The economy sucks. We all know it. We are all affected by it on a daily basis, perhaps some more than others. Maybe we used to have a few extra bucks to spend on a birthday, Christmas or wedding gift, but now we are faced with penny-pinching and coupon-clipping.

As a student, I was definitely faced with this challenge every holiday season and birthday. Who’s got money for gifts when peanut butter becomes a staple for every meal? Making gifts was really my only option.

A family I knew actually had one Christmas holiday where all gifts given that year had to be handmade. A good concept, I think, considering you don’t have to worry that someone spent more money on your gift than you did on their gift, and everyone had to put in a great deal of thought and creativity. Though it is often times of financial struggle that stem creative gift-making, art makes a great gift for any time and any occasion.

I think we’ve all gotten too accustomed to letting mass manufacturers do the grunt work for us. It’s time to roll up your sleeves, grab some supplies and get your hands dirty.

So, what should you make? The most obvious answer would be a piece of two-dimensional art, but there are so many possibilities outside that box. This past holiday season, I gave many people watercolor paintings. However, there were a few people who had received paintings from me in the past, and frankly, I was out of ideas for them. Perhaps something more functional, I thought. For a dog-loving family, I painted a few simple designs on a glass cookie jar, making it a dog treat jar fit for display. For my mother, who is always cold, I used a robe of mine as a pattern to make a heavier version she can wear around the house. I’ve made purses out of old T-shirts, little figurines out of polymer clay and even necklaces from seashells I collected while on vacation.

If you’re at a loss for ideas, a pre-stretched canvas from the local hobby store is a great start. Even if your artistic abilities are limited, there are so many things that can be created on a canvas. Collect several smaller canvases, paint each one a different color, and add geometric shapes or expressive brush strokes for a decorative ensemble. Use the canvas as a base for a collage, include photographs, paint over the seams, and even make stitches into the canvas for texture. Cut into it; use gesso to build up three-dimensional layers of paint. Apply scraps of fabric; write a favorite poem in ink. Imagination is key.

Homemade gifts are also eco-friendly. Recycling newspaper for a papier-mâché project, using worn-out clothing for scraps of fabric and cutting up outdated magazines for a collage are all great ways to use the resources in your own home. Cardboard is also a great raw material. I’ve used it on several occasions as a foundation for painting, but you can even use it to make homemade, recycled paper. Simply blend it up with a bit of water, lay the pulp out on a screen and let it dry.

Show your loved ones you care, even when the bank account dwindles, using your creativity and a little hard work.