Buying gifts for all your friends and family can be very expensive, but have you ever considered making your own inexpensive homemade gifts. You may think people will think you are being cheap but in reality most people love the fact you have put a bit of time and thought in to making them something. There are a lot of really simple ideas that can make really nice presents.

• Children’s Picture Calendar - Ideal for grandparents is a calendar made with picture of your kids. If not actual pictures then maybe things they have drawn themselves. You can print them off the computer and then take them to be bound and laminated at your local copier.

• Giant Cookie - We have all seen those massive cookies at the local shopping centre but they can be made very easily at home. Just make a large batch of cookie mix using a normal recipe. Then when it comes to cutting them out use a cake tin rather than a normal biscuit cooker.

• Personalised Recipe Book - Make copies of your own recipe cards or type up your own ideas on the computer. Then decorate them with some pictures suitable for the person you are making it for. Print them out and put them in plastic sleeves in a nice photo album. For a few pound you can have a really nice gift that any budding chef will love.

• Personalised Towels - Just buy a cheap set of white towels and add the initials of the recipient using a small piece of fabric. You can add some ribbon near the top and bottom of the towel too. These would cost a lot from a shop but won’t cost a fraction of that to make yourself.

• Gift Hamper - These are really expensive to buy but don’t have to cost the earth if you make your own. By a nice basket and fill it with things you know the recipient will like. You can stick to a specific theme such as chocolate or coffee or put in a variety if items.

Now you have got the idea you can probably come up with some ideas for your own inexpensive homemade gifts. Pick something personal to the recipient and spend a bit of time on it and they will like it much more than something bought from a shop.