So, we're in a recession and we have a tight hold of our money and an unwillingness to let go of it, so how do we still spoil the people we love in the season of giving, excess and extravagance? The key is to replacing cost with hard work and making our own homemade gifts to give away. It takes a little longer, but the satisfaction of giving away a present that will really be appreciated for the thought that went into making it.
Best of all you can batch produce one craft and you have the control to make everyone their own favourite colour in what you have made, and add any extra personalization. When all wrapped up with lovely hand printed wrapping paper, it'll make your Christmases if anything, more special.

1. Homemade Lipgloss

This lovely delicate tutorial from Torie Jayne is for how to make strawberry sparkle lip gloss, the perfect gift for Christmas day to glam up your party look. The colour is added to this mix with lipstick shavings, so you can make it any colour you can find to flatter your friends. Try adding different scents and colours of glitter for some really unique make-up you can't find on the high street.

2. Painted Tote Bags

Are you a dab hand with a paint brush? Then you can create this present from Amusing no problem. Even if you're not great at sewing nothing can be much easier to make than a tote bag. Just grab some fabric paint, you can purchase festive glitter paints and metallics from dylon now, and get creative. Anything from a simple graphic in the centre to a work of art can look good, and canvas fabric is super easy to paint on to.

3.Handmade Vintage Bookmarks

For the bookworm in your life look to The Vintage Lemon for a beautiful tutorial on how to make a bookmark that will last and always look lovely. Help them throw away the crumpled piece of paper they have been using, and save the corners of the classic book from being folded, you can churn out an impressive amount of these during a night in by the fire, so they're a great simple gift to keep in for any unexpected visitors.

4. DIY Coasters

Ok, this tutorial was designed for wedding favours but surely coasters are a great gift idea when drinks are one of the biggest parts of christmas, i'm not just talking about tipples, who could say no to these coasters made from your favourite fabric, wrapped up in a hamper with a beautiful hot chocolate mug and some handmade biscuits? You can find the How-to at Bayside Bride.

5. Cup Cozies

Keep your mittens warm but your hands protected from the burns of toastie hot drinks with these woolen cup cozies, they're a great accessory for the winter and would make a great accompaniment to the increasingly popular ceramic take away cups. Add charms or pom-pom trimming for a really festive look. The tutorial is from Simply Notable.

The holidays are creeping in as quickly as the cold weather, and it seems November is the month when everyone panics and realises Christmas is on their doorstep. Stay a step ahead of everyone and getting planning with these recipes for some pretty Christmas party canapes. You can add something special to a Christmas buffet in no time, and some of these recipes can be made in advance and stored. When making biscuits a top tip is to make the dough and then freeze it; dough keeps very well frozen. Also chocolate bark is great to keep in your fridge for ages, and can be quickly wrapped up in cellophane for a gift for an impromptu guest.

These Christmas tree meringues are perfect bite-size nibbles from Penguin Says Feed Me, piping is difficult but if you get shiny peaks from your meringue you can easily get the right shape with the right piping tip, just remember to allow room for the mixture to settle and spread out a little. It really helps if you draw 2cm circles on your baking paper as a guide. The sprinkles may sometimes be difficult to source but eBay is an excellent place to find baking decorations.

If you're literally a sucker for cute things, these Snow Man Cake Pops from We Choose Organic are perfect. A great treat for kids on chirsmas day, these pops are filled with an oreo and cream cheese mixture and dipped in white chocolate. Remember that when you form the snowmen shapes out of the mixture you need to pop them in the fridge for ten minutes so they don't fall apart when you cover them in chocolate. You need a delicate hand with this recipe as well to paint on the little eyes and mouth!

These Christmas Tree Cupcakes featured on Babble.com look extremely technical but they're actually quite simple! The snowy tree peaks are frosting covered tips from ice cream cones. You can use any cupcake recipe but for something Christmas use a red velvet cupcake recipe.

Finally make some Christmas Bark, as featured on Feasts and Fotos. Chocolate bark screams Christmas, especially with the flavours of fruits and nuts and dark chocolate. It's perfect served with a cup of hot chocolate on Christmas eve night.