Show your love with homemade gifts

For this holiday season, a gift for your friends and family doesn't have to be expensive. For some, homemade gifts are the best kind to receive. Not only will it cost less, but it'll show more love and effort in each one.

Marbled magnets

Items: Round glass beads ($2), loose magnets ($2), glue for glass ($5), scissors, magazines and paper cutouts. Make sure the magnets are the same size as the beads or smaller.

Prepare: Cut out letters, icons or phrases from magazines in small circles to fit under the glass bead. These can also be hand written, but be weary of the type of pen because the glue may cause the ink to run.

Create: Dab a tiny amount of glue on the top piece of the magazine, picture-side-up. Slowly press the glass bead on top to evenly spread the glue. Add another dab of glue onto the magnet. Press the glass bead with the cutout onto the magnet to evenly spread the glue. Let dry.

Pop-up cards

Items: A variety of colored construction paper, markers, scissors and glue. All items can be bought at a 99 cent store, or for a few dollars at any store.

Prepare: Choose up to three different colored pieces of construction paper. On one colored piece of paper, draw and color any character — like a snowman or phrase —to pop out of the card. Make sure the character is shorter than the length of the half-folded paper.

Create: Fold the second colored paper horizontally in half. Make two slits in the middle; two-inches apart and two-inches deep. Unfold the card and push out the paper, making it look like a little chair; crease the edge of the "chair." On one side of the "chair," glue the character. With the third colored paper, glue it to the outside of the card to cover the hole in the middle of the card. Decorate as desired.

Stuffed dolls

Items: A kind of soft cloth ($10), stuffing ($5), scissors, needle, thread, pencil and optional accessories, like buttons or ribbons. Depending on the length and type of cloth, the price will vary at the store. Gently-used articles of clothing, like old jeans and T-shirts, are also an option; the gift may hold more sentimental value.

Prepare: If the cloth has a pattern, fold it in half with the pattern on the inside. Sketch the shape of the character onto the cloth (like a gingerbread person). Note that when completed, the doll will be smaller than the sketch.

Create: Cut out half an inch above the shape sketched on the cloth; there should be two similarly-shaped pieces of cloth. Sew by hand (or sewing machine) along the sketch and leave a one-inch opening unstitched at the bottom, like in the foot. The skin will now be turned inside-out through the opening; use the pencil to push out the corners and edges of the doll. Stuff the doll evenly. While pushing in the stuff with a finger, sew the opening closed. Sew any accessories, like button-eyes to the doll.

Book clock

Items: A hard cover book ($5), screwdriver (or drill), a very sharp knife and clock pieces ($6). Choose your receivers favorite book title. Leaving the last chapter untouched and writing a note in last pages can be a nice touch.

Prepare: Mark the center of the front cover where the hands of the clock will be. Measure the size of the clock piece's battery and trace onto the first page of the book where it will be hallowed out.

Create: Begin to cut into the pages. Cut a little more extra space around the battery pack's outline to fit it more comfortably. Warning: hollowing out the book will take some time. Once the hole is completed, drill it into the cover of the book, where it is marked to insert the clock hands; make sure to not make the hole too loose. Add the battery and make sure the book closes correctly. Stick the numbers of clock onto the cover as desired. The book should be able to stand on its own, but a bookstand is optional.

Lyric storybook

Items: A blank-paged book ($5), pencils, markers and any song with lyrics desired. Choose a song that holds a lot of meaning or tells a story that can be easily drawn. If you can, make your receiver the main character of the story.

Prepare: Plan out how the lyrics of the song will be broken up. Decide what images will be drawn in the book.

Create: Write everything out with a pencil. Keep the lyrics to a minimum to allow larger pictures; pages should resemble a children's storybook. Trace the pencil with a marker and color your drawings.