Five Easiest - and Cheesiest - Christmas Gifts to Make With the Kids

<h4><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/archive/2008/12/17/five-easiest-and-cheesiest-christmas-gifts-to-make-with-the-kids.aspx">Posted by Jeanne Sager</a><br></h4> <p><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/2008/12/16-22/BottleCapButtons.jpg"><img src="http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/2008/12/16-22/BottleCapButtons.jpg" alt="" align="right" border="0" width="185" height="186" hspace="4"></a> Let&#39;s face it, even when the economic picture is rosy, Christmas with the kids is expensive. There&#39;s that darn Toys R Us lookbook that always seems to make it into their hands. Most of us won&#39;t scrimp on their gifts, so it&#39;s the rest of the family that gets the shaft.&nbsp;</p><p>What if there was a compromise? No need to beat around the bush here - I&#39;m talking good old-fashioned child labor here. Yeah, it&#39;s a little cheesy in that holiday commercial where a kid hands mom a big handmade card kind of way, but what the heck. At least you can afford it.&nbsp; </p><p>Tempted to throw caution to the wind and make presents with the kids? Here are my five favorites:</p><ol> <li>Cookies - seriously a no-brainer here. Most people who celebrate Christmas are making them anyway (or buying them and plunking a doily on a paper plate to make it look like they are anyway). So throw together an extra batch and take them with you - anywhere. The thing about cookies is that people who say, &quot;Oh no, I couldn&#39;t,&quot; inevitably end up digging in. And they&#39;ll appreciate not having another tchotchke that ends up taking up space on their bookshelves. Speaking of which . . .&nbsp; </li> <li>Whatsit jars - Forget the muffin mix in a jar. Have you ever actually seen someone bake one of these things? I usually end up pouring mine in the compost pile just in time to get another shelf full. Save the jars, the gingham squares and the raffia ties, and let your kids loose in the junk drawers or their toy room. Short of the knowledge that everything MUST fit inside the drawer, all they need to know is this is a gift for so-and-so. In other words, they can&#39;t get this stuff back, but they can make somebody&#39;s day and clean up your house. See what they come up with; you might be surprised - and your best friend will have a kitshy found art piece to show off instead of the same old macaroni necklace. Speaking of which . . <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/archive/2008/12/17/five-easiest-and-cheesiest-christmas-gifts-to-make-with-the-kids.aspx">Click Here for the Rest of the List</a></li> </ol> Related Posts:<br><h4><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/archive/2008/12/14/hey-obama-give-this-kid-an-interview.aspx" target="_blank">Hey Obama, Give This Kid an Interview!</a></h4><h4><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/archive/2008/12/13/parents-make-son-hold-i-will-never-shoplift-again-signs.aspx" target="_blank">Parents Make Son Hold &#39;I Will Never Shoplift Again&#39; Signs</a></h4><h4><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/archive/2008/12/12/when-do-you-make-the-kids-give-their-toys-away.aspx" target="_blank">When Do You Make the Kids Give Their Toys Away?</a></h4><h4><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/archive/2008/12/10/cutting-back-the-kid-s-teacher-gift.aspx" target="_blank">When Your Kid&#39;s is the Puny Gift to the Teacher</a></h4><h4><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/archive/2008/12/05/would-you-give-gifts-bought-at-wal-mart-where-man-died.aspx" target="_blank">Would You Give Gifts Bought At Wal-Mart Where Man Died?</a></h4><h4><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/archive/2008/12/03/crafty-shrinky-dink-your-christmas-tree.aspx" target="_blank">Crafty: Shrinky Dink Your Christmas Tree</a></h4><p><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/archive/2008/12/16/your-mother-in-law-really-is-bad-for-your-health.aspx" target="_blank">Your Mother-in-Law Really Is Bad For Your Health</a></p><h4><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/archive/2008/11/27/the-best-christmas-songs-for-the-kid-in-you.aspx" target="_blank">The Ten Best Christmas Songs For the Kid in You</a></h4>