As I write this, it’s early February and I’m still feeling a bit of the sting in my wallet from Christmas shopping. Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. And the budget-busting seasons of gift giving for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduations and weddings looms in the not-so-distant future.

This year, many families are looking for more creative, less costly ways to give gifts to their family and friends. You won’t have to enroll in one of your local pottery programs to create an artistic gift for a girlfriend, mom or sister. There are many simple projects that can be made with objects around the house or for just a few dollars.

Thinking of painting a personalized pot for her? You don’t have to own pottery wheel clay to do so. For a few dollars you can purchase a pot from your local nursery or discount store, and then paint it with a special message or a favorite friendship-themed quote or song lyric. You can also tuck in packets of seeds, gardening tools or gardening gloves for a few dollars at your local discount store. Gardening fans will also appreciate garden signs made from small pieces or blocks of wood, attached to a wooden or metal stake, and then painted and stenciled with favorite sayings, quotes or something fun like, “Mom’s Garden.”

If you’re not the pottery or gardening type, consider found objects for extraordinary gift bouquets. Look in your backyard. Stick bouquets are the latest decorating craze. Select a bunch of sticks that will fit in a cute vase or other container you’ve chosen. You can leave them au natural, or paint them with metallic spray paint. Adorn these bouquets with small pinecones painted in metallic colors, dipped in glue and then dipped in glitter. You can use a short string of white Christmas lights, or even inexpensive bows, beads, buttons, ribbon and other found objects around your home or purchased for a few dollars. Have an earring that lost its mate? Turn it into an ornament for your stick bouquet. You can create themed stick bouquets for baby showers, Mother’s Day, or a friend’s birthday. Choose or re-purpose a fun vase or container, or paint one that you buy at Goodwill or consignment shop.

Photographs make great gifts for girlfriends, too. Select a favorite photo of you and your friend. Buy an inexpensive photo frame at a discount store, and then get out your paint and hot glue gun. Add buttons, shells, beads or other bawbles to the frame once you’ve painted it in the color of your choice.

If you like to bake or cook, and the person you’re shopping for is a busy woman, consider meal coupons for homemade meals you’ll provide not only now, but throughout the year for her and her family. This will be the gift that keeps on giving each time the Meatloaf Fairy comes to call!

She’d also love the gift of a memory jar with three hundred and sixty-five days of happy memories. To create a memory jar you will need to start asking friends and family for happy memories of your loved one a few months ahead of time. Then when you have compiled enough memories for the jar simply write them out on business card-sized pieces of paper and put them in a box with the simple instructions for her to open one memory every day.

Thoughtful gifts can be affordable gifts, too. A great imagination and a quick trip to your local arts and crafts supply store or discount store is all you need to get started on meaningful handmade gifts.

Tags: affordable gift giving for her, affordable gifts, Affordable living, artistic gift, garden signs, gift giving, homemade meals, memory jar, Mother's Day, simple projects, stick bouquet, stick bouquets, thoughtful gifts