Decorative Crackers: Crackers like this can be used for almost any occasion, but are most commonly used as a decoration on a Christmas table. My family has everyone open their cracker before eating, and then whoever keeps the silly tissue paper hat on the longest ‘wins.’ These decorations can be pretty expensive, so making your own not only saves you some cash, but also allows you to personalize!

What you’ll need: Paper towel rolls cut in half (or toilet paper rolls), tape, craft snaps, candy, tissue paper crowns, small toys/tools (bouncy balls, laser pointer, earbuds, pens, tweezers, or USBs are a few ideas), a funny joke/fortune/anecdote, decorative paper, and ribbon.

Make it: Place the craft snap inside the paper roll and tape it in place. Take all your items (candy, toys, tools, etc.) and fill the roll with everything you can (careful not to over stuff it). Make sure you put the things that can easily tear in the roll safely. Cut your decorative paper so that it completely covers the roll with a small overlap and is about 2-3 inches longer than the roll. Tape the paper around the roll so that you have a long tube of decorative paper. Finally, tie the ribbon around the excess paper at the ends of the rolls. You can curl the ribbon or tie a bow.

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DIY Homemade Body Care gifts

Christmas shopping can also wreak havoc on a student budget, but this DIY body care bundle can help you give gifts that people will use and keep you from breaking the bank.

Body Scrub: This body scrub is simple, doesn’t need to be refrigerated, and can be customized to suit anyone’s tastes.

What you’ll need:

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup honey

1 cup olive oil

Option: 10-15 drops of your favourite essential oil, or substitute the olive oil for coconut oil and enjoy the natural coconut scent.

Combine all of the ingredients in a container or jar. Mix together well before use. Apply liberally and gently rub into skin to exfoliate.

Face Mask: This face mask will leave the user’s face feeling fresh and invigorated and can be tailored to match the other items in your bundle.

What you’ll need:

1 cup honey

1 cup coconut oil

Option: Add ¼ cup lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, particularly if you have oily or combination skin. You can also add ¾ cup crushed activated charcoal and/or 10-15 drops of your favourite essential oil.

Combine all ingredients in a container or jar. Mix before use. Apply a thin layer to face. Leave on for 5-10 minutes, wash off with water and pat dry.

Bath Bomb: There is nothing better than a relaxing bath to help the recipient of this gift unwind.

What you’ll need:

Bath bomb mold

1 cup baking soda

½ cup epsom salts

½ cup citric acid

1 tsp. water

3 tsp. olive oil

Option: Add 10-15 drops of your favourite essential oil and food colouring (your choice of colour).

Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Slowly add wet ingredients to dry ingredients while mixing. Spoon mixture into mold and pack tightly. Let dry. Remove from mold. To use, just add to water.

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Photography by Marina Shenfield.