished picture album
• A handmade or stained wooden ornament
• A cross-stitch or embroidered design
• Hand-decorated stationery or wrapping paper
• Hand-bound journal or book
  

Other great handmade ideas can be found at:
familyfun.go.com

familycrafts.about.com

www.amazingmoms.com

fun.familyeducation.com

www.budget101.com

The possibilities for handmade giving are numerous. Even if we can't live in a simpler time, we can weave some of that bygone era into a memorable Christmas season.