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Community Corner

Yes, You Can Make a D.I.Y. Holiday

Don't have a lot of money to spend this year? Here's a roundup of the best, kid-tested, mom approved, do-it-yourself crafts, decorations and gifts for this holiday season.

The holidays are a time of joy, a time of cheer—and, yes, a time for spending lots and lots of money and creating lots of waste.

Here's the thing—you don't have to forgo all of your good and green intentions just because the holiday season has arrived. There are plenty of ways you can get crafty and reduce, reuse, recycle and repurpose all winter long.

Whether your goal is to save money, cut back on waste or just get your creative juices flowing, I've compiled a list of my absolute favorite holiday DIYs. Whatever your goal, there is something here for everyone. From super-easy crafts for the kids to inexpensive, simple, do-it-yourself holiday gift ideas, these easy holiday tutorials are not to be missed.  

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There’s something here to help everyone find just what they are looking for and more this holiday season.

Baby Food Jar Menorah from The Joy of a Life Lived Creatively. Repurposing some items found in nature and recycling some old glass jars creates a beautiful holiday treasure that can be used for years to come.

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Create an adorable Christmas Choir via Planet Forward. Repurpose old toilet paper and paper towel rolls to create an adorable and festive craft and decoration.

Fun and easy to make and a great gift besides, these colorful Christmas tree crayons are easy as can be, thanks to ValSoCal. 

Thanks to the idea from Junk Mail Gems, you can turn this year's holiday greeting cards into next year's decorative holiday gift tags. This saves waste and money in one easy step. 

Show your holiday spirit with this cute Christmas craft that doubles as a fun gift. These Christmas ornaments take old, scratched CDs that you would otherwise throw away and breathes new life into them thanks to Inspiration Tips and Tutorials. 

An old jar, some construction paper and a piece of festive fabric are all it takes to create a fun and memorable holiday gift that is sure to be treasured by the receiver. The Princess and the Tot shows resourcefulness and creativity while teaching kids about caring for others and gratitude during the holiday season.

Good not just at the holidays but any time of year, the T-shirt pillow has always been one of my favorite DIY gift ideas. Both clever and personal, it makes good use of existing materials, and is simple for anyone to make. This idea from Ruffles and Stuff, makes it seem so easy. 

One of the prettiest and easiest DIY holiday gifts I have ever tried myself are teacup candles. So pretty and personal, these are sure to be a hit. And with The Cents'able Shoppin's easy how-to, you can't go wrong. 

All of these ideas are simple and creative and involve little time and little money. There are literally thousands of great DIY crafts, gifts and decorating projects available for you to try this holiday season. And here are a few more that deserved honorable mentions:

Bottle Cap Snowman Ornaments from Shannon Makes Stuff
Reindeer Root Beer from Nap Time Crafters
Holiday Handprint Cards from Mom Ready
Cereal Box Advent Calendar from Fun to be Frugal
Repurposed Sweater Coffee Sleeve from Every Nothing Wonderful 
Reindeer Thumbprint Ornaments from Little Bit Funky

So, now that I've rounded them all up for you, go forth and be frugal, be creative, and be green this holiday season. 

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