Now is the time to plan and decorate for the holidays. From adorning the Christmas tree, to taking a family photo for greeting cards, it can be a challenge to create a unique experience while staying on a budget.

You can, however, meet both these goals by taking a do-it-yourself approach.

The best part about doing it yourself is the memorable moments you spend with your loved ones. This is after all, the reason for the season. Also, as a family, you can create lasting gifts and keepsakes that set you apart from the crowd.

Save yourself a stressful, expensive day at the mall buying stocking stuffers and holiday décor, and plan a pre-holiday family get-together instead. By taking advantage of everybody’s crafting skills, you can create personalized ornaments and gifts made by the family, for the family.

Make sure you have plenty of craft supplies on hand that are appropriate for all ages. Provide glitter, paint, ribbon, fabric, popsicle sticks, crayons and paper — and get to work! You can either work without direction, creating ideas from scratch, or provide your guests with instructions for specific projects.

Decorating with pine cones and creating paper chain garlands from old magazines are a few ideas to get you started. And the terrific thing is these supplies are free!

For creative inspiration, there are a number of websites that provide step by step instructions for creating homemade holiday décor. Kids, grandparents, uncles, cousins, everybody can participate, no matter what their skill level.

This get-together can also double as a perfect photo opportunity. It’s easy to get a family portrait when you have everyone gathered in one place. And the holidays are the best time to share family photos with friends. Use these photos to create Christmas cards, ornaments and personalized bookmarks and notebooks.

Or create greeting cards and Christmas ornaments that are unique and crafty. There are several websites that can spin a unique twist on your photos so they really stand out in the sea of holiday greetings that adorn your family’s and friends’ refrigerators or your Christmas tree. For example, www.snapily.com gives your photographs 3D-depth and flip-book style animated effect (i.e., two images flip as you rotate the card back and forth) to convey emotion and humor. So don’t be afraid to plan something a little goofy for that photo shoot. (StatePoint)

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